Health
Surgeons Perform First Human Bladder Transplant
Surgeons in Southern California have performed the first human bladder transplant, introducing a new, potentially life-changing procedure for people with debilitating bladder conditions.
The operation was performed earlier this month by a pair of surgeons from the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California on a 41-year-old man who had lost much of his bladder capacity from treatments for a rare form of bladder cancer.
“I was a ticking time bomb,” the patient, Oscar Larrainzar, said on Thursday during a follow-up appointment with his doctors. “But now I have hope.”
The doctors plan to perform bladder transplants in four more patients as part of a clinical trial to get a sense of outcomes like bladder capacity and graft complications before pursuing a larger trial to expand its use.
Dr. Inderbir Gill, who performed the surgery along with Dr. Nima Nassiri, called it “the realization of a dream” for treating thousands of patients with crippling pelvic pain, inflammation and recurrent infections.
“There is no question: A potential door has been opened for these people that did not exist earlier,” said Dr. Gill, the chairman of the urology department at U.S.C.
Pushing the Envelope
Until now, most patients who undergo a bladder removal have a portion of their intestine repurposed to help them pass urine. Some receive an ileal conduit, which empties urine into a bag outside the abdomen, while others are given a so-called neobladder, or a pouch tucked inside the body that attaches to the urethra and allows patients to urinate more traditionally.
But bowel tissue, riddled with bacteria, is “inherently contaminated,” Dr. Gill said, and introducing it to the “inherently sterile” urinary tract leads to complications in up to 80 percent of patients, ranging from electrolyte imbalances to a slow reduction in kidney function. The loss of the intestinal segment can also cause new digestive issues.
Dr. Despoina Daskalaki, a transplant surgeon at Tufts Medical Center who was not involved in the new procedure, said advances in transplant medicine (from critical life-sustaining organs, like hearts and livers, to other body parts, like faces, hands, uteri and penises) had led doctors to start “pushing the envelope.”
“They’re asking: ‘Why do we have to put up with all the complications? Why don’t we try and give this person a new bladder?’” Dr. Daskalaki said.
In late 2020, Dr. Nassiri was in his fourth year of residency at the University of Southern California when he and Dr. Gill sat down in the hospital cafeteria to begin brainstorming approaches. After Dr. Nassiri began a fellowship on kidney transplantation at U.C.L.A., the two surgeons continued working together across institutions to test both robotic and manual techniques, practicing first on pigs, then human cadavers, and finally, human research donors who no longer had brain activity but maintained a heartbeat.
One of the challenges of transplanting a bladder was the complex vascular infrastructure. The surgeons needed to operate deep inside the pelvis of the donor to capture and preserve a rich supply of blood vessels so the organ could thrive inside the recipient.
“When we’re removing a bladder because of cancer, we basically just cut them. We do it in less than an hour on a near-daily basis,” Dr. Gill said. “For a bladder donation, that is a significantly higher order of technical intensity.”
The surgeons also chose to conjoin the right and left arteries — as well as the right and left veins — while the organ was on ice, so that only two connections were needed in the recipient, rather than four.
When their strategy was perfected in 2023, the two drew up plans for a clinical trial, which eventually would bring the world’s first recipient: Oscar.
An Ideal First Candidate
When Mr. Larrainzar walked into Dr. Nassiri’s clinic in April 2024, Dr. Nassiri recognized him. Almost four years earlier, Mr. Larrainzar, a husband and father of four, had been navigating end-stage kidney disease and renal cancer, and Dr. Nassiri helped remove both of his kidneys.
But Mr. Larrainzar had also survived urachal adenocarcinoma, a rare type of bladder cancer, and a surgery to resect the bladder tumor had left him “without much of a bladder at all,” Dr. Nassiri said. A normal bladder can hold more than 300 cubic centimeters of fluid; Mr. Larrainzar’s could hold 30.
Now, years of dialysis had begun to fail; fluid was building up inside his body. And with so much scarring in the abdominal region, it would have been difficult to find enough usable length of bowel to pursue another option.
“He showed up serendipitously,” Dr. Nassiri said, “but he was kind of an ideal first candidate for this.”
