Cleveland Clinic

Marfan Syndrome is a condition that affects the connective tissue of the body and causes damage to the heart, aorta, and other parts of the body. It is caused by a gene defect and in most cases, the condition is inherited. This complex condition requires a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and a specialized and experienced approach to care because multiple organ systems must be assessed and treated. About 90 percent of people with Marfan syndrome develop changes in their heart and blood vessels. The walls of the blood vessels become weak and dilate (stretch) and these blood vessel changes often affect the aorta, the major artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. When the walls of the aorta weaken or stretch, there is an increased risk of aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection or rupture (bursting). All portions of the aorta can dilate or dissect. These conditions can result in a medical emergency and in some cases are life-threatening. Take this opportunity to learn more about Marfan Syndrome and Aorta Disease, including diagnosis and treatments, and have your questions answered by cardiac surgeon Dr. Lars Svensson from the Cleveland Clinic.

Lars Georg Svensson, MD is an attending surgeon and Director of the Aorta Center, Director of the Marfan Syndrome and Connective Tissue Disorder Clinic, and Director of Quality and Process Improvement in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Cleveland Clinic. He is also a professor of surgery at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Svensson is board-certified in general, vascular, thoracic and cardiac surgery. He specializes in adult cardiac surgery; cardio-aortic and aortic surgery, including combined valve and aneurysm surgery; minimally invasive mitral and aortic valve surgery; mitral and aortic valve repair operations (including bicuspid valve repairs and modified David Reimplantation operation), blood conservation; prevention of stroke and paralysis after aortic surgery; Marfan syndrome; peripheral vascular surgery; Percutaneous valve surgery; and the Maze procedure. Dr. Svensson has contributed to advances in protecting the brain, spinal cord, and kidneys during major cardiac and aortic surgery and has been instrumental in developing minimally invasive keyhole surgery. He is currently the principal investigator in a number of clinical research trials, including research to investigate percutaneous methods for replacing or repairing aortic and mitral valves.