An aortic dissection can happen suddenly, even though the vulnerability behind it may have been developing for years. The condition was identified in connection with the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham earlier this summer and is a rare, life-threatening emergency involving a tear in the body's largest artery.
Symptoms can resemble those of a heart attack or other cardiovascular conditions. Specialists emphasize the importance of prevention and early detection.
Dr. Ashok Kumar Coimbatore Jeyakumar, professionally known as Dr. CJ, is a professor in the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at FIU's Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, and system director of the Center for Aortic Disease at Baptist Health Heart & Vascular Care. He explains how aortic dissections occur, why immediate treatment can be critical, who may be at risk and why prevention is essential.
What is an aortic dissection, and what happens inside the body when it occurs?
The heart pumps blood throughout the body, and the aorta is the body's largest artery. In an aortic dissection, the inner layer of the aortic wall tears, allowing blood to enter and separate the layers of the wall.
Instead of one channel of blood flow, the tear creates a second channel, known as a false lumen, alongside the original channel, or true lumen. These dissections are classified as Type A or Type B.
Type A dissection involves the portion of the aorta closest to the heart. It is a life-threatening emergency and one of the relatively few conditions in adult cardiac surgery that generally requires immediate open surgery.
An aneurysm can be imagined somewhat like a balloon, as the aorta enlarges, its wall may become more vulnerable. If a dissection occurs, the aorta may rupture, which is frequently fatal before a patient reaches the hospital.
Dr. Ashok Kumar "CJ" Coimbatore Jeyakumar
Professor, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine;
System Director, Center for Aortic Disease, Baptist Health Heart & Vascular Care.
