Terumo Aortic
The Answer to Every Aortic Care Need

Just like fingerprints, no two aortas are the same. Yet, aortic repair is often approached as a standardised process when the anatomy itself is anything but.

With a commitment to aortic care, Terumo Aortic ensures that clinicians and patients are offered the broadest range of solutions, addressing all anatomies with a view to providing total management of aortic disease. Every device is designed and manufactured with a singular purpose—to give surgeons better options for the full span of thoracic and abdominal aortic repair.

“Our sole focus on aortic care gives us clarity,” says Erik Pomp, CEO. “We’re not distracted by competing priorities; we’re driven by one—delivering smarter, more personalised solutions for every segment of the aorta. It’s embedded in how we think, build and support the clinicians we serve.”

Through advanced knitting and weaving techniques, the grafts offer the trifecta surgeons depend on—strength to withstand physiological forces, flexibility to adapt to anatomy and control in the most demanding procedures. Gelsoft Plus and Gelweave, for instance, have become trusted mainstays in open surgeries, particularly when precision is non-negotiable.

When the clinical pathway demands a less invasive approach, the company’s endovascular portfolio meets the moment. Treo and Relay reflect this versatility, offering surgeons the choice of fully customised designs tailored to anatomical and pathological complexity. Bespoke engineering allows the solutions to mirror the patient’s anatomy, giving clinicians the confidence to treat the most complex cases.

But not all cases follow predictable paths. For patients who fall between open and endovascular routes, Terumo Aortic’s hybrid platforms—Thoraflex Hybrid, ThoracoFlo, and RapidLink—step in to close the gap. These technologies treat the most vulnerable and high risk patients by unlocking new options for anatomies that were once untreatable, making durable, less invasive interventions possible where it wasn’t before.

Our team also regularly visits hospitals and observes surgeries to identify the complications and opportunities for improvement

The focus on recovery is also a key part of the design. Each device facilitates streamlined procedures, which translates to reduced ICU time, freed-up clinical resources and smoother workflows for care teams. For patients, this means a faster recovery, fewer complications and a better overall experience. Surgeons place their trust in Terumo Aortic because their solutions greatly minimise the margin for error.

Surgery Centred Design + Clinical Collaboration = Better Aortic Care

Terumo Aortic’s greatest strength lies in its philosophy, ‘Innovation through Collaboration.’

Since 1982, it has worked hand in hand with physicians, engaging directly with the clinical community to understand the nuances and pressures of real-world care. It’s this ongoing exchange of insight and experience that has positioned Terumo Aortic as a market leader—and a trusted name in complex aortic repair.

The entire custom-design workflow—from design to manufacturing to final implantation—is structured to put surgeons at the centre of decision-making. Through a secure digital platform, clinicians upload CT images and collaborate with the device team to create grafts tailored to each patient’s anatomy. Clinical support specialists work alongside surgeons to ensure proper fixation, accurate alignment, and smooth implantation. The Aortic Configurator allows physicians and patients to explore the product portfolio interactively, helping match each case with the right device for better outcomes. Once the design is approved, production begins. In two to three weeks, the bespoke device is assembled, sterilised and prepared for delivery. Surgeons receive the delivery timeline to support efficient scheduling and on the day of surgery, a clinical advisor is present in the OR to assist with precise placement.

“This hand in glove approach has been a cornerstone of our success across our endovascular and hybrid technologies, and we are now extending its benefits to our surgical range. By doing so, we are ensuring that surgeons across all three verticals have access to tailored solutions that support them in delivering the best aortic care for patients,” adds Tarik Pacuka, Chief Commercial Officer.

The impact is proven in the transformation of aortic root surgery. Surgeons performing these procedures face a critical challenge; either preserve the native aortic valve leaflets or completely replace the aortic root. What makes this surgery particularly difficult is the unique anatomy of the aorta, specifically the sinuses of Valsalva, which play a vital role in maintaining proper blood flow dynamics.

For years, surgeons had no choice but to rely on conventional grafts, which failed to replicate the natural structure of the sinuses.

Recognising the urgent need for a more anatomically accurate solution, Terumo Aortic developed the Gelweave Valsalva graft in the early 2000s. It was a groundbreaking advancement that mirrors the natural anatomy of the aortic root, restored physiological blood flow patterns, minimised leaflet stress and significantly improved long-term patient outcomes. The results spoke for themselves, and what began as a pioneering breakthrough has since become the global standard. Nearly 25 years later, the Valsalva graft remains the globally dominant choice, trusted by surgeons across the globe as a go-to device for complex aortic root procedures.

As aortic cases became more complex, the need for solutions that could address both anatomical and procedural burdens grew more urgent. In response, the company brought together a consortium of leading cardiac surgeons to answer a pivotal question in aortic surgery, ‘How can we move from a complex two-stage procedure to a safer, more efficient single-stage approach?’


