The aorta is the main artery of the body, taking oxygenated blood to the entire body. It starts at the level of the heart where the aortic valve separates the heart from the aorta itself allowing one-way flow of blood out of the heart into the body. Domenico Calcaterra, MD, PhD, head of the program of surgery of the aorta at University of Iowa Heart and Vascular Center, located in UI Hospitals and Clinics, talks about surgery of the aorta and aortic valve:

What are the most common pathologies involving the aortic valve and the aorta?

The aortic valve is subject to two kinds of problems:

• Aortic stenosis, where there is blockage to blood flow through the aortic valve impeding the emptying of the heart into the aorta.
• Aortic insufficiency or aortic regurgitation, where blood leaks back into the heart from the aorta itself

The aorta is involved by a phenomenon of the dilatation of its lumen, which is called aneurysm. Aneurysms have the tendency to grow and cause a rupture of the aorta. Therefore, aortic aneurysms need to be monitored very closely and sometimes operated on to prevent such a catastrophic event to happen.

Let's talk about the aortic valve first. How do you fix a diseased aortic valve?

Problems of the aortic valve require replacement of the valve. According to the clinical situation, a mechanical or a biological valve can be used to replace the patient's aortic valve. In select cases, this operation can be accomplished with a minimally invasive approach, which may expedite the postoperative recovery.

What about the aneurysms of the aorta?

Aneurysms do not go away on their own. If they cause symptoms, it is most likely chest or back pain. If they grow over a certain size, they need to be operated on. Here at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, we built a program specializing in taking care of this problem from the time of the diagnosis to the time of the operation. Having the most sophisticated resources available and providing the most specialized level of care, makes a huge difference in the patient's outcome.

If someone has been diagnosed with a blocked or leaky aortic valve or if they have an aneurysm of the aorta and are interested in learning more about the treatment of these conditions, what are their next steps to be seen in the UI Heart and Vascular Center?

First of all, we can often fix an aortic valve aneurysm. Another procedure, endovascular approach, allows us to do this operation without opening the patient's chest and abdomen. This will have a major impact on patient recovery.

To contact us, call the Heart and Vascular Center scheduling number, 319-356-7102 or call us directly at our hospital office, 319-384-8875.

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Domenico Calcaterra, MD, PhD

University of Iowa Heart and Vascular Center