On a Saturday night earlier this month, Dr. Nassiri received a call about a potential bladder match for Mr. Larrainzar. He and Dr. Gill drove straight to the headquarters of OneLegacy, an organ procurement organization, in Azusa, Calif., and joined a team of seven surgeons working overnight to recover an array of organs from a donor.
The two brought the kidney and bladder to U.C.L.A., then stopped home for a shower, breakfast and a short nap. They completed the eight-hour surgery to give Mr. Larrainzar a new bladder and kidney later that day.
Dr. Nassiri said that kidney transplants can sometimes take up to a week to process urine, but when the kidney and bladder were connected inside Mr. Larrainzar, there was a great connection — “immediate output” — and his creatinine level, which measures kidney function, started to improve immediately. Mr. Larrainzar has already lost 20 pounds of fluid weight since the surgery.
The biggest risks of organ transplantation are the body’s potential rejection of the organ and the side effects caused by the mandatory immune-suppressing drugs given to prevent organ rejection. That is why, for Dr. Rachel Forbes, a transplant surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who was not involved in the procedure, the excitement is more tempered.
“It’s obviously a technical advance,” she said, but “we already have existing options for people without bladders, and without the downside of requiring immunosuppression.” Unless a patient is — like Mr. Larrainzar — going to be on those medications anyway, “I would be a little bit nervous that you would be exchanging some complications for others,” she said.
A new bladder transplant also does not have nerve connections in the recipient, so while it works well as a storage organ, doctors did not know whether Mr. Larrainzar would ever be able to sense a full bladder, let alone hold and empty it naturally. They spoke about catheters, abdomen maneuvers and eventually developing an on-demand bladder stimulator to help with the release.
But at a follow-up appointment on Thursday morning — just two days after Mr. Larrainzar was discharged from the hospital — Dr. Nassiri removed the catheter and gave him fluids, and Mr. Larrainzar immediately felt that he could urinate.
Dr. Nassiri called it a miracle, then phoned Dr. Gill, who was in a U.S.C. operating room, and exclaimed two words: “He peed!”
“No way! What the hell?” Dr. Gill said. “My jaw is on the floor.”
After finishing the surgery, Dr. Gill drove straight to U.C.L.A. and watched Mr. Larrainzar do it again.
“Of course, this is very, very early. Let’s see how everything goes,” Dr. Gill cautioned. “But it’s the first time he has been able to pee in seven years. For all of us, this is huge.”
Mr. Larrainzar, exhausted, smiled, and Dr. Nassiri brought him a bottle of mineral water to celebrate.
Sen Lindsey Graham’s sudden death caused by aortic dissection
Preliminary reports reveal South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham died at 71 from an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, breaks down the fatal condition and the emergency response timeline at Graham’s home. Additionally, Dr. Siegel warns about a spike in Cyclosporiasis cases across 31 states, offering crucial safety tips for prevention.
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Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death has thrown new attention on a rare but often deadly cardiovascular emergency known as aortic dissection.
The cause of death was identified as an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to a statement released by Graham’s office on Sunday, citing preliminary findings from the District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
“It occurs when the layers of the aorta (the body’s largest artery) come apart and the inner one tears,” Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel, who did not treat Graham, told Fox News Digital.
HEART CONDITION TIED TO LINDSEY GRAHAM’S DEATH CAN STRIKE WITHOUT WARNING — WHAT TO KNOW
“It can come on in minutes or days and may be hard to recognize,” added the doctor, noting that while dissections can evolve over time, symptoms often appear suddenly.
Graham, 71, is not the only notable figure to have died from an aortic dissection.
Sen. Lindsey Graham’s cause of death was ruled an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to a statement released by Graham’s office on Sunday. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Below are three other celebrities and public officials whose deaths were linked to the same life-threatening condition.
1. John Ritter
Actor John Ritter, best known for his role in the hit sitcom “Three’s Company,” died from an aortic dissection on Sept. 11, 2003.
The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health (JRF) said the actor was taken to the hospital after experiencing symptoms later identified as a type A aortic dissection. The nonprofit, founded in his honor to fund research and raise awareness for the condition, later said Graham’s death brought “needed attention” to the condition.
