Examining the dark history of anatomical dissection through the centuries—and why the need for study on human donors is as vital as it’s ever been. Dr. Cornelis Isaaks 's-Gravesande conducts an ...
An aortic dissection happens when tears appear in the inner lining of the aorta, which is the main artery leaving the heart. Blood surges into the tears, causing the aorta lining to split, or dissect.