Endovascular stent graft repair of thoracic aortic aneurysm now is being offered at Verde Valley Medical Center by John Schor, M.D., thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon.  Currently, VVMC is the only facility north of Phoenix providing this service.

The aorta is the largest artery in the body, which carries blood away from the heart to all parts of the body. The part of the aorta that runs through the chest is the thoracic aorta. When a weak area of the thoracic aorta expands or bulges like a balloon, it is called a thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA).

Thoracic aortic aneurysms are a serious health risk because they can burst or rupture, causing severe internal bleeding, which can rapidly lead to shock or death. Thoracic aneurysms affect approximately 15,000 people in the U.S. each year. Only 20-30 percent of patients who get to the hospital with a ruptured TAA survive. For this reason, it is crucial to treat aneurysms early, in order to prevent rupture.

In endovascular stent graft repair of TAA, the treatment is performed inside the body using long, thin tubes called catheters. The catheters are inserted through a single one-inch incision, and are guided through blood vessels. Using live X-ray pictures as a guide, the surgeon places a stent graft to cover the site of the aneurysm, which allows blood to flow through the aorta without putting pressure on the wall of the aneurysm, which keeps it from rupturing. Over time, the aneurysm will shrink.

The procedure is minimally invasive, meaning there is less postoperative pain, a shorter hospital stay, and faster recovery times than open aneurysm repair, which allows patients a more rapid return to normal activity and quality of life.