Current therapy of aortic dissections remains unstandardized because of the relative rarity of these catastrophic events and conflicting reported results of various therapeutic strategies. Hence, we reviewed our current results and planned to purify our method of interpretation of results and so, to standardize therapeutic managements. This study comprised unselected, consecutive 27 patients with aortic dissections who were operated at Seoul National University Hospital from Jan 1983 to March 1988. The results from analysis of their preoperative, operative and postoperative finding were as follows: 1] 7 patients had acute type A, 14 had chronic type A, 4 had acute type B, and 2 had chronic type B. 2] The causes of dissections were unclear, but 8 patients had Marfan`s syndromes, 2 had previous operative histories on cardiovascular systems and 2 had congenital heart diseases. 3] Multiple preoperative variables were found to correlate significantly with operative mortality and complications. The prevalences of such preoperative major complicating factors were significantly more frequent in acute than chronic [P < 0.05] and type A than type B [P < 0.01]. 4] Operations were performed according to the type of the dissections and whether it was acute or chronic. Usually dacron tube graft replacements were performed[25/26]. Intraluminal sutureless graft replacement was performed in 11 patients. Of the 14 patients with combined aortic regurgitation, concomitant aortic valve resuspension in 4, seperative aortic valve replacement in 1, and aortic valve replacement with coronary reimplantation were performed in 9 patients. 2 patients had concomitant arch vessel managements. 5] Over-all operative mortality rate was 33% and 54% for acute type A, 25% for acute type B, 29% for chronic type A, 0% for chronic type B respectively. The main causes of operative mortality were cardiovascular complications [mainly CPB-weaning failure] in acute cases and hemorrhagic complications in chronic cases.