John Ritter is seen at CBS TV City on Jan. 5, 1978, in Los Angeles, California. (Tom Wargacki/WireImage)
Type A dissections involve the ascending (upper) aorta near the heart, which typically require emergency surgery.
At the time of his death, Ritter was filming the sitcom “8 Simple Rules… for Dating My Teenage Daughter,” co-starring Kaley Cuoco.
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The actor was initially treated for a presumed heart attack, but passed away that night as his condition worsened.
In a press release, the JRF extended its condolences to Graham’s family.
“Deaths due to aortic dissections are preventable if individuals at risk are identified and properly treated.”
“These deaths underscore that aortic dissections are not a rare cause of death,” Meredith Ford O’Neal, CEO of the foundation, shared with Fox News Digital. “Deaths due to aortic dissections are preventable if individuals at risk are identified and properly treated.”
“We hope this moment encourages people to learn the warning signs of aortic dissection, which includes an increased risk for family members of individuals who have had an aortic dissection.”
2. Rep. Doug LaMalfa
Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., died on Jan. 6, 2026, at age 65 from complications of an aortic dissection, according to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office. Cardiomegaly (an enlarged heart) was listed as another significant condition, and his death was ruled natural.
Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., died on Jan. 6, 2026, at age 65 from complications of an aortic dissection. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
LaMalfa, who represented California’s 1st Congressional District, was taken into emergency surgery but passed away during the procedure, according to a statement from the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.
A month later, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to People that his cause of death was complications of an aortic dissection. Cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart, was also listed as a significant condition.
3. Alan Thicke
“Growing Pains” actor Alan Thicke died from an aortic dissection on Dec. 13, 2016, at the age of 69.
Thicke reportedly experienced chest pain while playing hockey with his son and was taken to the hospital.
“Growing Pains” actor Alan Thicke died from an aortic dissection on Dec. 13, 2016, at the age of 69. (Brian To/FilmMagic)
The Los Angeles County coroner later determined that Thicke died from a ruptured aorta caused by a type A aortic dissection, according to ABC News.
Raising awareness
In a 2016 HCA Healthcare article, Nashville-based heart surgeon Dr. Grayson Wheatley reflected on Thicke’s “unfortunate” case.
YOUR RESTING HEART RATE COULD REVEAL MORE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH THAN YOU THINK, DOCTORS SAY
“I am sharing with you my expert thoughts based on limited information about Mr. Thicke’s case, but in light of an extensive career of treating hundreds of patients with aortic dissections, I can connect the dots in Mr. Thicke’s case from patterns that have emerged from treating similar patients with aortic dissections,” he said.
Alan Thicke, pictured with son Robin Thicke in 2013, reportedly experienced chest pain while playing hockey with his son and was taken to the hospital before his death. (Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images)
Chest pain is often the first sign of a sudden tear or rip in the aorta, which can develop “within a few heartbeats,” according to Wheatley.
“The pain associated with an aortic dissection is extreme,” he said. “My patients describe it as so intense and sudden that it drops them to their knees. They literally fall to the ground and feel an intense tearing or ripping in their mid-upper back and/or chest.”
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Once the dissection occurs, it becomes a “race against time” as the condition worsens, the doctor said.
Dr. Neel Mansukhani, a vascular surgeon at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, explained why this condition can become life-threatening so quickly.
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“The aorta is the main blood vessel that comes off of the heart, and it runs like a pipe through your body,” he told Fox News Digital. “Smaller blood vessels branch off to go to all your internal organs, arms, legs and brain.”
“The aorta itself has three layers,” the surgeon went on. “A tear in the lining of the aorta causes those layers to separate. It’s similar to paint peeling off a wall. And that brings a lot of consequences depending on where the tear is.”
“The aorta is the main blood vessel that comes off of the heart, and it runs like a pipe through your body,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. “Smaller blood vessels branch off to go to all your internal organs, arms, legs and brain.” (iStock)
An enlarged aorta or damage to the vessel wall from cardiovascular disease can increase the likelihood of an aortic dissection, although age and high blood pressure remain the leading risk factors, Mansukhani said.
