Dr. Neel Mansukhani, a vascular surgeon at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, explained why this condition can become life-threatening so quickly. "The aorta is the main blood vessel that comes off of

A dissection occurs when "the inner layer [of the aorta] rips," he says. "It's like a three-ply hose and when the inner layer rips, the aorta starts to unravel." An interior rip can cause the giant

While the condition is considered rare, Everett said he regularly sees patients for aortic dissection. “As a vascular surgeon, I see a dissection of the lower portion of the artery, the descending

UAB vascular surgeon Dr. Adam Beck described the condition as dangerous and potentially fatal. "It's a very severe, abrupt chest or back pain, and patients will often describe it as the most severe

Most people who present with aortic dissections have had a long-standing history of uncontrolled high blood pressure, and on top of atherosclerosis, which is kind of the hardening of the blood vessels

The late Sen. Lindsey Graham died over the weekend after a tear in his aorta, according to a preliminary medical examiner finding shared by his office. The tear in the inner wall of the aorta, called

An aortic dissection is a life-threatening medical emergency in which a tear develops in the inner layer of the aorta — the body's largest artery, according to Mayo Clinic. "It occurs when the layers

Medical experts with Tampa General Hospital said having an aortic dissection is not very common, but there are people who are at a higher risk. Dr. Halim Yammine spends his days doing different

It's the kind of diagnosis many people have likely never heard of until tragedy brings it in focus. Doctors say Senator Lindsey Graham's death is a reminder that protecting your heart starts long

The preliminary cause of death for Sen. Lindsey Graham has focused attention on aortic dissection, a rare but often fatal condition that can resemble other medical emergencies. Why it matters: Aortic