The latest technologies and innovative therapies
Our aortic care team strives to continually improve patient outcomes by incorporating groundbreaking technology, treatments and clinical trial findings with decades of expertise.
UF Health Aortic Disease Center
Address
1505 SW Archer Rd
Gainesville, FL 32608
Directions, parking and more
Gainesville, FL 32608
Expert aortic care in Florida — centered on your heart
A multidisciplinary team including vascular and cardiothoracic surgeons providing innovative treatments and compassionate care for complex aortic disease patients, every day.
Why choose the UF Health Aortic Disease Center
At a critical time in your life you can trust the hands of our surgeons who perform more than 900 aortic procedures every year, the 2nd highest volume in the country according to Vizient Data. The UF Health Aortic Disease Center uses the latest open and endovascular treatment technology coupled with groundbreaking research and clinical trials to treat aortic disease and emergencies.
By choosing the UF Health Aortic Disease Center, you’re trusting your heart to a team with exceptional combined medical and surgical experience. Our depth of expertise is one few centers can match. We have a unique, close and collaborative relationship between our cardiac and vascular surgeons, as well as cardiologists. With higher volumes, deeper experience and outstanding outcomes, we are uniquely prepared to treat even the most complex aortic conditions.
UF Health Shands Hospital is rated by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's top hospitals for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.
At the UF Health Aortic Disease Center, our patients can expect
Patient-centered care
We understand that patients at the UF Health Aortic Disease Center are all unique and have excellent outcomes. We offer personalized care for each and every patient to diagnose and treat any and all complex aortic disease. Quality of life post-surgery is just as important for our patients, which is why we make sure that patients are set up with any rehabilitation they may need from cardiac rehab, physical therapy and occupational therapy before they leave our hospital.
State-of-the-art treatment
Our patients are seen by our aortic center team at the UF Health Heart & Vascular Hospital. This location has highly specialized, comprehensive inpatient and outpatient treatment services in one location. It includes hybrid operating rooms, comfortable patient rooms and complex imaging capabilities. It was built around patient safety, quality, and accessibility.
Jonna's story
Through the expertise of Dr. Tomas Martin, director of the UF Health Aortic Disease Center, and his team, Jonna Brown can have more days on the ocean with her family. We take on the complex cardiovascular surgery cases most other hospitals can’t. And we do it with compassion and care that often exceeds our patients’ expectations.
Conditions and treatments
While we are known for treating complex aortic disease, we offer treatment for a wide range of aortic issues from simple to complicated:
Frequently asked questions
My aortic condition is complicated; can the UF Health Aortic Disease Center help with all aspects of my heart care?
Yes. The UF Health Aortic Disease Center is uniquely skilled to treat any issue related to your aortic condition. Because of our vast amount of experience and collaboration between our cardiothoracic surgeons, vascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists, cardiologists, therapists, and genetic counselors we can take on the most complicated cases, such as Mitral Valve TAVR Explants, Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacements (David Procedure), and Ross Procedures, among others.
How long will I have to stay in the hospital?
Every patient and every surgery is unique. We understand that you have responsibilities, so our team will work with you to evaluate the best options to get you home or to a rehabilitation center in the most efficient, but safest timeline possible.
Do you offer genetic counseling for aortic conditions?
Yes, our team of genetic counselors provide counseling to patients with suspected hereditary cardiovascular conditions, including patients with aortic and connective tissue diseases like Marfan Syndrome. This type of work combines leading-edge science with compassionate and personalized care to treat patients with complex aortic diseases.
When meeting with patients and families for genetic counseling, our team collects a detailed family health history and performs a risk assessment for hereditary cardiovascular disease based on medical and family health histories. They discuss genetic testing options and possible results with patients and their families to order the most appropriate genetic testing.
When testing results are received, they are interpreted and explained to the patient. We then tailor clinical care recommendations based on the results and current guidelines. Additionally, our genetic counselors will coordinate referrals to appropriate specialists and provide information about support groups and organizations for people with genetic aortic and vascular conditions.
What will my quality of life be after surgery?
The UF Health Aortic Disease Center is committed to helping you maintain — and ideally improve — your quality of life after surgery. In addition to offering expert surgical and medical care, we make sure our patients get the proper genetic counseling, therapy and rehabilitation needed after surgery to assure the best possible outcomes.
What post-surgical therapy options are offered to patients at the UF Health Aortic Disease Center?
After an aortic surgery, patients may struggle with things like swallowing, breathing, walking or other basic movements. We make sure our patients have the appropriate and necessary referrals for therapy, both while they are in the hospital and once they are discharged. Therapies that may be needed after a patient undergoes aortic surgery include:
Physical therapy (PT)
Physical therapy usually starts just a day or two after surgery, usually while the patient is still in the hospital. A physical therapist will help you safely get moving without putting dangerous strain on your chest or abdominal incisions.
Mobility Training: Learning how to get out of bed and stand up using your legs and core, rather than pushing or pulling with your arms, especially if you have "sternal precautions" from an open-chest surgery.
Strength and Balance: Targeted, low-impact exercises to counteract muscle weakness caused by bed rest.
Walking Exercises: A physical therapist will help you gradually increase your walking distance to improve circulation and prevent blood clots.
Cardiac rehabilitation
Once you are a few weeks out of surgery, your doctor will likely recommend a specific cardiac rehabilitation program. This is a highly structured, medically supervised outpatient program designed specifically for heart and vascular patients. We offer these services at the UF Health Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehab Gym.
Monitored Exercise: You will perform cardiovascular exercises, like treadmill walking or stationary cycling, while therapists continuously monitor your heart rate, rhythm and blood pressure.
