Thoracic Aortic Center
Rhode Island Hospital

Types of Thoracic Aortic Conditions

The aorta is the main artery that runs from the heart through the chest and abdomen, delivering oxygenated blood pumped from the heart to the rest of the body. Conditions and diseases can impact the ascending, arch, descending and abdominal sections of the aorta.

Surgeons performing cardian surgery
The Thoracic Aortic Center’s multidisciplinary team has decades of experience providing medical and surgical options to patients with a wide spectrum of thoracic aortic conditions.

The most common thoracic aortic conditions are:

  • A thoracic aortic aneurysm, also called TAA, a bulging and weakening of the aortic wall. An aneurysm can burst, causing life-threatening bleeding.

  • Aortic dissections, beginning with a tear in the inner layer of the three-layered aortic wall. Blood is channeled into the wall and separates the layers of the tissue, weakening the wall and potentially causing a life-threatening rupture.

We Treat:

  • Aortic Aneurysms
    • Aortic root aneurysm
    • Sinus of valsalva aneurysm
    • Ascending aortic aneurysm
    • Aortic arch aneurysm
    • Descending thoracic aortic aneurysm
  • Aortic Dissections
    • Type A (acute and chronic)
    • Type B (acute and chronic)
  • Aortic Intramural Hematoma
  • Penetrating Atherosclerotic Ulcer of the Aorta
  • Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm
  • Aortic Coarctation
  • Genetic and Familial Aortic Diseases
    • Marfan syndrome
    • Loeys-Dietz syndrome
    • Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
    • Familial thoracic aortic aneurysm

Learn more about the Thoracic Aortic Center