Aortic Disease

About aortic disease at Mass General Brigham Heart and Vascular Institute

Mass General Brigham offers the most advanced care for patients with disease of the aorta, the main artery of the heart, including acute and chronic aortic dissections, thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms, Marfan syndrome, and coarctation of the aorta. Each patient’s care team combines the expertise of a team of clinicians from multiple disciplines and many perspectives, including specialists in cardiac, vascular and endovascular surgery, cardiology, vascular medicine, cardiac and vascular intervention, imaging, and anesthesia. Our treatments are driven by sophisticated technology and implemented by the entire team of specialists. 

What to expect during your aortic disease evaluation

Here is what you can expect when you come to Mass General Brigham for aortic disease care:

• Careful review of imaging and medical history: The team studies the results of your imaging tests and considers your past medical history to fully understand your condition.
• Thoughtful treatment recommendations: Specialists weigh the risks and benefits of various treatments and recommends a course of optimal management to the patient, family, and the referring physician.
• Support services: Based on your needs, the team may involve interpreters, social workers, and other medical specialists.
• Timely next steps: In most cases, a treatment plan is established by the end of your first visit.

Conditions we treat

Aortic disease symptoms

Depending on the type of aortic disease a patient has, symptoms may include:

Signs of an aortic emergency include:

Diagnosis of aortic disease

Our cardiac imaging specialists may recommend one or more advanced diagnostic tests to make a diagnosis, including:

Approach to treatment for aortic disease

Depending on the diagnosis, medical intervention or surgical treatments may be recommended. 

Medication management of aortic disease

• Medications used to manage aortic disease include drugs to control cholesterol and blood pressure
  
• Multi-modality imaging is conducted to monitor ongoing and chronic conditions

Advanced and hybrid surgical care for aortic disease

Mass General Brigham heart specialists develop and utilize the latest cardiac surgical devices and technology, even those that are still in clinical trials and not yet widely available. In some complex cases, we may recommend a hybrid approach to treatment (combining surgery and non-surgical treatments). Our team specializes in a number of innovative procedures for managing aortic disease, including:

• Aortic arch surgery
• Aortic dissection for Marfan's syndrome
• Ascending aneurysm repair with an interposition tube graft
• Composite aortic root replacement
• Hybrid approaches to treat complex aortic disease
• Minimally invasive stent-grafts for selected thoracic aortic aneurysms
• Repair of extensive thoracoabdominal aneurysms
  
• Stent graft/minimally invasive endovascular surgery
• Valve-preserving operations for aortic root aneurysms

Lifelong care for aortic disease

Patients with aortic disease who are diagnosed and receive the appropriate treatment can expect to lead relatively normal lives, but lifelong management of the disease may be required. After their initial diagnosis, patients are followed carefully by their providers to ensure their condition is being managed. Patients especially need to control their blood pressure in order to limit the stress on the aorta, and often need lifelong surveillance of their aorta to monitor for need of additional treatment.

Aortic disease research and clinical innovation