Aortic Clinic

The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body, starting at the heart and going down into the pelvis. This vital main artery moves blood from your heart to every part of your body.

When you have an aortic condition, you need expert vascular care. At Baystate Health, our board-certified vascular specialists have extensive experience diagnosing and treating all diseases of the blood vessels and providing lifelong follow-up care.

As western Massachusetts’ most advanced heart and vascular program, we are leaders in aortic disease and injury treatment. Our team provides comprehensive aortic care, from diagnosis and monitoring to treatment and lifelong follow-up.

Why Choose Baystate Health for Aortic Disease Care

We offer the full spectrum of care for aortic conditions, from medical management of risk factors and monitoring to complex vascular surgery. At our clinic, we provide:

• Team-based approach: When you come to Baystate Health, you get care from a whole team of experts. Our heart and vascular specialists collaborate closely, combining their expertise to create a treatment plan that’s right for you.
• Personalized treatment: There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for conditions like aortic aneurysms. Some people need surgery, but many can be safely managed with regular imaging, routine checkups, and ongoing monitoring.
• Comprehensive surgical options: Our vascular surgeons have expertise in every type of vascular surgery available today. They provide traditional open surgery, newer minimally invasive endovascular techniques, custom grafts, and hybrid approaches that combine both techniques.
• Care for your whole health: Managing an aortic condition involves more than treating the aorta itself. We work to address risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking, helping you improve your overall health and reduce future risk.
• Focus on quality and research: We participate in research exploring next-generation treatments for aortic disease and train future vascular specialists through our vascular fellowship program. Our surgeons also participate in the national Vascular Quality Initiative, which helps us track the outcomes of all cases compared with regional and national centers. This transparency ensures we continuously review our safety and best practices for our patients.

Conditions We Treat at Our Aortic Clinic

We manage and treat aortic diseases and injuries, including:

• Aortic aneurysm: An aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of the aorta. Aortic aneurysms can occur in the chest or abdomen. Learn more about aortic aneurysms.
• Aortic dissection: An aortic dissection is a tear in the wall of the aorta caused by a medical condition, such as high blood pressure or weakness in the artery wall. If not treated quickly, it can be life-threatening.
• Aortic occlusive disease: With this condition, plaque builds up in the lower aorta, slowing or stopping blood flow to the lower body. The condition can cause pain, make it difficult to walk, and prevent wound healing.
• Aortic trauma: A car crash, fall, or other injury can cause an aortic tear and lead to heavy internal bleeding. We work with our trauma surgeons and emergency physicians and other specialists to coordinate immediate care for people with traumatic injuries.

Treatments and Services Offered at Our Aortic Clinic

We care for people dealing with aortic diseases and injuries with a complete range of diagnostic and treatment options. We offer:

• Aortic imaging and diagnostic testing: We use ultrasound to monitor aneurysms before and after surgery and CT scans for surgical planning and monitoring of complex conditions. With high-resolution CT scans and 3D mapping, we can create digital maps of the exact position of blood vessels to guide complex procedures and build custom solutions.
• Aneurysm surveillance and monitoring: Many aneurysms don’t require surgery. If an aneurysm is small, we monitor it with regular imaging, blood pressure management, and risk factor modifications like smoking cessation. If an aneurysm needs repair, we recommend a treatment based on size and location, your overall health, and how well the repair is expected to hold up over time.
• Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR): This minimally invasive procedure repairs the aorta through a small incision, usually in the groin. We use X-ray imaging to insert custom-built or prefabricated stent grafts (tube- or Y-shaped devices that reinforce the artery) into the aorta to strengthen the aorta wall.
• Open aortic surgical repair: We may use traditional open surgery for conditions like aortic occlusive disease and some types of aneurysms. A bypass or endarterectomy (a procedure to remove plaque buildup from inside the artery) can offer a long-lasting repair for major blockages.
• Emergency aortic and trauma surgery: We provide lifesaving care for aortic injuries at our Level 1 Trauma Center. We also treat aortic dissections and other emergencies, often working with our cardiothoracic surgeons to repair the aorta and restore critical blood flow.

What to Expect From Our Aortic Clinic

While many surgeons perform vascular procedures, only a vascular specialist understands the full range of needs that come with conditions like aortic aneurysm. Having access to every potential solution for aortic disease means you get the treatment that is right for you.

Our vascular specialists discuss challenging treatment decisions and the best path forward. We collaborate with you and experts across our heart and vascular team throughout your care. We carefully consider your overall health, the complexity of your condition, and your personal goals when creating your treatment plan.

Heart and Vascular Critical Care Unit

Depending on your needs after a complex aortic repair, you may recover in our specialized Heart and Vascular Critical Care Unit. The team on this unit includes doctors and nurses trained in critical care who provide around-the-clock monitoring to identify and address potential complications after surgery.

Comprehensive Follow-Up Care

Aortic disease care doesn’t end after surgery. Even after a successful repair, future problems can develop in the same area or in another part of the aorta.

We continue to monitor your health after surgery with regular follow-up visits and imaging scans. These appointments help us track your recovery, monitor your blood pressure and other risk factors, and identify potential concerns to help prevent future complications.