Aortic Disease Treatment & Management

Need to Treat an Aortic Condition? Orange County Trusts Hoag for Advanced Aortic Care.

The aorta is one of the body’s largest and most important blood vessels — a sort of blood-flow superhighway that helps distribute oxygen rich blood from the heart to the organs and tissues.

Because of the importance of the aorta, conditions like aortic valve issues, aortic stenosis and inherited connective tissue diseases that can degrade the flexibility and strength of blood vessels can cause symptoms that seriously hinder patients’ quality of life, or put them at high risk of experiencing a fatal aortic dissection or ruptured aortic aneurysm.

For patients in need of advanced diagnosis and treatment for aortic conditions in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo or other communities across Orange County and beyond, the highly-skilled team at Hoag’s Elaine & Robert Matranga Aortic Center stands ready to give you the answers you need and the next-generation treatment options you deserve.

Part of Hoag’s Jeffrey M. Carlton Heart and Vascular Institute, the Elaine & Robert Matranga Aortic Center is dedicated to diagnose and care for conditions that can impact the strength, health and function of the aorta.

From open heart surgery to minimally-invasive endograft repair procedures, the multidisciplinary aortic team at Hoag has the experience, advanced technology and expertise to help patients with aortic issues get on the path to a better quality of life.

If you need care for aortic conditions in Orange County, the advanced help and patient-centered treatment you need is at Hoag. Contact us today at 949-764-5314 or by using our online form.

How are Aortic Conditions Treated?

Depending on the seriousness of the case, physicians may use a variety of techniques to treat and repair aortic problems like aortic enlargement or aortic aneurysms, or to lower a patient’s risk of experiencing a life-threatening condition such as sudden aortic rupture or dissection.

At Hoag, treatment options for aortic conditions may include:

Active Surveillance

Some people who are diagnosed with aortic conditions like aortic enlargement, aortic stenosis or thoracic aortic aneurysm may not need surgery or treatment right away, especially if the issue is diagnosed early while the enlargement or aortic aneurysm is small.

In these cases, the highly-skilled team at Hoag’s Elaine & Robert Matranga Aortic Center may recommend what’s known as active surveillance. During active surveillance, the aortic condition is carefully monitored through checkups and advanced imaging technology for signs of enlargement over time. Your provider may also recommend healthy lifestyle changes. 

Medications

Medications used to treat an aortic aneurysm may include:

  • Statins, which are drugs used to control cholesterol and the formation of plaque, which can contribute to atherosclerosis.
  • Aspirin, which acts as a blood thinner to keep blood pumping freely with less pressure. One drawback is that aspirin can increase the chance of life-threatening bleeding.
  • Antihypertensive medicines can be used to control high blood pressure, including beta blockers, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
Surgical Procedures to Treat Aortic Conditions

Depending on the location and size of the enlargement or aortic aneurysm and the likelihood it could lead to a dangerous rupture or dissection after diagnosis, you may need a surgical procedure to fix the problem.

Cases in which an aortic enlargement or aneurysm has suddenly ruptured or caused a dissection in the aortic wall is a life-threatening emergency that will likely require emergency surgery to save the patient’s life.

Surgical procedures used to repair or correct a thoracic aortic aneurysm may include:

  • Open Aneurysm Repair: Also called open surgery, this procedure to repair a thoracic aortic aneurysm begins with cardiothoracic surgeons making an incision in the chest near where the aneurysm is located. The surgeon then cuts out the bulging, distended or ruptured section of the aorta and replaces it with a tube made of a strong, medically-safe material. The incision is then sewn up and allowed to heal.
  • Thoracic Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (TEVAR): Thoracic Endovascular Aneurysm Repair, or TEVAR, is a minimally-invasive surgical procedure to treat a bulging or damaged portion of the aorta. During a TEVAR procedure, the doctor makes a small incision in a blood vessel in the arm, leg or groin. A thin catheter is fed through this incision into the blood vessel, then guided through the body to the affected section of the aorta. At the tip of the catheter is an implanted medical device called a stent graft, or endograft, which is positioned in the bulging section of the aorta. Once the graft is in place, it expands, attaching itself to the walls of the aorta. This creates a seal, strengthening the damaged portion of the aorta, preventing the aneurysm from growing larger or rupturing. As it doesn’t require a large incision, endograft repair has a much shorter recovery time than traditional aneurysm repair surgery.
  • Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement: In some cases, cardiac patients can develop an aneurysm of the aortic root, which is the portion of the aorta that is closest to the top of the heart. Blood flow into the aortic root is regulated by the aortic valve. During a valve-sparing aortic root replacement procedure, the damaged portion of the aortic root is removed, along with the patient’s natural aortic valve. The aortic root is then replaced with a graft, which is a tube made of a synthetic material. The patient’s natural aortic valve is sewn into the graft. The reason for this is that preserving a patient’s natural heart valve usually leads to much better outcomes compared to replacement with a synthetic valve.
Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation is an outpatient program designed to help those with serious cardiac issues improve heart function and manage their symptoms through a physician-monitored regimen of heart-health education, support, risk factor modification and physical exercise. In addition to people with aortic conditions, those who can potentially benefit from cardiac rehab include those with:

  • Heart Failure
  • History of heart attack
  • Recurring chest pain
  • Previous interventional cardiac procedures like coronary angioplasty, stents or percutaneous intervention (PCI).
  • Previous surgical procedures, including aortic aneurysm repair, heart valve surgery or coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG)

The Jeffrey M. Carlton Heart and Vascular Institute at Hoag features the most comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program in Orange County. Our team is dedicated to helping patients with heart disease find their way back to living life to the fullest. Learn more about cardiac rehabilitation at Hoag.

World-Class Programs for Aortic Diseases, At Hoag.

Hoag’s Elaine and Robert Matranga Aortic Center is setting the standard of care for aortic disease in Orange County, with a team-based approach that puts you and your well-being first.  If you need aortic care in Huntington Beach, Irvine, Anaheim, Newport Beach, San Clemente, Tustin or other communities across Orange County, Hoag is here. For more information about the Aortic Center at Hoag, call 949-764-5314 or by using our online form.

For Orange County patients with genetic or inherited conditions that can impact the function and health of the aorta, Hoag provides unique support through the Marfan Syndrome and Related Conditions Clinic, which is part of the Matranga Aortic Center. This program is led by globally-recognized cardiovascular and connective tissue disorders expert Dr. David Liang, M.D., Ph.D. For more information on the Marfan Syndrome and Related Conditions Program, call 949-764-8468 or contact us here.