Aortic Aneurysm
An aortic aneurysm is a bulge in a section of the aorta, your body’s main artery. The aorta carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The aneurysm section of the aorta is overstretched and weak and must be repaired.
Aneurysms can form in any section of the aorta, but they are most common in the belly area (abdominal aortic aneurysm). They can also happen in the upper body (thoracic aortic aneurysm). The specific conditions below will give you more information on each type of aortic aneurysm.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
When the wall of a blood vessel weakens, a balloon-like dilation called an aneurysm sometimes develops. This happens most often in the abdominal aorta, an essential blood vessel that supplies blood to your legs. Fairly common Every year, 200,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). A ruptured AAA is…
Learn MoreAortic Dissection
The aorta, the main vessel that carries blood from your heart to the rest of your body, is made of 3 layers. An aortic dissection is a tear that occurs between the innermost and middle layers of the aorta. Aortic dissections occur in approximately 3 per 100,000 patients per year. Both men and women are…
Learn MoreAortoiliac Occlusive Disease
Aortoiliac occlusive disease is the blockage of the aorta, the main blood vessel in your body, or the iliac arteries. The iliac arteries are the branches that your aorta divides into around the level of the belly button to provide blood to your legs and the organs in your pelvis. This blockage is typically caused…
Learn MoreConnective Tissue Disorder (CTD)
These disorders affect the main proteins that are responsible for the strength and integrity of all of our organs, vessels, skin and bones. They cause weakness in the blood vessels, particularly the arteries, that can lead to vascular problems such as aneurysms, aortic dissections, and ruptures. Risk for vascular problems varies The risk of significant…
Learn MoreEndoleaks (Type I-V)
Endoleaks occur when blood leaks back into an aneurysm sac following an endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) procedure—one of the procedure’s most common complications.
Learn MoreFibromuscular Disease
Fibromuscular disease causes narrowing of arteries throughout your body, most frequently the arteries to the kidneys (renal arteries) and brain (carotid arteries). In rare cases, FMD can affect leg or intestinal arteries. Uncommon FMD most commonly affects young women of European descent. FMD of the kidney arteries is found in 4–7% of women. FMD of…
Learn MoreThoracic Aortic Aneurysm
An expansion, or ballooning, of a section of the aorta within your chest (thorax) that slowly degenerates. The aorta, the body’s main blood vessel, starts at your heart and extends all the way to your pelvis, where it branches toward your legs. The larger the aneurysm, the higher the risk it may rupture, leading to…
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