Introduction The development of thoracic endovascular aortic repair has altered the approach and reduced the risk of treating the majority of descending thoracic aortic conditions. Primarily developed for the exclusion of thoracic aortic aneurysms, it is now used in place of open repair surgery for most descending thoracic aortic diseases, and has also been used to treat aortic arch diseases in selected cases. Methods A literature search was conducted of Medline and Embase databases from January 2007 to February 2017, using the key words ‘aortic disease’, ‘thoracic aorta’ and ‘endovascular repair’; 205 articles were identified, of which 25 studies were selected for review based on their relevance. Findings The key findings of the indications, techniques, outcomes, complications and comparisons with open surgical repair were extracted from the published studies and are summarised in this review. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair is the preferred choice of intervention for patients with descending thoracic aortic disease. With time, it has improved to be safer and has the potential to expand aortic treatment choices in future.