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“As we get older, blood vessels can weaken, and over time the constant pressure of blood flow can make the wall of the aorta more vulnerable to a dissection,” he said.
In addition to Graham (left), actors John Ritter and Alan Thicke both died after experiencing an aortic dissection. (Getty Images)
Type A dissections are “immediately life-threatening,” as they are “right by the heart,” according to the doctor.
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“It’s an emergency that usually needs surgery within 24 hours if a patient can tolerate that,” he said. “A type B dissection is located further down from the heart. It can also be life-threatening, but does not usually need immediate surgery.”
Although an aortic dissection often strikes without warning, maintaining cardiovascular health and monitoring conditions such as high blood pressure can help lower the risk, Mansukhani advised.
Health
Microwaved squishy toy explodes onto boy’s face and chest amid viral trend, causing horrific burns
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An Alabama teenager and his family are warning about the dangers of a viral social media trend after he suffered third-degree burns when a microwaved sensory toy exploded.
Eli Blackmon, now 13, was 11 when he saw videos on TikTok showing people putting NeeDoh squishy toys in the microwave in order to soften them.
The NeeDoh, a sensory toy similar to a stress ball, is described on the company’s website as a “gratifying super soft, super stretchy dough filled groovy glob.”
DANGEROUS TIKTOK TREND LEAVES BOY BADLY BURNED AS DOCTORS ISSUE WARNING
“I thought it was harmless because an adult tried it and nothing happened,” he told Fox News Digital this week.
“When I took it out, my older sister held it for a few minutes, then I was playing with it. As soon as I squeezed it, it burst and the hot gel exploded onto my neck, chest and hands.”
An Alabama teenager and his family are warning about the dangers of a viral social media trend after he suffered third-degree burns when a microwaved sensory toy exploded. (Fallon Blackmon)
The hot gel caused third-degree burns on the boy’s neck and chest.
“At first I was just feeling frantic because I wasn’t sure what was going on because he was just screaming and not communicating,” the teen’s mother, Fallon Blackmon, told Fox News Digital.
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“My husband is a fire medic and I work in emergency call taking, so I had a little knowledge of how serious it was. That obviously didn’t keep me from panicking on the inside.”
She was not aware of this trend before her child’s injury, she said.
“If I was aware, we would have had a conversation about not doing it.”
Eli Blackmon had weekly visits with the burn unit for four months, during which the doctors scraped off dead skin and performed wound care. (Fallon Blackmon)
Eli Blackmon recalled feeling extreme pain after the injury.
“I thought I was going to die. I kept telling my parents, ‘I don’t want to die, I’m sorry,’ and I that I loved them.”
Blackmon was transported by ambulance to the emergency department at the local children’s hospital, and was later sent to the burn unit for wound care and debridement.
‘TANMAXXING’ TREND COULD COME AT A DANGEROUS COST, SKIN CANCER EXPERTS WARN
“With how severe the burn was, they would typically recommend skin grafts, but they wouldn’t consider it for him because of the risks to his airway,” his mother said.
Blackmon had weekly visits with the burn unit for four months, during which the doctors scraped off dead skin and performed wound care.
Blackmon, who is a jiu-jitsu athlete, missed months of training and competing due to the injury. (Fallon Blackmon)
“This was done with no pain meds or numbing, so all his follow-up appointments were very painful,” Fallon Blackmon said.
“Once the wound started to heal and the scarring began, they had to do chemical burns because he was developing granulation tissue.”
“Don’t do it! It’s stupid! It causes so much pain.”
The teen also developed a rash from the bandages, which quickly turned into a staph infection.
“Another issue was that the burn was pulling fluids from his body, and this caused severe lower GI issues for months,” his mother said.
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Blackmon, who is a jiu-jitsu athlete, missed months of training and competing due to the injury. The family also faced thousands of dollars worth of hospital bills, doctor bills and wound care supplies over the four-month care period.
“I thought I was going to die. I kept telling my parents, ‘I don’t want to die, I’m sorry,’ and I that I loved them,” Blackmon recalled about the incident. (Fallon Blackmon)
Now, the teen and his mother aim to help prevent other families from going through the same ordeal.
“If you purchase these types of toys, please just mention this trend and not to do it,” she urged parents. “Even if they don’t have social media, kids in school are hearing it from other kids.”