Endurance Building: This will safely push your physical limits so you can return to hobbies, work and daily activities without fear.
Respiratory therapy
Whether you had open surgery or a minimally invasive procedure like TEVAR, anesthesia and time spent lying down can cause your lungs to become sluggish, causing difficulty breathing, painful swallowing and increasing the risk of pneumonia.
Incentive Spirometry: Using a small breathing device to practice deep, sustained inhalations.
Pulmonary Hygiene: Learning safe "log-coughing" techniques, usually while hugging a pillow tight against your chest, to clear your lungs without disrupting your surgical stitches.
Occupational therapy (OT)
While physical therapy focuses on walking and overall strength, occupational therapy focuses on the logistics of daily life. This is less commonly needed when having a minimally invasive aortic procedure. An occupational therapist helps you navigate your temporary physical restrictions.
Safe ADLs (Activities of Daily Living): Teaching you how to safely shower, get dressed and cook without lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk (usually a strict rule for the first 6 to 8 weeks).
Energy Conservation: Showing you how to pace your day to avoid fatigue as your body channels its energy into healing.
Nutritional and medical therapy
What goes into your body plays a big role in how the aortic wall stabilizes.
Anti-Straining Dietary Therapy: A high-fiber, high-fluid diet is important. Straining during a bowel movement, known as the Valsalva maneuver, causes a sudden spike in blood pressure that puts dangerous stress on a healing aorta.
Medication Management: Working with your care team to perfectly balance blood pressure medications, including beta-blockers. Keeping your blood pressure in a low, stable range is a lifelong therapy for anyone who has had aortic disease.
Clinical trials
Our experts are physician-scientists working to advance medicine and surgical approaches for the treatment of aortic diseases. Our aortic center offers the latest surgical options and medical therapies for aortic diseases – tomorrow’s treatments for today’s patients – many of which are not available elsewhere.
What to expect
Appointments at the UF Health Aortic Disease Center are held on the first floor of the UF Health Heart & Vascular Hospital.
Before your visit
Before your appointment at the UF Health Aortic Disease Center, our physicians will want to review your medical records, any medications you are taking, and your lab results and any imaging studies done. You will need to make arrangements to have your medical records sent to us once your physician has decided your case should be seen by our multidisciplinary team and your clinic appointment has been scheduled. Our aortic disease program patient care coordinators will follow up with you about the status of your records and answer any questions you may have about what records you need to send and where to send them.
Our physicians may request that you have additional testing done to help them better understand your condition and determine what may be the best treatment options for you. Our aortic center patient care coordinators will arrange for you to have these tests done prior to your clinic visit with us. They will contact you to confirm the appointments you have scheduled with us on the day of your visit and will provide directions for each of those appointments.
During your visit
If our physicians requested that you have additional testing done prior to your clinic visit, our aortic disease program patient care coordinators will have arranged those for you and will notify you where you need to be and at what times prior to your clinic visit with us.
During your clinic appointment, you will meet with a nurse and sometimes a medical resident or fellow who will ask you for needed information prior to being seen by one of our UF Health Aortic Disease Center physicians.
When the physician sees you, they will review your medical records, your medical history, imaging studies you had done and perform a physical exam if needed. They will then take the time to discuss the anatomy of the aorta with you and show you which part of your aorta is being affected by your aortic condition. Your doctor will explain the treatment options available to you after considering the following factors:
Overall health
Age
Past medical history
Your signs and symptoms
Your body’s ability to tolerate certain medications, procedures or therapies
The current state of the disease and how it is expected to progress
Your personal preference - ultimately, it is for you to decide whether you want treatment and if so, what kind of treatment suits you best
You are likely to spend several hours at UF Health Heart & Vascular Hospital the day of your clinic visit. How long your visit is with us depends on your schedule and any specific health care needs you may have, such as additional testing or consultations. We ask that you please plan ahead and bring your medications and anything else you may need with you for the day.
After your visit
Any follow-up care needed such as further testing or surgery will be determined based on your individual need once the physician has evaluated you. Once the follow-up care you need has been determined, you will receive information on next steps.
Our team
At the UF Health Aortic Disease Center, we combine leading-edge science with compassionate and personalized care. Our multidisciplinary approach provides you with a team of board-certified physicians specializing in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery and vascular surgery and endovascular therapy. We work together with one goal: to provide high-quality, patient-centered care that leads to outstanding outcomes.
Surgeons
Genetic counselors
Cardiac rehabilitation
Contact us
The UF Health Aortic Disease Center cares for you.
Thank you for visiting the UF Health Aortic Disease Center. We are here to help you or your loved one find the treatment and help needed.
To contact our dedicated team directly, simply fill out the form below, or call Jordan McBride at (352) 273-5494:
Medical records
To obtain a copy of your medical records, please log into MyUFHealth or call (352) 594-0909.
Costs, billing, and insurance
Pay your bill online by logging into MyUFHealth. If you'd like to pay by phone, please call (352) 265-7906 or our toll-free number (888) 766-8154. You can also make checks or money orders payable to UF Health PO Box 16051 Lewiston, ME 04243-9534.
If you have questions or wish to pay in person, please consult our billing section.
Shands hospitals and UF Physician practices accept insurance from numerous providers, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, CIGNA, Humana, Capital Health, Medicaid and state and government services. For a full list of accepted plans visit our Insurance / Billing page.
Insurance acceptance varies between physicians and locations and is subject to change. To confirm that a specific physician will accept your insurance, please contact the practice using the telephone numbers listed at the top of the page. A representative will be happy to assist you.