The proposed study is designed to identify the level of tissue hypoxia in patients presenting with ascending aortic aneurysm. Ascending aortic aneurysms affect approximately 15,000 people in the United States each year, and represent a serious clinical problem because there is a known, but
Thoracic aortic aneurysm An aortic aneurysm is defined as a localised dilatation of the aorta, which includes all three layers of the vessel, intima, media and adventitia. The incidence of thoracic aortic aneurysm is estimated to be six to ten cases per 100,000 patient years, most commonly occurring