Aortic Disease Program

Patients at University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute have access to an exceptional program that provides coordinated evaluations and treatment options for aortic pathologies. The Aortic Disease Program draws on the expertise of UH vascular and cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, cardiovascular medicine, imaging, and genetics to provide highly skilled interventions for these complex conditions.

Advanced Imaging

• Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA)
• Magnetic resonance angiography
• Angiography
• Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)

Leading-Edge Surgical Techniques

• Complex aortic reconstructions for aneurysmal and occlusive disease
• Surgical reconstruction of ascending aneurysms, arch pathologies, and thoraco-abdominal aneurysms
• Staged and combined surgical-endovascular “elephant trunk” procedure
• A highly-experienced dissection team that performs surgical and stent-graft treatment

Complex Minimally Invasive Therapies

• Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR)
• Fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (FEVAR)
• Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR)

Clinical Research

UH Cleveland Medical Center is one of the few sites in the United States with three trials investigating the Relay PRO thoracic stent-graft in subjects with thoracic-aortic aneurysms and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers, dissections, and traumatic aortic transections.

Beyond surgical and endovascular approaches, the UH Aortic Disease Program provides medical therapies for vasculitis and non-atherosclerotic occlusive disease of the aorta and aortic branches.

In addition, through the Center for Cardiovascular Genetics of UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, our Aortic Disease Program offers genetic evaluation and counseling for patients and families affected by Marfan’s Syndrome, Loeys-Dietz Syndrome and other aortopathies.