Barts and The London Heart Surgery Centre
Thoracic aortic disease is a condition in which the aorta (the main artery which takes blood from the heart to the head and arms) is damaged or diseased.
This can be caused by a genetic condition (known as Marfan or related syndromes), hypertension (consistently high blood pressure) or atherosclerosis (hardening and fat deposits in the inner walls of the aorta).
This may result in enlargement of the aorta which may be incidentally detected and can cause a dissection (tear or split).
We have a range of surgical treatments for this disease, including:
An aneurysm is a balloon-like swelling and can occur in different parts of the aorta – in the aortic arch, the ascending aorta and the descending aorta. Aneurysms are often asymptomatic, but may cause discomfort, pain and pressure symptoms including hoarseness of voice. They have a high risk of rupturing, which has serious consequences. We remove the aneurysm and replace it with an artificial tube.
At Barts and The London Heart Surgery Centre, our specialists perform surgery to repair an aortic dissection – which is to repair a tear or split in the aortic wall. This is an acute condition, which causes significant pain and can be fatal if left untreated.