Dialated Aorta

[Kevin M]

Ok, so I go in for my AVR and they find this problem. The surgeon says to my wife, "Don't worry, I thinned it out and fixed it up".

In my morphine-induced haze over the next few days in the hospital, I kept forgetting to ask them what a dialated aorta is.

I was discharged and saw on my little form that in addition to performing my AVR, he performed something called an "Aortoplasty".

I did a few searches and poking around but could not find out what was wrong with my aorta or what an aortoplasty is.

Of course, I intend to ask my cardiologist next time I'm in, but I was wondering if anyone here could enlighten me?
Kev

 

[Marple shark]

Dilated Ascending Aorta

Dilated Ascending Aorta

Ok, so I go in for my AVR and they find this problem. The surgeon says to my wife, "Don't worry, I thinned it out and fixed it up".

In my morphine-induced haze over the next few days in the hospital, I kept forgetting to ask them what a dialated aorta is.

I was discharged and saw on my little form that in addition to performing my AVR, he performed something called an "Aortoplasty".

I did a few searches and poking around but could not find out what was wrong with my aorta or what an aortoplasty is.

Of course, I intend to ask my cardiologist next time I'm in, but I was wondering if anyone here could enlighten me?
Kev

The reduction aortoplasty is done to reduce the size of the ascending aorta, which has either always been larger than normal or has enlarged (dilated) because of haemodynamic disturbance after the passage of blood through the restricted aortic valve. Opinion is divided on whether to reinforce the aortoplasty with a graft. US seem to do it, European less so. Good long term results according to Bauer, Robiscek and Gill (2009). How are you now?