An aortic aneurysm is dilation, bulging, or ballooning of a weakened part of the aortic artery wall. It can grow large and burst (rupture) or cause a dissection. Both conditions are often fatal.
An aneurysm that occurs in the part of the aorta that’s located in the chest and above the diaphragm is called a thoracic aortic aneurysm.

Treatment for an aneurysm varies according to its severity and size. Thoracic aneurysms whose diameter is twice the size of the normal aorta – or about 5.5 cm – should be considered for surgical repair. In some cases, a minimally invasive procedure called endovascular stent graft aortic aneurysm repair may be performed.

A hole in the septum between the heart’s two upper chambers is called an atrial septal defect (ASD). A hole in the septum between the heart’s two lower chambers is called a ventricular septal defect (VSD).

Surgical closure of the defect is recommended if the defect is large or if symptoms occur. Non-surgical closure involves the introduction of a closure device into the heart through catheters. A tiny incision is made in the groin to introduce the catheters. They are then advanced into the heart where the closure devise is placed across the ASD and the defect is closed.

In this procedure the plaque is actually “removed” from the inside of the blocked artery by a coarse burr (rotablator) which grinds the plaque into small bits. These bits float away in the blood stream.

Coronary angioplasty, medically called PTCA is a non-surgical procedure used to open, dilate (widen or expand) blocked or narrowed coronary (heart) arteries. As the result of this procedure, the blood vessel is dilated and blood can flow more easily through the formerly narrowed part of the coronary artery.

In addition to the use of simple balloon angioplasty, the availability of stainless steel stents, in a wire-mesh design, enhance the safety and long-term results of the procedure. A stent is a small stainless steel/cobalt chromium tube that is permanently placed inside an artery to keep it open. This procedure has markedly reduced the numbers of patients needing emergency CABG to below 1%, and particularly with the use of the new “medicated” stents (stents coated with medications that help prevent plaque formation), has reduced the rate of recurrence of the blockage in the coronary artery (“restenosis”) to well below 10%.

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Coronary Angioplasty

Rotablator

ASD (Atrial Septal Defect) & VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect) Closure

Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm