November 19, 1999

When someone is diagnosed with an aneurysm of the thoracic aorta, the main blood vessel coming out of the heart, the next step is often a referral to a specialist. But treatment of aortic problems is complex, and referring physicians and their patients may not know whether to see a cardiologist, cardiac surgeon or vascular surgeon.

Determining the best action plan has become easier with the launch of the MGH Thoracic Aortic Center. The center can arrange for evaluation, treatment and long-term care.

Opened in August, the center brings together nearly 20 physicians from Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Vascular Surgery and Vascular Radiology. After a patient or referring physician makes the initial contact, center clinicians determine whether the patient needs medical therapy, aortic surgery or other treatments. All appointments and testing are coordinated through the center and, when possible, scheduled for the same day.

"This certainly makes the referral process a lot easier," says Eric Isselbacher, MD, an MGH cardiologist and one of the center's directors. "You don't have to know which specialist to see first or which test to obtain. We'll determine what each patient needs and arrange it all. It's going to be very helpful for referring physicians, both at MGH and in the community, and especially helpful for patients with thoracic aortic disease."

Physicians also hope the center will improve necessary follow-up care. Patients treated for one aneurysm have a significant risk of developing another aneurysm in a different part of the aorta. Patients must therefore be monitored closely over time with CT scanning or magnetic resonance imaging because thoracic aortic aneurysms typically have no symptoms when they develop.

The center also will conduct clinical research to develop innovative, minimally invasive treatments such as stent-grafts, devices that are threaded through an artery in the groin and deployed within an aortic aneurysm.

In addition to Isselbacher, the center is led by Richard Cambria, MD, of Vascular Surgery; Alan Hilgenberg, MD, of Cardiothoracic Surgery; and John Kaufman, MD, of Vascular Radiology.

To contact the Thoracic Aortic Center, call 4-4747 or send e-mail to: thoracic.aortic.center@mgh.harvard.edu