Aortic Services

Vascular and Cardiothoracic Surgeons, Interventional Cardiologists, Vascular Medicine and Cardiac Anesthesia specialists all collaborate to provide  a level of comprehensive care unmatched in the region. Instead of traveling out of state, experience healthcare with peace of mind that is closer to home.

Ochsner Medical Center placed the first Aortic Endograft (“stent-graft”) in the Gulf South in 1995 and since has treated over 600 patients with this life-saving minimally invasive treatment. Many trials of new aortic endograft devices have been performed at Ochsner, giving our patients access to cutting-edge technology that is not available in most other hospitals.

Ochsner's vascular specialists are nationally recognized for their expertise in minimally invasive aortic aneurysm repair. They literally "wrote the book" on endovascular techniques of treating abdominal and thoracic aneurysms. This book chapter is included in the current edition of Rutherford's Vascular Surgery, the undisputed preeminent text for vascular specialists.

The Aortic Services team at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute offers more cutting-edge procedures than ever before.

Quick Facts

• More than 80% of patients treated at Ochsner with aortic aneurysm disease receive minimally invasive endovascular surgery
• Endovascular Surgery benefits include less risk of major complications or death when compared to the classic open procedure and patients are able to go home in one to two days with minimal convalescence - even elderly patients with aortic emergencies such as rupture
• Ochsner Medical Center is the only facility in the region to have a complete in-hospital stock of endovascular devices to treat both thoracic and abdominal aortic emergencies
• Ochsner Medical Center is the only facility in the region to have fixed-imaging capabilities in the operating room

Procedure Listing

From the aortic valve to the arch

• Aortic valve replacement - Non-surgical
• Aortic root replacement (Bentall procedure)
• Valve sparing aortic root replacement (David procedure)
• Repair of ascending aortic aneurysm
• Repair of aortic arch aneurysm

From the aortic arch - iliac bifurcation

• Thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR)
• TEVAR for complicated aortic dissection and traumatic transection
• Endo-debranching of great vessels to facilitate TEVAR in complicated arch aneurysms
• Cervical debranching to facilitate TEVAR
• Open Repair, Thoraco abdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAA)
• Endovascular abdominal aneurysm repair (EVAR)
• Fenestrated EVAR for juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms
• Open repair, complicated abdominal aortic aneurysms

Meet Our Team

Vascular and Endovascular Surgery

• W. Charles Sternbergh, III, MD (Section Head)
• Hernan A. Bazan, MD
• Clayton J. Brinster, MD
• Taylor A. Smith, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgery

• Gene Parrino, MD (Section Head)
• Umraan Ahmad, MD
• Aditya Bansal, MD

Cardiac Anesthesia

• David Broussard, MD
• Eric Busch, MD
• Alexander Gutkin, MD
• Don Harmon, MD
• Jason Falterman, MD
• Emilie Donaldson, MD

Interventional Cardiology

• Tyrone Collins, MD
• J. Stephen Jenkins, MD
• Rajan Patel, MD
• Stephen Ramee, MD
• John Reilly, MD
• Christopher White, MD

For Referring Physicians

Referring physicians, for 24/7 transfers, referrals and phone consults, call the Regional Referral Center at 1-855-OHS-LINK (647-5465).