Aneurysm Aortic, Aneurysm Aortic Root
Conditions
Keywords
aortic aneurysm, bicuspid aortic valve, tricuspid aortic valve, tensile testing, aortic strength, aortic rupture
Brief summary
The aim of the study is to analyse the resected portion of aneurysmatic ascending aorta in order to assess its strength to rupture, standardise the various measurements performed within the lab and try to correlate these qualitative results with quantitative results (regarding aortic diameter, valve morphology and aortic wall thickness).
Detailed description
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.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
IRCCS Policlinico S. Donato
University of Pavia
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
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.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Strength to rupture | During laboratory testing | Define the strength to rupture of the removed aortic segments and its relation with the circumferential and longitudinal direction along the aortic axis. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluate aortic characteristics | From surgery to laboratory testing | Evaluate multiple characteristics of the surgically excised pathologically enlarged aortic segments: shape alteration, tensile strength, elasticity capacity. |
Countries
Italy
Outcome results
None listed