Happy Tuesday, everyone! With aortic root disease, patients and surgeons have several options for aortic root replacement. Today, we’ll be discussing these different techniques and the advantages and disadvantages of each.  What is special about the Aortic Root? The aortic root is the section of the aorta closest to the heart, where the aortic valve sits. Unlike the ascending aorta, replacement of this section of the aorta requires management of the coronary arteries, which b

Welcome back, everyone! If you’ve ever been told you need surgery on your aortic arch, the big curve of the main artery that carries blood from your heart to the rest of your body, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed by the terminology. “Hemi-arch replacement” and “total arch replacement” sound similar, but they involve different levels of repair. Let’s break down what they mean and what patients should know. What’s the aortic arch, and why does it matter? The aortic arch is the

Welcome back to Topic Tuesday! Today we will be highlighting a newer tool on the market in aortic surgery - the Konect Resilia Valve Aortic Root Conduit. Aortic surgery from a cardiac surgery perspective often includes repair or replacement of the aortic root, aortic valve, and/or the ascending, arch, and sometimes descending portions of the thoracic aorta. Below is a diagram reminding us of general aortic anatomy. For more details, feel free to refer back to our previous blo

Credit: Harvard Health Publishing Hello everyone! Welcome back to another amazing topic Tuesday. When it comes to heart health, prevention is powerful. What we eat each day can make a lasting difference in protecting our arteries, improving circulation, and lowering the risk of coronary disease. For those living with or at risk for aortic and other cardiovascular conditions, even small dietary changes can strengthen the body’s natural defenses. Here are some foods that truly

Do More Aortic Dissections Happen in the Winter? During the winter, clinicians have often sensed that more patients present to the emergency department with aortic dissections. Is this just a coincidence, or do more dissections happen in cold weather? It’s a fair question. Many heart-related conditions, like heart attacks and strokes, show seasonal patterns. But what about the aorta? According to large international studies and several meta-analyses, the answer is clear: yes,

Welcome back, everyone! Every year, people with heart or vascular problems ask the same question: “Is it safe for me to get the flu shot...

Welcome back, everyone! Though our healthcare system focuses on treating diseases when people show up to the doctor’s office or the...

It's Topic Tuesday and we are wrapping up this months focus on surgery by discussing Dacron Grafts. *Understanding Dacron Grafts in...

Hello Aortic Hope Family! I hope that you are having an amazing week so far. I am sure we have all heard of the term ventilators, whether...

Welcome back, everyone! Hope everybody had a safe and fun holiday weekend! Last week, we discussed a couple of different types of...

Hello everyone, welcome back to another Topic Tuesday! Yesterday, we talked about the median sternotomy, the most common surgical...

Hi everyone! Today, we’re talking about a group of medications called  diuretics —often nicknamed  “water pills.”  They help many people...

Credit: National Council on Aging Hello Aortic Hope family! I hope that you’re having an amazing Tuesday so far! I’m sure that we all...

Hello everyone! My name is Anirudh, and I’m very excited to make this my first post as the newest member of the Aortic Hope team! For...

Welcome back everyone! In this week's Topic Tuesday , we’ll break down what blood pressure is, how it's measured, what the numbers mean,...

It’s Friday! Hi everyone! Today, let’s take a closer look at one of the body’s most important “pipelines”: the abdominal aorta. This...

Happy Spring everyone! Welcome back to another segment of our May series on cardiovascular anatomy. I was taught to think of the aorta as...

Welcome back to another Topic Tuesday, everyone! Today, we'll be going over my favorite segment of the aorta- the root! What Is the...

I hope you are doing well this lovely Tuesday morning. Today's topic is going to be about the coronary arteries! While we know that the...

Hello everyone and I hope you are having a lovely start to your week! I am very excited to share a super interesting news today for Topic...