Good morning, Aortic Hope community! ❤️ My name is Victor Akinyemi, and welcome to another Topic Tuesday! Today, we're discussing an important question: “Is It Just a Cough? What's Normal, What's Not, and When to Get Help.” Imagine living with an aortic aneurysm or recovering from aortic surgery. You're going about your day when suddenly, you feel a sneeze coming on. For most people, this is an ordinary moment. But for someone living with aortic disease, it may bring an immed

Good morning, Aortic Hope community, my name is Jared and today we will be talking about the Fall Vaccine Game Plan! As fall begins, many of us start thinking about cooler weather, changing leaves, family gatherings, and the start of cold and flu season. For people living with aortic disease, survivors of aortic surgery or dissection, caregivers, and family members, fall is also a great time to talk with your healthcare team about a seasonal vaccine game plan. Vaccines may no

Good morning, Aortic Hope community! As you probably know, September is Aortic Disease Awareness Month, and this week we are covering an important topic: the treatment of aortic valve disease which often goes hand in hand with many of the other aortic conditions we discuss. A Quick Refresher: What Is Aortic Valve Disease? Your aortic valve is the "door" between your heart's main pumping chamber and the aorta. Aortic valve disease generally shows up in one of two ways: Aortic

Welcome back, everyone! When you’re diagnosed with an aortic condition, it can sometimes feel like you’re suddenly meeting a whole new group of doctors. Cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, vascular surgeons, geneticists, and primary care physicians may all become involved in your care. While having multiple specialists can seem confusing, each member of the aortic care team has a different role. Working together, they help monitor your condition, prevent complications, and deter

Good morning, Aortic Hope community! My name is Jared Lin and today, we are continuing our theme of addressing common myths and misconceptions about aortic disease. The myth for today is: “The only way to fix an abdominal aortic aneurysm is through open surgery.” For many patients, hearing the words “aortic aneurysm” can be scary enough. Hearing that it may need surgery can make it feel even more overwhelming. People may picture a large incision, a long hospital stay, and a m

Good morning Aortic Hope family! Today we will continue our August theme of common myths in heart surgery by discussing one of the most common myths about aortic dissection-- that surviving it means you only have five years left to live. Hearing this myth may cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for patients and families. The good news? It simply isn't true. This myth comes from older studies conducted before today's advances in imaging, medical management, operative tech

Good morning, Aortic Hope community! Today, we will continue with our monthly theme of tackling common myths and misconceptions about aortic disease. The myth for today is “Your heart is removed from your body when you undergo heart surgery”. Where does this myth come from? When people think about getting heart surgery, they may imagine a dramatic scene where the surgeon opens the chest, completely removes the heart from the body, performs surgery on the heart, and then sew

Good morning, Aortic Hope community! This month we are tackling common myths and misconceptions about aortic disease. There is a lot of information out there, some of it accurate, but some of it potentially misleading. Separating fact from fiction can help you be a more informed patient and advocate for yourself and your loved ones. Today's myth: "Aneurysms never have symptoms." Where This Myth Comes From You may have heard aortic aneurysms called the "silent killer." This t

Over the past several weeks, Aortic Hope has explored how our genes can play a role in aortic disease. Understanding these connections can help patients and families recognize risks earlier, receive appropriate monitoring, and take steps to protect their health. Why Do Genes Matter in Aortic Disease? Our bodies are built with a complex support system called connective tissue. Connective tissue helps give strength and structure to many parts of the body, including the heart, b

Hi Aortic Hope Community! My name is Anita, and I'm a first year medical student at Brown. I'm excited to share my first blog post with you all! Today, we will be learning about Turner Syndrome, a genetic condition that affects females. What is Turner Syndrome? Turner syndrome is a congenital condition in which one of the X chromosomes is partially or completely missing. Typically, a female has two X chromosomes, or XX. However, in individuals with Turner syndrome, a random

