The Nordic Consortium for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection (NORCAAD) is a collaborative effort of Nordic cardiac surgery centers to study acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). Here we outline the overall objectives and the design of NORCAAD.

NORCAAD currently consists of eight centers in Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden. Data was collected for patients undergoing surgery for ATAAD from 2005 to 2014. Total of 194 variables were retrospectively collected including demographics, past medical history, preoperative medications, symptoms at presentation, operative variables, complications, bleeding and need for blood transfusions, need for late reoperations, 30-day mortality and long-term survival.

Information was gathered in the database for 1159 patients, of which 67.6% were male. The mean age was 61.5 ± 12.1 years. The mean follow-up was 3.1 ± 2.9 years with a total of 3535 patient years.

NORCAAD provides a foundation for close collaboration between cardiac surgery centers in the Nordic countries. Sub-studies in progress include: short-term outcomes, long-term survival, time interval from diagnosis until operation, effects of surgical techniques, malperfusion syndrome, renal failure, bleeding, and neurological complications on outcomes and the rate of late reoperations.