Bovine Arch

[mainframe]

During the pre-op testing for my second surgery, I was told I had a bovine arch. (I understand the term is really not correct but rather have the left common carotid artery originates separately from the innominate artery.)

Anybody else have this. Are there problems associated with this condition? I haven't heard anybody discuss this much on the board.

 

[Duffey]

I don't have a bovine arch. Heck, I try not to think about having the pericardial valve I'm sporting. I haven't been able to look at a steak since replacement!:tongue2:

 

[ottagal]

Mainframe,
No I haven't heard of this, but perhaps someone else has and will chime in for you.
If this helps, I was told post-op AVR that I have a bicuspid pulmonary valve in addition to the bicuspid aortic valve (traded in for a bovine . Apparently, it is not very common to have a bicuspid pulmonary valve and I don't know of any other member with this.

One would think that the doc would have told you if the bovine arch is a cause for concern. Hopefully, it is an inocuous anomaly.

 

[Lily]

Hi Chris - Never heard of it. I did a web search and found this informative link with specific definition and illustrations: http://www.ajnr.org/cgi/content/full/27/7/1541

I found this excerpt on another site: "Although the bovine arch is one of the most common cardiac variants, it is still relatively rare in humans, with occurrences reported in 15% of patients observed in the medical community. Statistics show a higher rate of the aortic arch variant among Africans and African-Americans. In cardiac radiology, the bovine arch is referred to as a normal variation on the common configuration. Although the variant is generally considered insignificant by the medical community, some experts have proposed a connection between the bovine arch and thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA). Other studies have linked the condition with a possible predilection for blunt injury to the innominate artery, in which a higher occurrence of the condition was discovered during post-injury setting.

Currently there is no "cure" for the bovine arch variant, although theoretical possibilities for non-damaging corrective transplants and grafts have been proposed. The unusual configuration of the bovine arch has led to some reported difficulties with aortic treatments, such as carotid artery stenting. This procedure uses non-invasive methods to treat blockages and other cardiac complications that could lead to strokes. The procedure utilizes a catheter to perform a non-surgical entry into the artery in an attempt to correct narrowed areas. Using transradial carotid artery stenting in cases of bovine arch anatomy allows access via either the left or right arm, depending on the method used."