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A video visit with your doctor can be scheduled through MyChart. This offers the same high quality healthcare expertise from your doctor, with the added convenience of not having to travel to the doctor’s office.
Thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) is a minimally invasive procedure to treat bulges and tears in the upper aorta. Our experienced surgeons lead the way in using TEVAR and have published and researched extensively on its use to treat the upper (thoracic) aorta. Vascular surgeons at Henry Ford Health perform 50 to 60 TEVAR procedures each year.
Helping such a large number of people means we continue to grow our expertise and can protect you from life-threatening complications. When it comes to complex aortic disease, doctors throughout Michigan trust us to provide their patients with exceptional care.
A video visit with your doctor can be scheduled through MyChart. This offers the same high quality healthcare expertise from your doctor, with the added convenience of not having to travel to the doctor’s office.
Henry Ford’s Multidisciplinary Aorta Program is recognized for our excellence with TEVAR. People across Michigan come to our vascular surgeons because we offer:
As the largest artery, the aorta carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to smaller arteries that branch throughout the body. The aorta’s upper section, the thoracic aorta, begins at the heart and runs through the chest. It supplies blood to the brain, arms and upper body.
An aneurysm develops when a section of artery wall weakens and thins, causing an outward bulge. Given the aorta’s strong blood flow, an aneurysm can continue to grow and may burst, causing uncontrolled internal bleeding. In people with uncontrolled high blood pressure, the excessive pressure can cause a devastating tear in the aorta’s lining, leading to an aortic dissection.
Ruptured aneurysms and aortic dissections are life-threatening emergencies that require immediate medical care. Learn more about aortic aneurysms and aortic dissections.
Doctors treating a thoracic aortic aneurysm try to prevent a rupture or dissection. If you have a small, stable aneurysm, you may need only medication and regularly scheduled, follow-up imaging to manage it. Fast-growing or large (about 2 inches or more) aneurysms require repair, with either an endovascular procedure or open surgery.
Dissections in the ascending aorta, which leaves the heart and curves into the aortic arch, are emergencies that require open surgery. Dissections in the descending aorta, which begins at the arch and runs down the chest, are often repairable with an endovascular procedure.
Not all thoracic aneurysms and dissections are treatable with an endovascular procedure. We work closely with you to decide which approach will provide you with the most effective, longest-lasting results.
Thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) treats aneurysms and dissections in the upper aorta, providing a minimally invasive alternative to open surgery. It is a catheter procedure, meaning your surgeon uses a thin, flexible tube inserted into a needle puncture or incision in an artery.
The surgeon guides the catheter through arteries to the treatment area, then places a stent graft, a fabric-covered, metal-mesh tube. The stent graft eliminates pressure on the aneurysm, reinforcing the aorta to prevent the aneurysm from growing or rupturing. For dissections, the stent graft essentially reconstructs the section that tore.
Repairing aortic aneurysms and dissections with an endovascular approach rather than open surgery can provide several benefits:
Aneurysms in certain parts of the thoracic aorta are often challenging to repair with a traditional endovascular approach. These aneurysms include:
At Henry Ford, our skilled vascular surgeons are developing innovative endovascular techniques to treat these complex aortic aneurysms. Our approaches include:
With standard TEVAR, your surgeon performs a catheter-based procedure to access the aortic aneurysm or dissection and place the stent graft. The steps include:
After TEVAR, you spend a night in the intensive care unit (ICU). You can expect a hospital stay of one or two additional nights after the procedure. You receive pain medication as needed, and your care team monitors your vital signs.
We provide instructions before you leave the hospital for at-home care. Your overall recovery time is about two weeks following the procedure.
Your first follow-up appointment typically takes place about four to six weeks after the procedure. We perform a CT scan to make sure the stent graft is in place and there are no blood leaks. Typically, you’ll need to come back in six months and 12 months, then yearly after that, for continued follow-up and monitoring.
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