Tissue expanders — small balloons that can be filled with saline solution or other fluids to grow skin — have long been used in plastic surgery, most commonly breast reconstruction. They’re based on the simple idea that the surrounding skin will stretch as the device expands over time. That extra skin can then help repair injuries or congenital anomalies or accommodate implants.
Now, a novel approach extends tissue expansion to blood vessels. It is transforming the way that surgeons treat a rare but serious condition called midaortic syndrome, report Heung Bae Kim, MD, Khashayar Vakili, MD and their colleagues at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Midaortic syndrome occurs when the middle section of the aorta is narrowed and typically affects children and young adults. It can cause severe hypertension and can be life-threatening if left untreated. The surgical approach to this condition would be to replace the damaged portion of the aorta with nearby healthy blood vessels. However, this usually isn’t possible because these vessels tend to be too short to adequately fill in. …