Introduction:
The aorta is the major blood vessel that originates from the heart, and supplies oxygenated blood to the whole body, through its branches.
AORTIC ANEURYSM:
An aortic aneurysm occurs when a weak spot in the wall of the aorta begins to bulge; this can occur anywhere in the aorta. An aortic aneurysm will need to be monitored, so that a timely surgery can be performed if the size of the aneurysm exceeds certain defined measurements, as per surgical guidelines.
AORTIC DISSECTION:
Aortic dissection is when a tear occurs within the lining of the aorta. This commonly arises in an already bulged (aneurysmal) part of the aorta; therefore an aneurysm increases the risk of an aortic dissection. Aortic dissection is an emergency where each hour is a golden hour. and any delay can increase the risk of the aorta rupturing, which could lead to the death of the patient.
SURGICAL REPAIR OF AORTIC ANEURYSM OR DISSECTION - HOW IS IT PERFORMED?
These procedures are usually performed through a conventional approach, where the central chest bone is split (sternotomy) and the heart is stooped using a Heart-Lung machine. The aneurysmal or torn segment of the aorta is cut and replaced by a Dacron (textile mesh) tube. In cases where the tear or aneurysmal segment involves the base/mouth of the aorta (aortic root), coronary arteries and the aortic valve may also be surgically re-stabilized. Aneurysms and dissections involving the arch or distal part of the aorta can be repaired by minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS).
Surgical repair of aortic aneurysms or dissections is a complex, high-risk procedure that needs to be tailored to the specific needs of each patient. Hence, such surgeries are only performed by a few highly trained surgeons. with a multidisciplinary team approach: such as Dr. M. M. Yusuf and his team.
