It's Medical Monday

It's Medical Monday at Aortic Hope.

Today we will be addressing one of the many questions we hear from community members after they have had surgery from an aortic dissection which is "What monitoring and follow-up can I expect?".

As explained on page 49 of Aortic Dissection: The Patient Guide: In the first year after your aortic dissection, you will probably have one or more CT or MRI scans to check your whole aorta. You may also visit a cardiologist and have an echocardiogram to look at your heart, its valves, and the first part of your aorta. You will usually also have a blood pressure check, and ECG to check your heart rhythms.

In subsequent years, it is normal to have these tests annually - aortic dissection is a condition that requires life-long monitoring. They are every important to check that everything is OK with your aorta. You should not miss your routine scans and appointments.

Here are some of the tests to expect:

-CT scan

-MRI scan

-Echo scan

The results of your scans will be reviewed by the team caring for you and will explained to you at your appointment. If you have any questions about the results, you should ask your medical team.