heart and blood vessel disorders
Overview of Aortic Aneurysms and Aortic Dissection
Aortic Dissection
 Aortic Dissection occurs when the inner lining of the aorta separates (tears) from the middle layer of the aorta, allowing blood to push between these layers, separating (dissecting) the middle layer of the wall from the still-intact outer layer. As a result, a new, false channel forms in the wall of the aorta. More than 90% of people who have an aortic dissection experience pain—typically sudden, excruciating pain, often described as tearing or ripping. As the dissection advances further along the aorta, it can close off the points at which one or more arteries branch off from the aorta, blocking blood flow. The consequences vary depending on which arteries are blocked. 