Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Repair

The aorta is the large artery that originates in the left ventricle of the heart. There are a number of disorders of the aorta that may require surgery. Open repair is often used to treat aortic disorders. Using a heart-lung machine to stop the heart, the surgeon "cools" the heart (called hypothermic circulatory arrest) if the surgery includes blood vessels that lead to the head and upper body. Once the aorta is visible, the surgeon clamps above and below the diseased area and removes the damaged part, replacing it with a fabric graft. When the graft is in place, the surgeon removes the clamps, takes the patient off the heart-lung machine, and allows normal circulation to resume.