The
aorta is the main blood vessel coming out of the heart carrying blood to
the rest of the body. Portions of it can stretch to cause a balloon-like
area which can leak or rupture, causing death. These balloon-like dilations, or aneurysms, can develop slowly and insidiously or quickly
and painfully.
An
acute dissection, which is a break in a layer of the aorta, causes
severe pain and is often mistaken for a heart attack. Parts of the aorta
can be replaced with tubes of Dacron graft material to reduce the risk
of rupture or blockage of blood vessels that can be associated with
aneurysms and dissections. Sometimes, this is required as an emergency
to prevent imminent rupture and death.