Hi everyone! My name is Jared Lin and today we will be diving into Loeys-Dietz Syndrome: What it is, Who it affects, and Why early diagnosis matters. Why Early Diagnosis Matters Genetics and Aortic Disease: Understanding Loeys-Dietz Syndrome When we talk about aortic disease, we often focus on imaging, surgery, blood pressure, or emergency symptoms. But for many patients and families, the story begins much deeper . . . In the genes! One important genetic condition linked to a

Welcome back, everyone! Continuing our theme of exploring genetic syndromes that can cause heritable aortic disease, today we will be diving into Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). EDS is a group of inherited conditions that affect the body's connective tissue. While many people associate EDS with flexible joints or stretchy skin, some forms of the condition can also affect the heart and blood vessels, including the aorta. Understanding this connection is an important step in prev

June Recap: Meet Your Aortic Care Team As June comes to a close, we want to thank everyone who joined us for this month's educational series introducing the specialists who make up the aortic care team. Receiving a diagnosis of aortic disease can feel overwhelming, and one of the first challenges many patients and families face is navigating the healthcare system. With so many different physicians involved, it's not always clear who does what or why you may be seeing multiple

Primary Care Physicians: The Front Line of Aortic Disease Care When it comes to aortic disease, many people think first of cardiologists, vascular surgeons, or cardiac surgeons. However, one of the most important members of the healthcare team is often the person you see for annual checkups, routine care, and everyday health concerns: your Primary Care Physician (PCP). Primary Care Physicians are often the first healthcare professionals in a position to recognize risk factors

🫀 Meet the Specialists Behind the Images: Diagnostic Radiologists 🫀 When living with aortic disease, there is an important member of your healthcare team you may never meet face-to-face — but whose expertise plays a critical role in your care: the Diagnostic Radiologist. 💙 Diagnostic radiologists are medical doctors (MD or DO) who complete years of specialized training to interpret medical imaging and help detect, diagnose, and monitor disease. For the aortic community, th

The Vascular Surgeon's Role in Aortic Disease Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. My name is Alvaro, and today we're discussing the vital role vascular surgeons play in the management of aortic disease. When people hear the term aortic dissection, they often imagine emergency open-heart surgery. While this is true for many Type A dissections, the management of Type B dissections, toracoabdominal aneurysm and abdominal aortic aneurysm are very different and frequen

Good morning, Aortic Hope community! This month we are starting a new series introducing different specialists you may meet as members of your cardiac care team. Each member of the team brings unique training and expertise, and understanding who does what can help you feel more confident and prepared during your appointments. We are starting with one of the specialists most patients meet early on: your cardiologist. What Is a Cardiologist? A cardiologist is a doctor who speci

Hello everyone! I hope you are doing well. My name is Alvaro, and today we’ll discuss one of the most dangerous cardiovascular emergencies: Acute Type A Aortic Dissection. A Type A aortic dissection occurs when a tear develops in the ascending aorta, allowing blood to enter the wall of the vessel and split its layers apart. This creates a true lumen (the normal pathway) and a false lumen (the new abnormal channel inside the wall of the aorta). This is a disease that can affec

Hello, everyone! I hope you are all doing well. My name is Alvaro, and today our discussion focuses on acute Type B aortic dissection (TBAD), which occurs when a tear develops in the descending thoracic aorta, allowing blood to enter the aortic wall and create a false lumen. This false channel can compress the true lumen, reducing blood flow to critical branch vessels—and when organs lose perfusion, malperfusion syndrome develops. This is one of the most dangerous complicatio

Good morning, Aortic Hope community! Today we're going back to basics with a foundational topic: the anatomy of the aorta. Understanding how your aorta is built, and the different sections it has, can help you become a more informed patient. When you understand the basic anatomy, you can follow along more easily during appointments, ask important questions, and have more meaningful conversations with your care team about your diagnosis and imaging reports. A Quick Refresher: