Comprehensive Aortic Program

Comprehensive clinical care of aortic disease is a core element of our Program. For more information about our clinical expertise and team, please see our Northwestern Medicine page via the link below.

NM Center for Aortic Care

The CAP has a mandate to advance the optimal care and treatment of aortic disorders. This encompasses both understanding the pathophysiology and natural history of aortic disorders, advancing the “technology and techniques” for treatment and understanding the impact of aortic disease and disease treatment for patients and their family/caregivers. We will:

• Participate in multiple clinical trials advancing the minimally invasive treatment of complex aortic disease. This will be in collaboration with industry partners and the BCVI Clinical Trials Unit.
• Advance institutionally sponsored clinical trials advancing the minimally invasive treatment of complex aortic disease.
• Leverage developing translational research infrastructure (tissue biobank) to investigate pathophysiology of aortic disease and potential role for microbiome.
• Utilize EDW and retrospective clinical data review to improve our clinical care processes, optimize collaboration with other specialties and to disseminate our experience.
• Continue to engage with VQI and VISION to leverage large data to expand our understanding of aortic disease, device innovation and appropriate use.
• Expand our qualitative research structures to support of our efforts around patient education and appropriate use.

We apply a holistic approach to the educational endeavors of the CAP acknowledging that patients, physicians, physicians-in-train, nurses, clinical staff and administration can all contribute to the teaching and learning environment of the program.

• Patient-centered care and education is a hallmark of the CAP. This includes disease and procedure education, education related to heritability of aortic disorders, risk stratification education and decision support.
• Expansion of education opportunities will target Northwestern trainees in the Division of Vascular Surgery and the Department of Surgery. In collaboration with the broader NM and NU community, educational opportunities will additionally focus on trainees, staff and faculty in NM and NU departments involved in the treatment of patients with aortic disease.
• Outreach will engage regional clinical providers to advance care quality care delivery to patients with aortic disease. This will focus on perioperative and longitudinal care of patients with aortic disorders.
• Surgeon education within and beyond NM will focus on diagnosis and treatment of aortic disorders, particularly related to advanced endovascular therapy and clinical decision-making.