Strength Tracking From Wall Tichness Over Aortic Biomechanics (STORM)

The aortic wall is subjected to mechanical stresses in radial, circumferential, and longitudinal directions. The amount of these shear stresses varies with the distribution of velocity across the vessel lumen and with local vessel geometry.

Diseases affecting the thoracic aorta can be categorized into acute and chronic. Chronic aortic pathologies are chronic aortic dissections and aortic aneurysms.

Today, there are computational tools available to permit the calculation of stresses of the aortic wall.

For the above-mentioned reasons, this study becomes of extreme interest as it may be capable of further assessing the mechanical properties of the dilated aortic tissue, its' strength to rupture and stiffness, in order to provide an overview of the fragility of ascending aortic aneurysms. This parameter, associated to the diameter of the pathological aorta, may provide an additional tool regarding the clinical history of patients and insight concerning surgical indication.

Matter of factly, knowing the risk of rupture based on diameter may have strong implications on the preoperative evaluation of patients and the decision-making process.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients undergoing cardiac surgery for either aortic root and/or ascending aortic aneurysms; • Patients that have received, understood and signed the written informed consent for this study.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients that have already undergone previous cardiac surgery; • Patients that present with acute aortic pathologies, such as acute aortic dissection or intramural hematoma.