For centuries, the field of medicine has centred its attention on the function of end organs. The shift in perception that recognizes the ‘aorta as an organ’ in its own right is a recent development. This transformative perspective was first captured in a pioneering document about the ‘vessel aorta’ by Raimund Erbel for the European Society of Cardiology in 2001 [1]. This groundbreaking work led to an uptick, or ‘hausse’, sparking a series of guidelines and expert consensus documents.

The scientific community has recently realized the unique function of the ‘organ aorta’. They have come to understand its critical importance, necessitating an update of our current knowledge on its physiology and pathophysiology. This change led to the creation of a comprehensive document detailing all known aspects of the natural history, diagnosis and treatment of both acute and chronic aortic pathologies.

This guideline addresses areas of interest both to specialists in aortic diseases (ADs) and to clinicians involved in diagnosis; endovascular, open surgical or hybrid treatment; and surveillance of patients with AD. Moreover, it provides a transparent basis for informed patients to comprehend the treatment offered by their specialists.