A multidisciplinary team including cardiothoracic surgeons, vascular surgeons, cardiologists and radiologists at Yale New Haven Hospital Heart and Vascular Center (HVC) offers the most advanced therapies for patients with aortic aneurysm disease. We provide care and treatment for abdominal, thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.
The aorta is the largest artery in the body. It originates in the heart and carries oxygen-rich blood to all organs and tissues in the body. An aortic aneurysm is an abnormal enlargement (bulge) that can develop anywhere in the aorta. Most people with aortic aneurysm disease do not have any symptoms; however, an aneurysm can become life-threatening if it grows too large or too fast, causing it to dissect and tear or rupture. Most people learn of their aneurysms while being tested for another condition. Once discovered, lifelong monitoring of this condition is required.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm: An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) occurs in the abdomen. It can appear on imaging studies and is more likely to occur in people over age 55 who have a history of tobacco use or a strong family history of aneurysms. Heart and Vascular Center vascular surgeons specialize in treating this type of aneurysm.
Thoracic aortic aneurysm: This type of aneurysm can occur in the front or back of the chest. An ascending thoracic aneurysm near the heart in front of the chest requires complex, open-heart surgery or hybrid aortic surgery by cardiothoracic surgeons. There is often a familial or genetic component to this condition, necessitating family screening and long-term surveillance. For descending thoracic aneurysm occurring behind the chest, surgical management by cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons is needed. Most cases use minimally invasive endovascular stent treatment options.
Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm: This aneurysm affects the aorta in the chest and abdominal regions. It is usually asymptomatic and often detected incidentally or through surveillance in patients with chronic aortic dissection disease. HVC cardiothoracic surgeons and vascular surgeons work with a multidisciplinary team to provide care and treatment of these aneurysms. Treatment options, based on patient symptoms, aneurysm size and growth rate, include minimally invasive endovascular procedures, open surgery and endovascular hybrid procedures. Our skilled aortic team achieves excellent outcomes by choosing the optimal and least invasive procedure for each patient. The HVC is one of few centers offering highly specialized, minimally invasive total endovascular procedures to treat complex thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.
