University of Wisconsin Cardiovascular Surgery: Aortic Surgery

Aortic Surgery

The aorta is the largest artery in the body. It supplies oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. When the aorta is diseased, all other organ systems are put at risk.

Left untreated, a diseased aorta can burst or tear, which can be fatal. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, almost 15,000 people died in 2002 from an aortic aneurysm or dissection. Because of this, skilled surveillance and appropriate surgical management of aortic disease are absolutely critical.

UW Health's Complex Aortic Surgery program monitors and treats complex diseases of the entire aorta. This includes the aorta in the chest (thoracic aorta), in the abdomen (abdominal aorta), and the vessels that feed blood to the brain and all other organs.

Our multidisciplinary program offers patients all of the currently available techniques to treat aortic disease. Our expert cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons perform more than 125 complex aortic surgeries each year. Depending on the type and location of aortic disease, we provide open and minimally invasive surgical procedures.

We are proud to be the premier medical center in the Midwest for the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of all types of complex aortic disorders.