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Today, Blackmon attends to his scar each day so that it doesn’t cause any issues with neck mobility.
“I have to do stretches and moisturize and massage it daily,” he said.
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“It hasn’t really changed my confidence because all my friends and family are very supportive and tell me my scar is cool.”
To other kids who may be thinking about participating in this social media trend, Blackmon’s advice is simple: “Don’t do it! It’s stupid! It causes so much pain and other problems.”
The NeeDoh, a sensory toy similar to a stress ball, is described on the company’s website as a “gratifying super soft, super stretchy dough filled groovy glob.” (Whitney Grubb)
“Actually, just don’t do any trends on TikTok, even if you think they are harmless,” he added. “Talk to your parents.”
Blackmon’s mother agreed, noting that sharing the story and receiving negative criticism from adults online would be worth preventing another child from being “scarred for life” and experiencing something so traumatic.
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A spokesperson for TikTok USDS Joint Venture previously shared with Fox News Digital that any content that “promotes dangerous behavior” and may lead to serious injury is considered a violation of the platform’s Community Guidelines. The company claims that it immediately removes these videos when they are found.
Fox News Digital reached out to the manufacturer of NeeDoh requesting comment.
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New details surrounding Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death have drawn attention to a cardiovascular emergency that can become fatal within minutes.
A statement released by Graham’s office on Sunday cited preliminary findings from the District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, identifying the cause of death as an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Authorities said Graham, 71, was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:23 p.m. Saturday. An autopsy was completed Sunday.
MEDICAL EXAMINER RELEASES PRELIMINARY FINDINGS IN LINDSEY GRAHAM’S DEATH AS DEATH CERTIFICATE REMAINS PENDING
“The death certificate will be PENDING until all the toxicological and microscopic testing are finalized, and at that point the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death and appropriately classify the manner of death,” the statement said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Graham’s office requesting comment.
New details surrounding Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death have drawn new attention to a cardiovascular emergency that can become fatal within minutes. (Getty Images)
What is an aortic dissection?
An aortic dissection is a life-threatening medical emergency in which a tear develops in the inner layer of the aorta — the body’s largest artery, according to Mayo Clinic.
“It occurs when the layers of the aorta come apart and the inner one tears,” Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel, who did not treat Graham, told Fox News Digital.
YOUR RESTING HEART RATE COULD REVEAL MORE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH THAN YOU THINK, DOCTORS SAY
Blood rushes through the tear and causes the layers of the aortic wall to separate, which can disrupt blood flow to vital organs or lead to a fatal rupture if not treated immediately.
“It can come on in minutes or days and may be hard to recognize,” added Siegel, noting that while dissections can evolve over time, symptoms often appear suddenly.
A spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare, sometimes fatal traumatic condition that can disrupt blood flow to vital organs or lead to a fatal rupture if not treated immediately. (iStock)
Dr. Kenneth Perry, an emergency physician based in South Carolina, said the best way to visualize the condition is to think of the aorta as a hose.
“The wall of the hose has multiple layers to it, and if the layers separate, the water can no longer pass down the regular opening in the tube,” Perry, who also was not involved in Graham’s care, told Fox News Digital. “Often, this starts as a very small tear that keeps progressing because of the water pressure.”
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“The same thing is happening in the aorta,” he went on. “The small tear in the wall of the aorta continues to progress, usually from severely elevated blood pressure.”
As the tear continues past the smaller arteries coming from the aorta, blood can no longer flow from the heart to the other organs.
Sen. Lindsey Graham talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol on March 10, 2026. Authorities said Graham, 71, was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:23 p.m. Saturday. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“This causes the organs that need that blood to die from lack of oxygen,” Perry said. “The only way to survive such a diagnosis is very early identification and strict blood pressure control with emergent operative management.”
Aortic dissection is relatively rare, affecting an estimated three to four people per 100,000 each year, according to Cleveland Clinic.
What causes an aortic dissection?
In Graham’s case, the preliminary findings cited arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This condition is most commonly associated with atherosclerosis, in which plaque builds up inside the arteries, causing them to harden and narrow.
