Aortic Center
The Aortic Center at the Cardiothoracic Surgery Center - Spokane is designed to provide expert care for people who need diagnosis and treatment for serious or complex diseases of the aorta or the aortic valve.
Our Approach to Treating Aortic Disease
As part of the nationally recognized Providence Heart Institute of Spokane, patients benefit from a collaborative partnership with our medical specialists. These include cardiologists, vascular surgeons and cardiothoracic surgeons with expertise and experience in treating aortic disease. Specialists perform surgeries at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, which offers the latest minimally invasive and endovascular technology, diagnostic imaging machines, specialists and ancillary services – like physical therapy – to further advance your care and recovery.
Our expertise spans the entire spectrum of diagnostic imaging, multispecialty collaboration among cardiac and vascular surgeons and the latest advancements in surgical and endovascular therapy for aortic diseases.
Aortic Expertise
Behind every patient at the Aortic Center is a dedicated team of experts. Hear from some of our cardiothoracic surgeons on what makes our Aortic Center unique and how our specialists collaborate to bring you coordinated, whole-person care.
Our Services, Conditions and Treatments
Services
- Heart & Vascular Care
- Heart Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Cardiac Rehab
Conditions
- Aortic Aneurysm
- Aortic Disease
- Aortic Dissection
- Aortic Insufficiency
- Aortic Stenosis
- Marfan Syndrome
Treatments
- Aortic Root Surgery
- Aortic Surgery
- Heart Valve Repair or Replacement
- Heart Valve Surgery
- Stent Graft Placement
Testing & Diagnostics
Aortic disease doesn’t often show signs or symptoms. Frequently, it’s found incidentally on imaging studies performed for unrelated health concerns. If your family has a history of aortic conditions like aneurysms or bicuspid aortic valve, you may be at an increased risk for having aortic disease. We can help you understand your potential risk for aortic disease and discuss screening options.
CT scans use a combination of X-rays and computer technology to produce clear images of the body that can be used to monitor a variety of conditions, including tumors. Our services also include low-dose CT lung cancer screenings and coronary calcium scans to help evaluate calcium deposits that may have collected in the heart’s arteries.
A duplex ultrasound is a noninvasive test that uses both traditional and doppler ultrasound to understand how blood moves through your blood vessels. Soundwaves show images of vein and artery structure, while also measuring the speed of blood flow.
There are a few different types of duplex ultrasounds based on the area of the body. For example, a carotid duplex ultrasound focuses on the carotid artery in your neck.
Diagnostic procedures, like echocardiograms, allow our doctors to more accurately diagnose and better treat cardiovascular conditions.
Echocardiography uses ultrasound technology to produce detailed images of the heart’s valves and chambers. Through a monitor, your doctor can evaluate how the heart is pumping blood in real time.
Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) specifically for your arteries and veins. An MRA uses magnets and radio waves to produce images of your blood vessels and blood flow. It’s a noninvasive alternative to an angiogram, helping your doctor detect any narrowed or blocked blood vessels.
This exam uses a thin tube, called an endoscope, with a built-in sound wave transducer to help view the heart in greater detail. The endoscope is inserted into your chest via the mouth. Then, the transducer emits ultrasound waves to help produce images. Often, sedatives and numbing agents are provided for your comfort.
Advanced Treatments for Aortic Disease
Your care team collaborates with you and designs an individualized treatment plan based specifically on your heart condition and personal needs.
Your care plan may include one or more of the following services or therapies:
Aortic root surgery treats aortic aneurysms and other damage near where the heart connects with the aorta, called the aortic root. There are a few types of aortic root surgery, including aortic valve-sparing root replacement, in which your surgeon replaces the damaged part of the aortic root with a synthetic graft, like an implant, but keeps the existing, healthy valve intact.
Aortic valve repair or replacement is a procedure to fix the aortic valve, a flap that directs blood from the heart to the aorta, and then the rest of the body. Over time, the aortic valve can become narrowed or leaky, and you may need surgery to repair or replace it. You may also have aortic valve problems at birth, known as a congenital heart defect.
In the past, aortic valve procedures were always open-heart surgeries. But now, there are minimally invasive procedure options that require smaller incisions with a faster recovery time.
Cardiac rehabilitation is designed to help you recover and improve your heart health after a heart condition diagnosis or procedure. It involves a combination of exercise, education and lifestyle changes. You may receive recommendations on how to stay physically active, create a heart-healthy diet or stop smoking. Your overall well-being is an important part of your recovery, so cardiac rehabilitation also supports your emotional and psychological health.
Endovascular surgery is minimally invasive surgery that uses small tubes called catheters to remove blood clots from blood vessels without the need for large incisions. During this procedure, a surgeon usually fixes damaged blood vessels and restores blood flow, which can lower your risk of heart attack or stroke.
Aneurysm risk management uses different lifestyle and medical approaches, including medication, to slow aneurysm growth and reduce risk of rupture. You and your doctor may focus on ways to lower blood pressure, control cholesterol, eat a healthy diet, stop smoking, exercise and manage stress.
Aortic aneurysm repair, also known as endovascular stent repair, is a minimally invasive procedure that helps treat aortic aneurysms in the abdomen. Without treatment, an aneurysm, or bulge in the blood vessel, can rupture, leading to a heart attack or stroke.
During endovascular stent repair, your surgeon uses a small cut in the stomach to access the aneurysm. They place a metal and mesh-lined tube called a stent graft into the aneurysm to reduce pressure on the walls of your blood vessel.
Similar to endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is a minimally invasive procedure that helps treat aneurysms in the chest – specifically the aorta – and avoid open-heart surgery. Without treatment, an aneurysm can rupture a blood vessel, leading to a heart attack or stroke. TEVAR can also treat tears in the aorta’s lining, called dissection.
During the procedure, your surgeon moves a tube called a catheter through an artery in your leg or pelvis to access your aorta. Then, they place a metal and mesh-lined tube called a stent graft into the blood vessel to reduce pressure and provide extra support.
