Following the first international symposium ever held in Asia on Advances in Understanding Aortic Diseases (AUAD), this volume of proceedings contains the papers presented in both the oral and poster sessions. The 8th AUAD symposium greatly contributed to the understanding of aortic diseases, especially in Asia. Aortic diseases, specifically thoracic aortic diseases, are more common in Japan than in Western countries, which adds further importance to this compilation that covers recent improvements and advances in thoracic aortic surgery and its outcomes. Divided into lectures, panel discussions, symposiums, and poster sessions, the book includes, among other topics, advances in imaging and diagnosis with 3D-CT, MRS, and US; state-of-the-art repair of the thoracic aorta; novel aspects of aortic root replacement; reconstruction; and prosthetic graft surgery. This valuable collection of work provides the reader with an increased knowledge and understanding of aortic diseases not only in Japan but worldwide.