Vascular Ring
Disease Information
Overview
A vascular ring is a rare cardiovascular birth defect involving an unusual formation of the aorta and/or its surrounding blood vessels.
What happens if your child has a vascular ring:
- The trachea (windpipe) and esophagus are completely encircled and compressed by a "ring" formed by these vessels.
- The compression frequently causes breathing and digestive problems, often starting in infancy.
Pioneering surgery
An operation to divide the vascular ring is the treatment of choice. This kind of surgery was pioneered at Boston Children's Hospital in 1945 with the first successful operation on a child with a double aortic arch.
Today, this procedure can be performed using robotic surgery equipment, allowing your child the benefits of minimally invasive surgery and improved surgical precision.
