Better Treatment for Torn Aortas
Reported March 2008
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Each year, 10,000 Americans suffer a sudden tear of the aorta -- the largest blood vessel in the body. Unfortunately, even patients who survive this traumatic experience aren’t in the clear. Now, doctors are working on a way to save more lives after an aortic tear.
Not long ago, Walter Loesche was walking down the street when he almost lost his life.
“So I was bouncing along relatively happy when, wham, all of the sudden my left leg gave way, and I fell to the sidewalk,” says Loesche.
Loesche suffered a torn aorta, the largest blood vessel in the body that pumps blood to other organs. It can tear suddenly, without warning.
Walter is lucky to be alive, but patients still face a one-in-four chance of dying within a few years. Now, cardiologists have a new way to predict who’s at risk of death later on, and help those patients sooner.
When the wall of the aorta tears, it creates a second channel. Often, small openings at the bottom of this new “false” channel will allow blood to flow back out. If not, clots form, causing increased pressure and possible rupture.
“Patients who have clot formation within that false channel have a 2.5 times greater risk of death, than patients who don’t have clotting within the false channel,” says Thomas Tsai, M.D., a cardiologist at the University of Michigan.
Identifying patients with this risk factor, doctors hope to help patients live longer.
“Our CAT scans and MRIs are able to find this risk condition and if we find it then we may be able to follow these patients more closely and even ultimately intervene earlier,” says Dr. Tsai.
Walter's health is being tracked -- so far he has a clean bill of health.
“I’m just so pleased that here I am!" says Loesche.
Doctors also consider closing off or blocking the flow of blood into the second channel, leading it to clot completely, and decreasing any blood pressure, which may lead to a gradual healing.
Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:
Kara Gavin, Lead Public Relations Representative
University of Michigan Health System
Ann Arbor MI 48109-2435
(734) 764-2220
kegavin@umich.edu
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