What is Aorta Surgery?

Aorta surgery aims to treat problems with your aorta, the biggest artery in your body. Your aorta connects to your heart and has the job of carrying oxygen-rich blood from your heart to other parts of your body. It runs from your heart down to your belly area, where it branches into the arteries that supply your legs. Sometimes, the walls of your aorta get weak and stretch out, forming an aneurysm. In other cases, the inner part of the aorta tears, which doctors call a dissection. If the aorta gets too big or tears, it can burst and cause life-threatening situations. Aorta surgery treats these problems.

When do I need Aorta Surgery? Many diseases & conditions can cause your aorta to widen or tear, which increases your risk of future life-threatening events. Conditions that can lead to aortic aneurysm & aortic dissection include:

• Hardening of your arteries
• High blood pressure
• Connective tissue disorders (like Marfan Syndrome)
• Injury

There are several types of aortic aneurysms (weakened, bulging artery walls in your aorta). An aneurysm can develop anywhere along your aorta, such as:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysms - in the section that goes through your belly
• Thoracic aortic aneurysms - in your chest. These can affect your aortic root (the part of the aorta that connects to your heart), ascending aorta, aortic arch, or descending aorta.
• Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms - in both your belly and chest Aorta surgery also treats aortic dissection, or the splitting of the layers of the aorta's wall—the layers of your aorta's wall. Blood flows through a rip in the inner layer of your aorta. This can put your life at risk.

How do doctors perform Aortic Surgery? Based on your specific case, your doctor can perform aortic surgery through:

• Open-heart surgery - Cutting open your breastbone/ Abdomen or both your chest and abdomen
• Depending on the location
• Minimally invasive - cutting through your ribs
• Endovascular method - Your doctor uses catheters to guide a stent graft through the blood vessels to your aneurysm site.

An endovascular stent graft consists of a metal tube wrapped in fabric. This scaffold strengthens weak spots in your aorta. The graft seals to the artery above and below the aneurysm. This allows blood to flow through without pushing on the aneurysm. Endovascular repair of thoracic aneurysms has these benefits:

• You stay in the hospital for less time.
• It suits people who can't have open surgery, which carries more risks.
• You recover faster because it's less invasive.

What happens before Aortic Surgery? Let your doctor know about all the medications you're taking, including over-the-counter ones. They might ask you to stop using some of them for a while before your operation. Show up to any appointments your doctor schedules, like for an electrocardiogram (EKG), scans or blood tests. Find someone to give you a ride to and from the hospital. You might also want a person to stay with you for the first few days after you come home from the hospital. Get clear directions on how to get ready, like when you should stop eating the night before your operation.

What happens during Aorta Surgery? The type of surgery you'll get depends on your aorta problem and the method your doctor chooses. - Surgery for aortic aneurysms For an aneurysm, your surgeon will strengthen or replace the stretched aorta section. They use synthetic fabric graft like Dacron to repair or replace blood vessels. - Surgery for aortic dissection When you have a tear in your aortic root or ascending aorta, or an aortic dissection, you need surgery right away. Your surgeon will cut your breastbone (sternotomy). A heart-lung machine will take care of your breathing and blood flow. The surgeon will replace the damaged ascending aorta with a fabric graft. They might also have to replace your aortic valve, root, or arch. If your ascending aorta or aortic arch is involved in the dissection, your surgeon can treat it.

Surgery for Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease When you have a blockage in your aorta or iliac arteries due to cholesterol buildup in your blood vessels, surgeons bypass blood flow from the abdominal aorta to the femoral (groin) arteries. This procedure requires an incision from below the breastbone to the pubic bone.

What are the complications of Aorta Surgery? The complications differ based on the type of aorta operation you undergo. The following are some complications:

• Bleeding
• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Kidney failure
• Leg paralysis and lack of blood flow
• Problems breathing
• Blood clots
• Intestinal lack of blood supply