Acute Aortic Syndrome (AAS)
When TAAD is no longer silent . . . .
It is often said that aortic disease in the chest (Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
and Dissection or TAAD) is silent. It does begin silently, as change happens to
cells which make up the aorta. One does not feel it initially, as aortic tissue
gradually becomes weak, the walls of the aorta thin. At some point, if undiagnosed and untreated, it will no longer be silent. Acute
Aortic Syndrome (AAS) is the term used to describe the symptoms due to aortic disease
in the chest.
Depending on how severe the symptoms are, it may prompt a call
for an ambulance, send individuals to Emergency Rooms, or initiate a call or visit
to a doctor. The challenge then is to recognize that it is a diseased aorta,
not a diseased heart, that is the source of the pain.
Aortic aneurysm, dissection, rupture . . .
Aortic disease in the chest generally is detectable when:
•
the aorta no longer holds it shape, bulging at some point along its length
(dilation, aneurysm)
•
part of the aortic tissue, its inner lining, tears (dissection)
Sometimes,
all of the tissue layers of the aorta break
open. This is rupture of the aorta, typically where the walls are weak
and thin due to an aneurysm.
Regardless of the underlying cause, the above aortic disease conditions are described
by the term Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection (TAAD).
Life-threatening . . . .
At its most severe, AAS strikes suddenly, placing an individual in an emergency,
a life-threatening situation. On the Memories and Hope page there are stories of these individuals. Some, like Richard Houchin and Chris Fox, survived to tell their own story. The experience of others who did not survive
is sadly left for family and friends to understand and share. Doug Grieshop's story helps us understand what can happen when AAS is not recognized. Jen Lopez tells not just what has happened to her, but how the lives of her father and grandmother
were lost.
The Bicuspid Aortic Foundation has launched an Awareness
Alert! campaign for AAS. You can help by sharing this information with
Paramedics, ER personnel, and your physicians. Please share the link to
the Awareness Alert! Poster on the upper right side of this page. The Acute Aortic Syndrome page provides additional information.
In learning about AAS together, we focus on saving lives,
and together,
we create a climate of hope . . . .
Sincerely,
Arlys Velebir
Chair, Board of Directors
Bicuspid Aortic Foundation
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