Aortic dissection

Our team of cardiovascular experts have the experience to quickly detect and treat aortic dissections as early as possible, giving you the best outcomes – and peace of mind.

What is an aortic dissection?

A dissection is a split between the layers of an artery wall. Blood can become trapped and build up between the layers, further tearing and separating the layers of the artery wall. Dissections usually occur in the thoracic, or chest, area.

An aortic dissection is relatively uncommon. But if undetected and left unchecked, the artery wall can stretch too far and tear open, causing internal bleeding, stroke and even death.

There are two types of dissections, based on where they occur in the aorta:

• Type A is more common and the most serious. It’s a tear in the part of the aorta where it exits the heart or in the upper aorta (ascending aorta).

• Type B is a tear in the lower aorta (descending aorta).

Aortic dissection symptoms

Symptoms of an aortic dissection can feel similar to those of other conditions like a heart attack or stroke. Call 911 immediately as early detection and treatment can help save your life.

Symptoms of an aortic dissection can include:

• Sudden tearing or ripping pain in your chest radiating to the upper back or severe abdominal pain
• Loss of consciousness
• Shortness of breath
• Signs similar to a stroke including sudden difficulty speaking, sudden change in vision, or weakness or paralysis of one side of your body
• Leg pain or paralysis or difficulty walking

Aortic dissection causes & risk factors

While aortic dissection is uncommon, it most frequently happens in men in their 60s and 70s. Certain conditions or factors can weaken or damage your artery walls and lead to a dissection. These risk factors include:

• Atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque that narrows your arteries
• High blood pressure
• Aneurysm or family history of dissection
• Inherited conditions like Marfan syndrome
• Physical trauma from a car accident or fall

Aortic dissection diagnosis

If you have risk factors, talk to your doctor. We have the latest in imaging technologies to detect even the smallest aortic dissection as early as possible.

The most common tests we use include:

• Radiographic imaging, such as a CT scan that uses X-ray images to create cross-sectional views of your blood vessels and other structures in your body
• Magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA), which uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves similar to an MRI to look at your blood vessels
• Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) that uses sound waves to see your blood vessels and other structures in your body

Find out more about our heart and vascular testing and diagnosis.

Surveillance for thoracic aortic aneurysm

People with aortic aneurysms and dissections may not need immediate treatment. Close monitoring by our surveillance clinic may be more appropriate. If we recommend monitoring for you, we’ll make appointments for you to come in to be checked at regular intervals.

Our surveillance clinic also monitors people after they’ve had surgery.

Your follow-up testing will be reviewed and compared to your prior results. In some cases, we’ll follow up with a phone call and no repeat testing unless you ask for it. If testing reveals a problem, you’ll see your doctor to discuss what comes next.

Aortic dissection treatment

An aortic dissection needs immediate attention, and our cardiovascular experts are here to care for you promptly with the most advanced treatments available. We may recommend:

• Medication to help lower your blood pressure, relax your blood vessels and prevent the dissection from getting worse
• Aortic repair surgery such as endovascular stent grafting, where we insert a small wire mesh tube, called a stent, into your artery to strengthen it