Descending Thoracic Aortic and Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Treatment
UPMC offers a full range of state-of-the-art aneurysm treatment strategies for thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) caused by:
Aneurysm treatment depends on its size and location and your overall health.
If your aneurysm is small and not causing symptoms, your doctor may choose to monitor your condition. Surgeons consider aneurysm repair surgery when the aneurysm becomes large.
Procedures for treating TAAs and TAAAs
| open aneurysm repair |
- a surgeon makes an incision in your chest and replaces the weakened portion of the aorta with a fabric tube, called a graft
- repairs or bypasses vessels, if aneurysm involves important branches of the aorta
|
| endovascular procedures |
- less invasive endovascular stent graft uses long, thin tubes — called catheters — inserted through small incisions in your groin
- can be used depending on location and shape of the aneurysm
- once in place, blood flows through the stent-graft instead of into the aneurysm, eliminating the chance of rupture
|
Our aneurysm treatment experience
Cardiothoracic surgeons from the Center for Thoracic Aortic Disease and vascular surgeons from the Division of Vascular Surgery offer treatment for descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.
Learn more about heart and vascular treatments at UPMC.
Return to the Heart and Vascular Institute homepage.