Procedure cuts surgery from about 8 hours to 1

WARREN — A team of cardio-thoracic surgeons at Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital this week performed the Mahoning Valley’s first endovascular thoracic aortic stent operation using a new, minimally invasive surgical procedure. The team consists of Drs. Andrei Gursky and Gregory Smaroff.

The new procedure is used to repair a thoracic aortic aneurysm, which is an aneurysm in the chest that causes the aorta to grow to several times its normal size. Left untreated, it can rupture, potentially resulting in internal bleeding and possible death, hospital officials said.

The new procedure can be completed in 30 to 60 minutes and replaces the traditional open chest surgical repair that can take six to eight hours.

The procedure is much safer for the patient because there is less risk for complications and a lower rate of post-operative illness, said Dr. Thomas James, TMH chief medical officer.