Pathology:
The Aorta is the main blood vessel (Artery) that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Usually, arteries have strong and thick walls. However, in certain diseases or genetic disorders, the wall of the arteries are weak and thin. The continuous force exerted by the blood on these weak and thin walls leads to balloon like bulging of the Aorta. This condition is referred to as Aortic Aneurysm.
Complications:
Over a period of time, this Aortic Aneurysm may enlarge and has potential to develop life threatening complications like-
- Rupture & sudden death
- Aortic dissection with sudden heart attack or stroke
Treatment:
The usual investigations needed to diagnose and plan treatment for Aortic Aneurysms are 2D Echo & CT Scan with Contrast (CT Aortogram). A small Aneurysm can be treated with medication and monitoring whereas larger Aneurysms require corrective surgical procedures. The two types of corrective surgical procedures for Aortic Aneurysm are:
Open Surgical Repair such as “Bentall Procedure”
This is an invasive surgical procedure, where the Aneurysmal section of the Aorta is removed and replaced with an artificial tube (Graft) made of a special fabric called Dacron.
Endovascular Repair such as “Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR)”
This procedure is performed in a Cathlab under fluroscopic guidance. A covered stent (Metal Mesh Tube interwoven with a fabric) is placed such that both ends rest within the healthy segment of the Aorta, while the middle section of this stent provides a route for blood to flow, thereby excluding the aneurysmal segment of the Aorta.
Hybrid Procedures such as “Complex Aortic Arch Replacement with Frozen Elephant Trunk Procedure (FET)”
This procedure is a combination of both Open Surgery and Endovascular Repair. A Thoraflex Hybrid Prosthesis is surgically implanted to achieve complete correction of the Aortic Arch Aneurysm alongwith Descending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm.
Dr. Dhairyasheel Kanase is one of the leading cardiac surgeon in India having performed many complex Aortic Aneurysm Surgeries with excellent outcomes. He is also the 1st Cardiac Surgeon in Western India to successfully perform Complex Aortic Arch Replacement with Frozen Elephant Trunk using Thoraflex Hybrid Prosthesis.
