The role of von Willebrand factor in acute type A aortic dissection and aortic surgery.

•This study was the first to evaluate von Willebrand factor activity (VWF:GPIbM) in acute type A aortic dissection.•Aortic dissection per se causes an increase in VWF:GPIbM and hypothermia a decrease in VWF:GPIbM.•Postoperatively, the patients demonstrated supernormal VWF:GPIbM.•The results of this study do not encourage the use of FVIII/VWF for major bleeding in acute or elective aortic surgery.•Future studies should analyze the impact of VWF on intra- and postoperative bleeding in aortic surgery.