The aorta is the largest artery that supplies oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the entire body. It arises from the left ventricle (heart’s lower left chamber), arches over the heart,and runs down the chest and abdominal region where it branches out. The aorta is classified based on its location, and the region that extends down the chest is called the thoracic aorta.
Deposition of plaque(calcium, cholesterol and minerals) or certain related diseasescan weaken the walls of the thoracic aorta,causing it to bulge or expand, and sometimes burst,leading to haemorrhage (bleeding). This condition is called thoracic aorta aneurysm. Some factors that may increase the risk of aneurysm are familial history, high blood pressure, cholesteroland smoking. This condition can be treated with thoracic aortic surgery.
Indications
Surgery is recommended for the following:
Pre-operative Procedures
You will undergo a few pre-operative tests such as ultrasound scan and pulmonary function test (to check lung function) before the surgery.Tests are run to check for hardening of the arteries in the body and presence of coronary artery (artery supplying the heart muscles) disease.
Procedure
Thoracic aortic surgery is performed under general anaesthesia. There are two types of procedures to repair a thoracic aortic aneurysm.
After surgery, you will have to stay in the hospital for about 7 to 10 days. It may take about 2 to 3 months for you to completely recover.
Your hospital stay after endovascular surgery will be for 2 to 3 days. Post-operative follow-up from time to time is required to keep a check on the proper functioning and position of the stent graft. Over time, the weakened and expanded thoracic aortic wall will shrink over the stent.
Complications
As all surgical procedures, thoracic aortic surgery may also include certain complications such as:
Your doctor will review thebenefits and risks of the surgery and suggest the best procedure to treat thoracic aortic aneurysm.