Good morning everyone! Welcome to #AorticDiseaseAwarenessMonth! My name is Adham and I am a fourth-year medical student at CUNY School of Medicine. I'll be helping Carin out with a few of the posts this campaign.
Today, we are going to start with an overview of Aortic anatomy !
If you have not done so already - please be sure to download your ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฃ๐ฌ of ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ HERE and refer to pages 13-15 to follow along :)
bit.ly/AD-PatientGuide-Download
โค๏ธThe Aorta is the largest artery in our body and an integral component of our cardiovascular system. Its function is to take blood that has been oxygenated by our lungs and deliver it throughout our body helping to perfuse every major organ in the body, including our brains, abdominal organs, kidneys and other tissues.
โค๏ธThe aorta is a resilient but flexible vessel, with elastic smooth walls that allow it to widen and contract as blood travels through in different volumes. It has three major sections including:
๐The ascending aorta, which begins at the level of the aortic valve
๐The aortic arch, where it takes a "cane-like" turn and starts to curve downward
๐The descending aorta where it starts to travel down through your chest and abdomen to reach the lower half of your body
โค๏ธKeep these divisions in the back of your head! We will refer back to it as we start to discuss some of the different diseases that can occur throughout the aorta and their treatment.
To learn more about the aorta, click here:
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