Over time, this process can weaken the wall of the aorta, increasing the risk of an aortic dissection.
“It can come on in minutes or days and may be hard to recognize.”
High-risk groups
Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease can develop over time and is driven by several factors, according to the American Heart Association and Mayo Clinic.
Some of the groups at highest risk include the following.
- People with uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension), which places constant stress on the aortic wall
- Older adults, particularly those in their 60s and 70s
- Men, who are diagnosed more often than women
- People with atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) or other cardiovascular disease
- Those with an aortic aneurysm, which weakens the wall of the aorta
- People born with certain heart defects, such as a bicuspid aortic valve
- Those with inherited connective tissue disorders, including Marfan syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome and vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Smokers and people with longstanding high cholesterol, both of which contribute to artery damage
- People with diabetes and obesity
- Those who are physically inactive and/or eat an unhealthy diet
Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on Nov. 9, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Graham’s fatal condition was linked to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“Graham’s father had a cardiac arrest, and if it was from a dissection, it would increase the risk,” Siegel noted.
Warning signs you should never ignore
Symptoms of an aortic dissection can come on suddenly and often mimic those of a heart attack or stroke, experts say.
Anyone experiencing any of the below warning signs should call 911 for immediate emergency medical care, according to Siegel and other health experts.
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- Sudden, severe chest or upper back pain, often described as tearing, ripping or stabbing, which may spread to the neck or back
- Shortness of breath
- Sudden, severe abdominal pain
- Loss of consciousness (fainting)
- Stroke-like symptoms, such as sudden vision changes, difficulty speaking, weakness or numbness on one side of the body
- Leg pain or difficulty walking
Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease can develop over time and is driven by several factors, according to the American Heart Association and Mayo Clinic. (iStock)
“Aortic dissection is one of the diseases that emergency physicians think of often when someone presents with chest pain — specifically pain described as a tearing sensation, with elevated blood pressure,” Perry told Fox News Digital.
“We often describe the aortic dissection patient as appearing to have a ‘kidney stone of the chest,’ — meaning they have severe pain and cannot get comfortable, similar to kidney stone patients.”
Diagnosis and treatment
Early diagnosis and treatment greatly improve the chances of survival for those who have suffered an aortic dissection.
Doctors typically diagnose an aortic dissection using imaging tests, including a CT scan, transesophageal echocardiogram (ultrasound), magnetic resonance angiography (MRI-based scan) and chest X-ray, per Mayo Clinic.
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The condition requires immediate medical treatment, which will depend on which part of the aorta is affected.
Type A dissections involve the ascending (upper) aorta near the heart, which typically require emergency surgery.
According to the American Heart Association, an untreated acute aortic dissection is one of the deadliest cardiovascular emergencies. (iStock)
Type B dissections affect the descending (lower) aorta farther from the heart, according to Mayo Clinic. These may be treated with medications to lower blood pressure and heart rate, although some may also require surgery or a stent.
Those who survive the event will generally need lifelong blood pressure management and regular imaging to monitor the aorta, per the above source.
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“This condition has a high mortality rate,” Siegel said.
According to the American Heart Association, an untreated acute aortic dissection is one of the deadliest cardiovascular emergencies.
“We often describe the aortic dissection patient as appearing to have a ‘kidney stone of the chest.’”
For untreated dissections involving the ascending aorta, the risk of death increases by approximately 1% to 2% for every hour treatment is delayed after symptoms begin, according to the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.
Without treatment, more than half of people with a Type A aortic dissection die within one month. About 20% of Type A patients will die in the hospital, compared to 10% for treated Type B dissections.
Can it be prevented?
While not all aortic dissections can be prevented, people can reduce their risk by controlling certain lifestyle factors.
“You need to make sure your blood pressure is well-controlled, your cholesterol is low and that you are seen regularly by a doctor,” Siegel advised.
Smokers should kick the habit, he said, as they are at a highly increased risk.
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Maintaining a healthy weight and following treatment plans for underlying heart or vascular conditions can also reduce the risk, according to Mayo Clinic.
People with a family history of aortic disease or inherited connective tissue disorders should discuss screening with their healthcare provider, doctors advise.
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