Background The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 29-item Profile (PROMIS-29) has been widely used to measure health outcomes from the patient's perspective. It has not been validated in adults with aortic disease. The aim of this study was to explore the reliability and validity of the Chinese PROMIS-29 among patients undergoing surgery for aortic dissection (AD). Methods A cross-sectional design was applied. Eligible patients completed a questionnaire that contained the PROMIS-29 and legacy measures, including the Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF-12), 8-item Somatic Symptom Scale (SSS-8), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 (GAD-2), and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2). The structural validity of the PROMIS-29 was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Reliability was evaluated with Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was assessed by calculating Spearman's rank correlations and comparing known-group differences. Results In total, a sample of 327 AD patients was included in the final analysis. Most of them were male (89%) with a mean age of 52.7 (+/- 10.3). CFA revealed good model fit of the seven-factor structure within PROMIS-29, as well as most domains in single-factor analysis. Reliability was confirmed with Cronbach's alpha > 0.90. Correlations between comparable domains of the PROMIS-29 and those of legacy questionnaires and most know-group comparisons were observed as hypothesized. Conclusions This study found evidence for acceptable structural validity, construct validity and internal consistency of the PROMIS-29 in a sample of AD patients. It can be applied to AD survivors by researchers or clinicians, measuring outcomes after surgery and identifying those with worse health status.