Vascular Surgery

Aortic aneurysmal disease – studies on pathogenesis and cardiovascular risk

Aortic aneurysm is a major cause of death in the elderly. Up to 8% prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) in elderly men has been found. Due to new screening programs many AAA:s are now found before rupture. Rather than being a local disease at the site of the aneurysm, it seems to be a general defect in the aorta which might affect wall mechanics and thus cardiac morbidity/mortality, and most patients die of other cardiovascular causes than aneurysm rupture. We seek potential defects in aortic wall mechanics and their effects on the heart, as well as the background of aortic remodelling and development of aneurysmal disease by studying the effect of hemodynamic forces on the aortic wall. To this end we utilize basic mechanical principles as well as modelling and simulation capabilities in combination with modern imaging modalities and processing.

Knowledge of the hemodynamic forces affecting the aortic wall has implications for treatment of aneurysmal disease. The relation between wall mechanics in the aorta and cardiac function in patients with aneurysmal disease is explored, and will improve medical treatment and reduce cardiovascular comorbidity.