Aortic surgery

Our highly qualified vascular surgeons treat acute and chronic diseases of the aorta as well as life-threatening emergencies.

These conditions and emergencies include

• pathological enlargement of the aorta (aneurysm; penetrating aortic ulcer, etc.)
• tears in the inner layer (dissection)
• acute injuries (aortic rupture) following a serious accident (polytrauma) or
• relevant constrictions (stenoses),

from the aortic arch through the thoracic to the abdominal aorta

Treatment

We treat these diseases of the aorta with various procedures:

• In conventional or open surgery, the abdomen is opened. The blood vessel is clamped above and below the diseased area and a graft is sewn in to replace it. Once the blood flow has been restored, the original vessel wall is repositioned around the graft and sutured down to protect the surrounding organs.
• Stent grafts are used in so-called endovascular procedures. A wire-reinforced prosthesis is inserted into the vessel from the inside via the inguinal artery. The procedure is less invasive because the abdominal cavity is not opened. The clinic specialises in the treatment of complex aortic arch diseases and pathologies involving both the thoracic and abdominal aorta. In these cases, minimally invasive, fully endovascular therapy is only possible through the use of special fenestrated (FEVAR) and/or branched (BEVAR) prostheses, some of which are custom-made. These are known as custom-made prostheses (CMD prostheses).
• Combined, so-called hybrid procedures are also used. This means that open and endovascular techniques are combined in one procedure. The aim is always to make the necessary procedure as minimally invasive as possible.

We work closely with the Clinic and Polyclinic for Cardiac, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery for the treatment of cardiac main artery diseases and acute aortic dissections close to the heart (so-called type A dissections).