What is aortic surgery?
The aorta is the main blood vessel that carries blood from your heart to the rest of your body. The aortic valve opens and closes to allow blood to flow out of the heart. Aortic surgery involves repairing these structures to prevent internal bleeding.
When is aortic surgery performed?
Aortic surgery is performed to treat a number of conditions that cause aortic disease. Aortic disease is a problem with the aorta or aortic valve that causes one or both of them to dilate (called an aneurysm) or rupture (called a dissection). This increases the likelihood of a tear, which can be life-threatening.
Aortic disease can be:
- Genetic: Conditions such as Marfan syndrome affect the connective tissue and in turn cause problems throughout the body, including an aortic aneurysm.
- Congenital: You may have a heart defect present at birth.
- Acquired: Diseases such as high blood pressure, tumors or atherosclerosis can damage the aorta and aortic valve.
Aortic surgery can be open or endoscopic.
What is aortic surgery?
There are several types of aortic surgery:
- Aortic valve repair: This consists of improving the function of the valve or repairing the holes so that they do not leak.
- Aortic valve replacement: This involves replacing the aortic valve with a new one. The new valve may be made of metal, animal tissue, or donated by someone else.
- Aortic root replacement: Consists of replacing the aortic valve and the aorta.
Aortic surgery is complex, but techniques have advanced considerably in the last 20 years. Now, in addition to open surgery, it is possible to perform surgery with minimally invasive techniques, making the smallest possible incisions in the chest and using instruments such as the endoscope to guide surgeons. Robot-assisted surgery involves the use of a computer to visualize three-dimensional images while the surgeon conducts the valve.
The length of your hospital stay and the risks involved depend on the surgical technique used:
- Open surgery can last a few hours and may involve staying in the hospital for a period of 5 to 10 days. Risks may include bleeding, infection, heart attack, stroke and pulmonary complications.
- Endoscopic surgery is generally a faster procedure, and the risk of blood loss and other complications is lower. You will probably only stay in the hospital for 1 or 2 days, and you may feel less pain and have less scarring afterwards. However, this type of surgery is much more difficult to perform.
What is the recovery like?
It depends on the surgical procedure involved, your current health and your age. Generally, endoscopic surgery involves a shorter recovery period than with open surgery, where it can take one to two months to return to your normal daily activities.