Cleveland Clinic

The aortic valve and aorta work together to supply oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. The aorta can become damaged and weakened, causing it to become wider (aneurysm) or torn (dissection), which increases your risk of having a life-threatening event. This type of damage can be caused by injury or a number of diseases and health conditions, some of which are genetic conditions (such as Marfan Syndrome) and other connective tissue disorders. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there are more than 43,000 patients that die each year from aortic diseases. Those who have aortic disease should be treated by an experienced team of cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons and specialists. The mission of the Aorta Center at Cleveland Clinic is to bring together a knowledgeable and experienced multidisciplinary team of cardiology and vascular doctors and surgeons and other experts to provide:

- A thorough evaluation of patients using state-of-the art diagnostic testing
- Ongoing comprehensive care for patients with disease of the aorta, connective tissue disorder and Marfan Syndrome
- Genetic screening for families of patients with genetic disorders
- Ongoing research and education to provide patients with high quality and innovative therapies

Take this opportunity to learn more about aortic disease and have your questions answered by our team of specialists from Cleveland Clinic; Clinical Geneticist Dr. Rocio Moran, Vascular Surgeon Dr. Matthew Eagleton, and Cardiac Surgeon Dr. Eric Roselli.

Rocio Moran, MD, is a Clinical Geneticist with the Cleveland Clinic's Genomic Medicine Institute. She is board-certified in pediatrics, medical genetics and board eligible in biochemical genetics. Dr. Moran’s clinical focus is the evaluation of patients with suspected genetic syndromes and the identification, evaluation and diagnosis of patients with and at risk for cardiovascular disorders, specifically connective tissue disorders. She established the first genetics program in Cleveland Clinic's Heart and Vascular Institute which includes genetic evaluations of patients with suspected heritable cardiovascular disease to provide personalized, disease-specific treatment recommendations.

Matthew Eagleton, MD is a vascular surgeon in the Department of Vascular Surgery of the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic. He is board-certified in vascular and general surgery. Dr. Eagleton’s specialty interests include endovascular and open surgery for complex aortic disease including aortic aneurysms and aortic dissection, aneurysm pathogenesis, pediatric and congenital vascular disease and vessel wall matrix remodeling. Dr. Eagleton’s clinical research has focused primarily on his specialty interests. Currently he is a co-investigator on several studies evaluating the use of branched and fenestrated aortic endografts to treat complex aortic pathology. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Vascular Surgery and Vascular Disease Managment, and he is an ad hoc reviewer for Circulation and Circulation Research. He has authored or co-authored articles in peer-reviewed journals on his clinical experience and research and co-authored chapters on his specialty interests in medical textbooks. Dr. Eagleton currently receives research support from the National Institutes of Health and the Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation to evaluate the causes and treatments of aortic aneurysms and dissections.

Eric Roselli, MD, is a Staff Surgeon in the Cleveland Clinic Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and on the teaching faculty at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Roselli's specialty interests include adult cardiac surgery, thoracic aortic surgery, endovascular stent graft therapy, minimally invasive valve repair and replacement, high-risk valve surgery, endovascular stent and prosthetic valve research, and surgical education.