A method for preventing or treating tissue damage associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury and thoraco-abdom-inal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair by administering a tissue damage preventing or treating amount of a complement inhibitor to a patient likely to suffer from or suffering from tissue damage associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury or TAAA repair. The complement inhibitors are preferably antibodies that bind to and inhibit complement proteins involved in the formation of the membrane attach complex, preferably antibodies that inhibit MBL, MASP1, MASP2, and MASP3 in the lectin pathway. The complement inhibitors can be used alone or in combination to decrease the morbidity and mortality caused by tissue damage associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury or TAAA repair
