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An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement or dilatation of the aorta, the body’s major blood vessel responsible for carrying blood to the entire body. Aortic aneurysms tend to grow slowly. If the aorta becomes too large, it may be at higher risk for rupturing (bursting) or tearing (aortic dissection), requiring surgery to repair it.
Aortic aneurysms are frequently detected during routine medical exams, as well as a chest X-ray or an ultrasound of the heart or abdomen. Once an aneurysm has been identified, the condition is assessed to determine if surgery is necessary. If not, the condition is closely monitored.
Surgical expertise at Weill Cornell Medicine
The heart surgeons at Weill Cornell Medicine have extraordinary expertise and experience in repairing aortic aneurysms. In fact, we have one of the largest aortic surgery centers in the region and country.
We have extensive experience repairing aneurysms of the entire aorta, including:
● Aortic root
● Ascending aorta
● Aortic arch
● Descending thoracic aorta
● Thoracoabdominal aorta
● Abdominal aorta
Weill Cornell Medicine is unique in that it successfully performs all of these types of surgery on a routine basis. We have some of the lowest complication rates in the world.
While most hospitals perform less than 20 thoracic aortic aneurysm repairs per year, our team typically repairs 140 per year. This places us between the 98 and 99th percentile nationally for the number of procedures performed annually.
Minimally invasive surgical options
We offer minimally invasive, endovascular stent grafting (TEVAR) for aneurysm repair. This is an excellent alternative to traditional, open-heart surgery to repair many aneurysms of the thoracic aorta.
Our surgeons thread a catheter into the aorta through an artery in the groin. A stent is guided through the catheter and placed at the site of the aneurysm, where it is opened and excludes the aneurysm from the rest of the aorta. Learn more about minimally invasive heart surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Aortic valve-sparing aneurysm repair: Our surgeons perform a large number of aortic valve-sparing aneurysm repairs, a procedure that allows patients to keep their own valve instead of replacing it with a prosthetic valve. This can provide a durable, life-long solution to aortic valve problems that helps avoid future operations or treatment with blood thinners.
We have had a 0% mortality associated with this operation for over 15 years and 99% of those repaired using our current technique have not needed additional aortic valve surgery.
Why choose us?
● Our record of excellent outcomes—among the best in the nation—with very low rate of complications
● Expertise in operating on patients with other health problems (such as diabetes, kidney problems, or others) and those who are elderly
● Collaboration with other specialists (such as interventional radiologists and anesthesiologists) to provide seamless, high-quality care
● Access to world-class diagnostic imaging
● We focus on treating the patient as a whole, employing a comprehensive approach
