Cardiology Conference-CVC 2026

Aortic surgery refers to operations that are performed to treat diseases of the aorta (the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body). This includes issues such as aortic aneurysms, dissections, and congenital aortic conditions which often necessitate timely intervention to prevent life-threatening consequences.

Regarding open aortic surgery, it may involve the direct replacement or repair of the diseased aortic segment, often using a synthetic graft. It is conducted for complicated aneurysms or dissections and for situations in which the patient's anatomy will not afford an endovascular option. Fluid and surgical planning can be aided by high-resolution imaging techniques such as CT, MRI, and echo imaging, because of the need to evaluate the size of the aorta, its location, and the involvement of branch vessels.

Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR/TEVAR) can represent a minimally invasive alternative to a traditional open approach. Endovascular repair utilizes an arterial puncture in the groin and the use of catheters to deliver heart stent-grafts to the diseased aorta. Endovascular methods typically will limit the operative trauma associated with open aortic surgery and may shorten post-operative recovery time and potential complications. This approach is especially promising in individuals who are at higher risk, and in individuals in whom an open approach is not possible.

Before engaging individuals in surgery, a thorough risk assessment will be completed to evaluate individual comorbidities, cardiovascular risk, and anatomical suitability for a surgical versus an endovascular approach. A successful intervention with good outcomes relies on an experienced team in making appropriate decisions regarding what procedure to pursue which in many cases involves multidisciplinary inputs from a cardiac surgeon, a vascular surgeon, and an imaging expert.

Outcomes remain dependent on the timing of intervention, technical surgical performance and postoperative care after surgery. Notably, we remain optimistic, and informative, about surgeries due to advancements in material science (grafts), new endovascular devices, and image technologies.