Acute Aortic Syndrome: when surgeons operate
Consultant aortic surgeon Karen Booth explains how specialists make complex decisions about operating on acute aortic syndromes, exploring surgical options, multidisciplinary expertise, patient choice and the importance of advocating for yourself.
Why might two people with an acute aortic syndrome require very different operations?
In this presentation, Ms Karen Booth, MSc FRCS, Consultant Aortic Surgeon and Secretary of the UK Aortic Society, explains the complex decisions surgeons make when treating diseases of the aorta.
Karen explores the factors that influence whether surgeons operate and which procedure they choose, including the location of the entry tear, the sections of the aorta involved, protecting the brain and other organs, valve choices and the patient’s individual circumstances.
She also discusses the importance of specialist experience, multidisciplinary decision-making and training the next generation of aortic surgeons. Her central message to patients is equally clear: understand your condition, ask questions and do not be afraid to advocate for yourself.
This talk was recorded at the Aortic Dissection Awareness UK & Ireland Annual Patient Event, held in Birmingham on 18 September 2026.
In this talk
- Speaker: Ms Karen Booth, MSc FRCS
- Role: Consultant Aortic Surgeon and Secretary of the UK Aortic Society
- Event: Annual Patient Event 2026, Birmingham
- Duration: 26:50
- Topics: Acute Aortic Syndrome · Aortic Surgery · Surgical Decision-Making · Aortic Root and Arch Surgery · Patient Choice · Self-Advocacy
