http://www.or-live.com/genesishealth/1676 Davenport, IA --- Surgeons at Genesis Medical Center, Davenport, will use a minimally invasive approach and a revolutionary device to treat a thoracic aortic aneurysm during a surgical procedure that will be webcast Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. CST. It will be the medical center's third webcast. Richard Sadler, M.D., FACS, Chest and Vascular Surgery, P.C., Davenport, will perform the procedure, one of fewer than 10 that have been done in the state of Iowa. He'll be assisted by Erik Abdullah, M.D., Vascular and Thoracic Associates, Ltd., Bettendorf, Iowa. A thoracic aortic aneurysm is the swelling or ballooning of the aorta, the largest artery in the body, which carries oxygenated blood from the heart. The thoracic aorta's diameter normally ranges from 1 to 1.5 inches. An aneurysm can cause it to grow several times its normal size. If not treated, the aneurysm can rupture, leading to internal bleeding which often is fatal. "The estimated mortality of a ruptured thoracic aneurysm is 90 percent for the first 48 hours," said Dr. Sadler. "Often, there are no symptoms, so most people won't know if they have an aortic aneurysm until it ruptures. Typically, they are detected when chest x-rays, CT scans or MRI tests are being obtained for other health problems. Approximately 40 percent of aneurysms in the aorta occur in the chest." Thoracic aortic aneurysms have traditionally been repaired through a high-risk operation requiring a large chest incision to remove the diseased portion of the artery and replace it with a synthetic graft. This method can result in long hospital stays and painful recoveries. However, an implantable graft now gives doctors a less invasive alternative to the major open surgical approach. The GORE TAG® endoprosthesis, developed by W. L. Gore and Associates, Inc., is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved thoracic endograft. The tube-shaped endovascular graft is comprised of a biocompatible ePT...