Treatment options for conditions affecting the aorta

Expert Heart & Vascular Care

Getting the care you need starts with seeing one of our heart or vascular specialists.

Request an Appointment

Aortic surgery describes a number of procedures to treat conditions that affect the aorta. The aorta is the body’s largest blood vessel, and it carries oxygen-rich blood away from the heart as it’s pumped to the rest of your body. Conditions that affect the aorta can be very serious and even life-threatening without expert surgical care.

Our Complex Aortic Center brings together heart surgeons and vascular surgeons to work as a team on the challenging conditions that affect the aorta, such as aortic aneurysms and aortic dissection. We’re able to perform complex surgeries that other centers can’t, including minimally invasive options. And because of our participation in clinical trials and research, our patients often have access to treatment options before they’re available in other locations.

What types of aortic surgery are available?

Some of the many aortic surgical procedures our doctors offer include:

Conditions

Coarctation of the Aorta

Coarctation of the aorta is a narrowing of the aorta, the body’s largest artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

Aortic Ulcers

An aortic ulcer can penetrate the wall of the aorta, decreasing blood flow and allowing blood to leak and cause internal bleeding.

Marfan Syndrome

Marfan syndrome is a chronic genetic condition that affects connective tissues and and can cause serious heart complications.

Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS)

Median arcuate ligament syndrome is a compression of the celiac artery that reduces blood flow to the digestive system and causes severe abdominal pain.

Tests

Angiogram (Angiography)

An angiogram is a special X-ray taken as a special dye is injected through a thin, flexible tube called a catheter to detect blockages or aneurysms in blood vessels.

Cardiac Catheterization

Cardiac catheterization is a minimally invasive way to diagnose and treat a variety of heart and vascular conditions by guiding thin, flexible tubes called catheters through blood vessels to problem areas.

Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan

The cardiac computed tomography scan, or cardiac CT, uses X-rays to create three-dimensional images of your heart and blood vessels.

Echocardiogram

An echocardiogram uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of your heart.