Heart and vascular surgeons teaming up to treat conditions of the aorta
Our Complex Aortic Program brings together surgeons from our Cardiac Surgery and Vascular and Endovascular programs.
The aorta is a long vessel that supplies blood to almost all the major organs in the body through the smaller arteries that branch out from it. Treating aortic disease requires the careful integration of surgical, endovascular, and medical techniques to achieve the best outcomes possible. The MedStar Health collaborative team of cardiac and vascular surgeons, cardiologists, and imaging specialists offer state-of-the-art treatment and follow-up care.
Our physicians are expertly trained, highly experienced, and perform more aortic interventions than any other program in the region. We offer expertise for complex repairs, specializing in minimally invasive and hybrid techniques. Regardless of location along the aorta, our cardiac surgeons, vascular surgeons, or a multidisciplinary team, our patients benefit from a wide range of treatment options and our collective experience and expertise.
Conditions treated
An aortic root aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of the aorta at the point where the aorta exits the heart, which is where the aortic valve is located.
An aortic dissection is a tear in the lining of the aorta, the candy cane-shaped artery that delivers oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
An aortic root aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of a specific part of the aorta, your largest artery that carries blood from your heart to the rest of the body.
An ascending aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of the aorta located just above the heart and just before the bend in the aorta known as the aortic arch.
An aortic arch aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of the curve of the candy cane-shaped aorta, the body’s largest artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
Descending Thoracic Aorta Aneurysm
A descending aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of the aorta which begins after the subclavian artery branches from the aortic arch.
Aortic ulcer is a rare disease, but it is known by many names: penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer and atherosclerosis of the aorta, just to name a few.
Fatty clumps in the blood called plaque can build up in the aorta and form an ulcer, or cratering, over time. The ulcer can penetrate the wall of the aorta, decreasing blood flow and allowing blood to leak and cause internal bleeding.
Coarctation of the aorta is a narrowing of the aorta, the body’s largest artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
Infrarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Dilation or ballooning of the abdominal aorta below the branches that provide blood to the kidneys.
Connective tissue is made up of fibers that hold your body together and provide support to your heart and other structures. Marfan syndrome is result of a defect in the gene that allows your body to produce the protein that forms these connective tissues and causes abnormal elasticity or weakness in those tissues.
Our providers
Expert cardiology care
Getting the care you need starts with seeing one of our cardiologists.
Additional information
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Recover faster and improve your quality of life after heart disease or treatment with help from our exercise physiologists, physical therapists and dietitians.
Ask MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute
Have general questions for our heart and vascular program? Email us at AskMHVI@medstar.net. If you have clinically-specific questions, please contact your physician’s office.