An aortic aneurysm is a bulge or an enlarged section of the aorta. The aorta is the main pipeline of blood to the entire in human body. The heart pumps oxygenated blood through it with every heart beat. In some patients, sections of the aorta has a tendency to balloon out or enlarge over time.
This is a life threatening and dangerous diagnosis, as the section affected by the aneurysm becomes overstretched, weakening it. This can eventually result in the aortic aneurysm bursting. These aneurysms can happen in the abdominal region (as shown to the right), or in the upper body, also known as a thoracic aortic aneurysm.
Apart from bursting, the aortic aneurysm can cause other problems. If blood flow is slowed in the aortic aneurysm, clots may form. Blood clots in the thoracic area may travel to the brain and cause strokes. Blood clots in the abdominal region may block blood flow to the lower body.
Inoperable Aortic Aneurysm
For most patients, the fix for this condition is relatively simple. The affected portion of the aortic pipeline is removed and replaced by an artificial pipe.
In some patients, there are outside circumstances that make this simple surgery very risky by standard procedures. Patients are deemed “inoperable.” Dr. Ciuffo provides a solution for these “inoperable” aortic aneurysm patients. An “inoperable” patient may have a bad kidney or liver, they may be old and frail, or they may have a heavily calcified aorta among other conditions. Local doctors simply may not have the resources, the experience, or the education to help this bad diagnosis.
Dr. Ciuffo, a high risk heart surgery specialist, can offer a more secure diagnosis and outcome. He meticulously manages certain heart conditions before, during, and after surgery. The high risk heart patient can be optimized before surgery with adequate preoperative medical intervention, during surgery with advanced surgery techniques and can then recover postoperatively with expert management of congestive heart failure and low ejection fraction.
Get A Second Opinion
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an inoperable aortic aneurysm, please consider a second opinion. Dr. Ciuffo routinely works with high risk and inoperable patients, providing outstanding results that extend and save lives. Contact us today to learn more about our minimally invasive heart surgery procedures and your options. Call now at (330) 363-1341 or fill out our online contact form.
