Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Innovative Treatment for Aortic Aneurysms

The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) Aortic Center provides comprehensive care for disorders of the circulatory system. We are national leaders in innovative treatment for emergency and elective repair of aortic aneurysms. 

Aortic Aneurysm Treatment 

Not all aortic aneurysms require surgery. Depending on the aneurysm size and the symptoms it’s causing you, your care team will decide if you need surgery. 

Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) 

BIDMC surgeons treat some abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) using endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).

Most people receive total percutaneous (through the skin) AAA repair. This is a newer, even less invasive option that the BIDMC CardioVascular Institute pioneered. With total percutaneous repair, you’ll experience these benefits:

• Better mobility after surgery
• Faster discharge and recovery
• Less pain

You can expect to go home the day after an endovascular repair. Your overall recovery time will be one to two weeks.

Open Aortic Aneurysm or Dissection Surgery 

In certain situations, your care team needs to use surgery to treat the aortic aneurysm or dissection (tear). Our team of highly experienced cardiac surgeons has performed thousands of open surgeries to repair these types of complex aortic aneurysms:

• Aortic root — where the aorta connects to the heart
• Ascending aorta — carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body
• Aortic arch — from which the vessels that provide blood to the head and arms extend

We provide these and other care options:

• Aortic valve and root replacement
• Bentall procedure — replaces the aortic valve, aortic root and ascending aorta with a composite graft
• Elephant trunk procedure — replaces the aortic arch while leaving a section of graft in the descending aorta that can be used to repair aneurysms lower in the aorta
• Repair of the ascending aorta
• Valve-sparing aortic root repair — helps preserve the aortic valve by using advanced techniques to repair aortic aneurysms that occur at the aortic root

Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms span both the chest and abdomen. For these repairs, our cardiac surgeons work together with vascular and endovascular surgeons in the operating room.

You can expect to spend five to seven days in the hospital after open surgical repair. Your overall recovery will take one to three months.

Complex Thoracic Aneurysm Hybrid Repair 

Hybrid procedures are a treatment option for highly complex thoracic aneurysms. Procedures take place in one of our three state-of-the-art hybrid operating rooms (ORs). These dedicated ORs use a combination of open surgical and endovascular approaches. 

There are many benefits to this hybrid approach: 

• Less invasive than open surgery  
• Reduces your surgery time  
• Reduces your time under general anesthesia 
• Reduces your overall surgery-related risks 

Our versatile hybrid operating rooms use advanced imaging systems to provide surgeons with an important advantage during complex procedures.