The Atlantic Health Aortic Center at Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center is the highest-volume program of its kind in New Jersey, with surgical volumes comparable to major academic institutions across the northeastern United States.
Building a High-Volume, High-Complexity Program
Dr. Benjamin van Boxtel founded the Atlantic Health Aortic Center, bringing extensive training in complex aortic surgery—including the Ross and David procedures—and a commitment to providing these advanced operations closer to home for New Jersey patients. After completing his training at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, his vision was to create a high-acuity, community-based program that would match the sophistication and outcomes of elite academic centers across the country.
“The types of surgeries performed at the Atlantic Health Aortic Center are widely recognized as providing superior long-term outcomes compared to more traditional approaches,” Dr. van Boxtel explains.
For example, when treating an aortic root aneurysm, standard procedures typically replace the root with a conduit containing a mechanical or biological valve. While both are effective, mechanical valves require lifelong anticoagulation and biologic valves have limited durability, often leading to additional procedures and replacement surgeries.
At the Atlantic Health Aortic Center, however, Dr. van Boxtel and his team perform what he refers to as the “platinum standard”—reconstructing the patient’s own valve or using their native tissue. This eliminates the aneurysm while maintaining the valve’s natural physiology. Hundreds of these complex valve-sparing operations have been performed at Atlantic Health Morristown.
Expertise Across a Spectrum of Advanced Aortic Surgeries
A defining feature of the Atlantic Health Aortic Center is its hands-on surgical model: Dr. van Boxtel performs every procedure from start to finish, working alongside a highly skilled physician associate and clinical team. Patients consistently express appreciation for the surgeon’s direct involvement throughout their care journey.
The program tackles thoracic aortic aneurysms on two fronts—both complex open heart approaches as well as endovascular aneurysm repair—and includes expertise across a broad range of advanced procedures:
- The David procedure – A valve-sparing aortic root replacement that rebuilds the aortic valve within a graft using the patient’s own tissue, eliminating the need for anticoagulants.
- The Ross procedure – Replacement of the diseased aortic valve with the patient’s own pulmonary valve, offering excellent durability and survival benefit.
- Bicuspid valve repair – A reconstructive approach that restores bicuspid valve function, often extending valve life beyond that of a bioprosthetic replacement.
- Frozen elephant trunk repair – A hybrid open and endovascular approach to treat complex aortic dissections or aneurysms extending from the arch to the descending aorta.
- Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) – A minimally invasive approach that treats thoracic aneurysms with catheter-based devices, minimizing recovery time and complications.
- Septal myectomy for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy – Relieves outflow obstruction caused by a thickened heart muscle.
The Atlantic Health Aortic Center also serves as a multidisciplinary center for patients with connective tissue conditions (such as Marfan syndrome, Loeys-Dietz, vEDS) and regularly performs specialized operations such as the valve-sparing root on patients with these conditions. Dr. van Boxtel and his team have a close partnership with the Marfan Foundation and recently hosted a patient symposium at Atlantic Health Morristown.
The Atlantic Health Aortic Center team also collaborates closely with maternal-fetal medicine and cardio-obstetric specialists at Atlantic Health Morristown to ensure the safe care of pregnant patients with or in young patients with aortic aneurysms. Deliveries are coordinated in cardiac operating rooms with cardiac surgical teams on standby, ready to repair the aorta in the rare event of a rupture. To date, no such emergency has occurred—an achievement that speaks to the precision and vigilance of the program’s multidisciplinary approach.
A Massive Multidisciplinary Team
The success of the Atlantic Health Aortic Center is built on the expertise and collaboration of its clinical team, who support patients from diagnosis through lifelong follow-up.
- Physician Associates (PAs): Two dedicated PAs form the backbone of the program, managing pre- and postoperative care and ensuring continuity across every phase of treatment.
- Genetics: A specialized genetics counselor conducts testing, screening, and family counseling for patients with inherited aortic conditions.
- Cardiology: Cardiologists with expertise in aortic disease provide preoperative evaluation and support, while interventional cardiologists assist with catheter-based diagnostics.
- Surgical and perioperative team: Each procedure involves a cardiac anesthesiologist, specialized nurses, perfusionists, and intensive care physicians trained in anesthesiology or pulmonology.
- Collaborating specialists: The center maintains strong partnerships with vascular surgery, radiology, infectious disease, gastroenterology, nephrology, and other departments to ensure seamless, comprehensive care.
Dr. van Boxtel emphasizes that “every member of the team plays a vital role.” The collective effort—from imaging to recovery—allows patients to receive the highest level of care under one roof.
Expanding Access to Platinum-Level Aortic Care
Dr. van Boxtel hopes to see more cardiothoracic surgeons trained in complex aortic surgery to increase access to advanced procedures nationwide. “The reality,” he notes, “is that if a patient doesn’t have access to a center with specialized aortic expertise, they may receive a less-than-ideal operation. Getting patients to the right program makes all the difference.”
The Atlantic Aortic Center: Raising the Standard of Care
Through Dr. van Boxtel’s leadership, the Atlantic Health Aortic Center at Atlantic Health Morristown has become a regional destination for patients requiring complex aortic surgery. The combination of technical precision, multidisciplinary teamwork, and compassionate care reflects Atlantic Health’s broader mission: to deliver world-class, accessible cardiovascular care to every patient it serves.
To learn more about the Atlantic Health Aortic Center at Morristown, visit: https://ahs.atlantichealth.org/conditions-treatments/heart-care/treatment-services/thoracic-aortic-disease.html.