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Question:
Is minimally invasive surgery available for an enlarged ascending aorta?
Hello, Do you provide a minimally invasive surgery for an enlarged ascending aorta?
submitted by Tyler from New Orleans, Louisiana on 11/2/2012
Answer:
by Texas Heart Institute cardiovascular surgeon, James J. Livesay, MD
No. Most surgeons favor a full sternotomy for better exposure than a half or three quarter sternal split. Often in the case of an enlarged ascending aorta, the aortic valve is involved. There is little advantage to this [minimally invasive] concept with aortic aneurysms in this location. Endovascular stent grafts are rarely used in this location for anatomic reasons.
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Updated November 2012
