How to Pronounce Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair

Say it like this: thoh-RAS-ik en-doh-VAS-kyoo-lar ay-OR-tik reh-PAIR. The stress falls on the second syllable of the first word (RAS), the third syllable of the second word (VAS), the second syllable of the third word (OR), and the second syllable of the last word (PAIR). If you say it slowly and hit those bold parts a little harder, you'll have it right.

'Thoracic' comes from a Greek word meaning 'chest.' It tells you that this procedure is working on something in your chest area, specifically the aorta that runs through the chest.

'Endovascular' breaks down into 'endo-' (meaning inside) and 'vascular' (meaning blood vessels). Together, it means the procedure is done by working inside the blood vessels rather than cutting open the body. It's a way of saying 'minimally invasive.'

The aorta is the body's largest artery—the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart. This procedure is named after the aorta because that's the vessel being treated or repaired.

Many people stress the first syllable of 'endovascular' (EN-do) when it should be stressed on the third syllable (en-doh-VAS-kyoo-lar). Also, 'aortic' is sometimes mispronounced ay-OR-tic instead of the correct ay-OR-tik.

Here it is: thor-AS-ic (3 syllables) / en-doh-VAS-cu-lar (5 syllables) / ay-OR-tic (3 syllables) / re-PAIR (2 syllables). Saying each syllable separately first can help you get comfortable with the whole phrase.

The abbreviation is TEVAR (pronounced TEE-var or teh-VAR). It stands for Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair and is commonly used as shorthand in medical settings.

'Endoscopy' and 'endoscope' share the 'endo-' root (meaning inside). 'Cardiovascular' and 'vascular' share the 'vascular' root (meaning related to blood vessels). Learning these roots helps you understand many medical words.

You might hear: 'The doctor recommended a thoracic endovascular aortic repair to treat the patient's condition.' Or more simply: 'The patient underwent a TEVAR procedure last month.'