Christopher  L. La Mendola, MD FACS FACC

An Aortic aneurysm is an enlargement, widening or "ballooning out" of the body's largest blood vessel, the Aorta - the main trunk of the arterial tree.  The Aorta begins at the Aortic valve, the main oulet for blood from the heart, and ascends in the chest before turning and descending along the spine.  It gives off branches to every part of the body and so, allows oxygen-rich blood to reach every tissue.

Aortic aneurysms occur for  different reasons, but the most important causes are smoking and high-blood pressure, although heredity may play a role.  When an aneurysm forms it may occur in the Ascending Aorta, the Aortic Arch (the "turn"), the Descending Aorta, the Abdominal Aorta, or any combination of the above.  Typically, vascular surgeons will treat abdominal aneurysms, but it is the responsibilty of heart surgeons to treat aneurysms in the chest.

Once an aneurysm begins to form, it is its nature to enlarge further.  As it grows in size, the wall of the Aorta becomes thinner and weaker, and so, it becomes easier for it to expand.  If left untreated, an Aortic aneurysm can  "dissect", a condition in which the aortic wall peels apart like the layers of an onion culminating in a rupture.  An aortic rupture usually leads to sudden death, but occasionally a patient may survive for several hours, days or even years.

Many studies have shown, that the likelihood of a rupture is quite small when the Aorta, usally about 2.5 cm in diameter, is less than 5 - 5.5 cm.  As the Aorta enlarges past this size the risk of rupture rises precipitously, and so surgery should be performed to correct the problem.

Typically, surgery invoves replacing the aneurysmal portion of the Aorta with a piece of Dacron tubing.  The extent of the operation will vary depending on the part of the Aorta being replaced.  It is not uncommon to replace the Aortic valve or reconnect the Coronary arteries during aneurysm surgery.  The surgery typically takes betweeen 3 and 6 hours, but can run longer. 

Although Aortic Anuerysm surgery is usually performed through a traditional incision completely through the middle of the breastbone, Dr. La Mendola is one of the few surgeons in the country to have succesfully performed this procedure using a minimally invasive approach.

Dr. La Mendola will answer all your questions regarding surgery on your Aortic Aneurysm and will be happy evaluate you for a  minimally invasive repair.