Your aorta is a tube-like structure that resembles a candy cane. The ascending aorta forms the beginning or handle of the cane and originates at the aortic valve. The ascending aorta includes the ...

The weakened sections of the aortic wall may become unable to support the force of blood flow. Such an aneurysm could burst, causing serious internal bleeding or even send blood clots down the legs to ...

As your heart beats, it pumps blood from the left ventricle through the aortic valve and into the aorta, your body’s largest artery. The aortic valve is made up of three triangular flaps of ...

Thoracic aortic dissection occurs when the intima of the aorta becomes compromised and “tears” or “dissects” a new layer that fills with blood between the intima and the media. This ...