Miami Valley Hospital to Offer Advanced Aortic Surgery

Cardiac surgeons at Miami Valley Hospital now offer a new procedure aimed at helping patients who suffer from an aortic dissection or aortic aneurysm.

The Frozen Elephant Trunk Total Aortic Arch Replacement is used to repair an aorta damaged from either an aortic dissection, which is a tear in the aorta’s wall, or an aortic aneurysm, a bulge or ballooning in the aorta’s wall. The aorta runs from the heart through the chest and abdomen, carrying oxygen-rich blood to the body.

The Frozen Elephant Trunk graft is designed to repair aortic damage in one surgery. Previously, repair would sometimes require two separate open chest operations to fix the complicated problem.

“This procedure of replacing the ascending aorta and the ascending arch limits the number of patients who would have to come back for another potential operation or procedure later in life,” said Vincent Nardy, DO, of Cardiothoracic Surgery Associates in Dayton. “If they would have to come back for another procedure, we may not have to go through their chest. We may be able to do the procedure through the arteries in their leg. It’s a bit safer and less risky.”

The Frozen Elephant Trunk Total Aortic Arch Replacement is a procedure that historically involves a graft being folded into the aorta; the graft hangs in a manner similar to an elephant’s trunk. The procedure occurs in emergency situations in adults who most often suffer an aortic tear. This rare procedure can also be an elective surgery for patients who have an aortic aneurysm.

This new procedure at Miami Valley Hospital will provide exceptional surgical services to patients close to home, reducing the need to seek care at hospitals in larger cities.

“This procedure could offer a significant benefit to appropriate patients,” Dr. Nardy said. “Especially in emergency situations, we would not have to transfer them to another hospital and risk the possibility of delaying or compromising advanced cardiac surgical care.” 

If a patient is interested in learning more about the Frozen Trunk Aortic Arch Replacement, they can contact Cardiothoracic Surgery Associates at (937) 208-3220.

Back to the November 2020 issue of Premier Pulse