Figure 1: Aortic dissection is caused by bleeding within the aortic wall. The first 2 weeks after the onset of an aortic dissection is considered the acute stage, in which patients are highly ...

An aortic dissection is a tear in one of the layers of the aorta. The aorta is your body’s largest blood vessel. Your aorta is made up of three layers. When a hole or tear forms in one of these layers ...