Aortic Disorders and Diseases

Expert Diagnosis, Treatment and Care for Aortic Disorders and Diseases

Doctors at Loyola Medicine are experts at diagnosing and treating a wide variety of aortic disorders in pediatric and adult patients. Your aorta is the major blood vessel that extends from your heart down to your abdomen and carries blood from your heart to the rest of your body.

Aortic disorders or diseases result when your aorta is weakened or damaged, usually due to one of the following conditions:

• Atherosclerosis
• Congenital disorders
• Genetic syndromes
• Trauma

Whether your disorder is the result of a congenital birth defect or an acquired condition, Loyola’s multidisciplinary team of cardiac specialists will provide expert diagnosis, treatment and care for a wide range of aortic disorders, including:

Why Choose Loyola for Aortic Disorder Treatment?

Loyola’s cardiology and heart surgery program is nationally recognized for our diagnosis and treatment of aortic conditions. We work with you to help you understand your condition and develop a treatment plan that is right for you.

How are Aortic Disorders and Diseases Diagnosed?

Aortic disorders often require a team approach to diagnosis. Your medical history, health evaluation, and symptoms could indicate the presence of an aortic disorder.

Your symptoms may include:

• Chest pain
• Feeling dizzy
• Hypertension
• Shortness of breath

While these symptoms can be indicative of an aortic disorder, additional tests will be needed definitively diagnose your specific condition.

Many of these tests are conducted by Loyola’s advanced cardiovascular imaging team and may include:

• Computed tomography angiography (CTA)
• CT (computed tomography)
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
• Pulse volume recording (plethysmography)
• Transesophageal echocardiogram
• Ultrasound
• X-ray

How are Aortic Disorders Treated?

There are many different treatment options for aortic disorders, and your team at Loyola is committed to developing a plan that is right for you.

Depending on the severity of disease, your treatment options may include lifestyle changes, medicines and surgical medical procedures.

You may be required to implement several different treatment options that may include:

• Aortic aneurysm surgery
• Aortic dissection surgery
• Aortic valve sparing root replacement
• Endovascular stent surgery