Surgical Management of Familial Aortic Disease

Abstract

Pregnancy may increase the risk of aortic dissection in young women genetically predisposed in the third trimester and the peri-partum period. This disease must be managed with emergency. Later, aortic familial diseases must be screened in the children by genetic tests, because of the high risk of rapid developing dissection or aneurysm in the childhood, whose management is challenging. We report the cases of a pregnant woman operated for aortic dissection, and her son operated four years later for aneurysm of the ascending aorta, and aortic insufficiency. Children with familial aortic root aneurysm may have intervention of valve sparing and aortic replacement if the aortic regurgitation is minimal. But, long-term clinical and echocardiographic follow-up is mandatory.