The answer came through the revolutionary development of Thoraflex Hybrid—a hybrid frozen elephant trunk (FET) solution that has since been used to treat more than 20,000 vulnerable and high risk patients. Before this, many of these patients faced limited options with significantly higher mortality risks. The transition to a single-stage procedure simplified what was once an highly invasive operation and delivered life-saving outcomes with greater consistency.

Strong Threads, Stronger Outcomes

Mastering the science of knitting and weaving technologies has allowed Terumo Aortic to select the ideal materials for delivering long-term durability and superior handling.

Polyester has long been the material of choice for open surgical grafts, for good reason. Terumo Aortic’s refined polyester grafts improve handling properties, allowing surgeons to easily manipulate and position them during even the most complex procedures. The woven structure is engineered for controlled porosity, optimising tissue integration while reducing bleeding and graft failure risks. The addition of proprietary gelatin coatings takes performance even further, improving surgical handling, promoting sealing and accelerating healing—all crucial factors in reducing procedural risks and improving long-term outcomes while remaining biocompatible.

As minimally invasive techniques expanded, so did the need for more adaptable and dynamic grafts. Terumo Aortic integrated nitinol, a material known for its shape memory and self-expanding properties, gives surgeons greater control, stronger fixation and precise expansion—a critical advantage when navigating complex anatomies in endovascular and hybrid procedures.

Yet minimally invasive repair presents its own set of challenges—traditional materials, while strong, lack the flexibility needed for smooth delivery and placement. Terumo Aortic engineered an ultra-fine, precision-knitted endo fabric, refining polyester yarn to strike the perfect balance between strength and deliverability. Designed to withstand high-pressure blood flow, this next-generation endovascular fabric ensures seamless deployment in minimally invasive procedures while maintaining the proven reliability of traditional grafts.

Listening, Learning and Leading

Terumo Aortic’s strategic pillar is its international trade, giving it the ability to make advanced aortic care accessible whenever needed. Hospitals, surgeons, and healthcare systems globally with particular focus across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia-Pacific can source Terumo Aortic’s product portfolio without regional limitations. The value for customers is knowing they’re working with solutions that have been proven, trusted and validated across the world’s most demanding healthcare environments.

To amplify access and reach, SEO strategies and digital amplification are integrated across its communications. This ensures that clinical updates, product information, and education are accessible to healthcare professionals worldwide—wherever aortic care is delivered.

A global footprint accelerates Terumo’s innovation cycles. Its deep, enduring relationship with the key opinion leaders’ consortium—a network of globally renowned leading clinicians and experts who serve as advisors and consultants—allows the company to remain at the forefront of aortic care advancements. Through routine Voice of the Customer events, it gains direct insight into innovation gaps, procedural advancements and industry challenges.

This open-mindedness fuels new thinking at Terumo Aortic, driving the team to ask the most relevant questions. What challenges are surgeons encountering in the operating room? Where are the friction points? How can the next generation of products be improved to solve them more intuitively?

“Our team also regularly visits hospitals and observes surgeries to identify the complications and opportunities for improvement,” explains Erik Pomp, Chief Executive Officer.

What’s Next?

The next chapter of Terumo Aortic is defined by intelligent innovation. The company is integrating AI into screening, monitoring and treatment planning—driven by a mission to catch aneurysms early, reduce emergency interventions and deliver life-saving care to more patients sooner.

Over the next five years, the plan is to significantly expand its product portfolio. New surgical grafts using globally recognised gelatin compositions are expected to be available to enhance open repair outcomes and reinforce market leadership. In the hybrid space, RapidLink, a bridging polyester/nitinol stent, would simplify complex arch and visceral vessel procedures while addressing a major clinical gap—connecting head, neck and visceral vessels to main aortic grafts.

Pacuka, boldly states that with this, the company can open a new market estimated at $100+ million and strengthen its position alongside the globally trusted Gold Standard FET device, Thoraflex Hybrid.

Manufacturing continues to scale through Terumo’s Kaizen culture and integrated digital systems. These interconnected factories and tools aren’t isolated pilots—they’re embedded across divisions, enabling faster development, higher precision, and greater efficiency. The result is a leaner, more responsive operation that directly benefits clinicians and their patients.

The U.S. remains a priority for growth. The upcoming launch of a platform for the fenestrated custom-made devices will open access to a previously untreated patient population. In parallel, the launch of ThoracoFlo will address the unmet needs of patients with connective tissue disorders by simplifying high-risk thoraco-abdominal procedures and improving outcomes in one of the most complex areas of aortic care.

Terumo is also preparing to introduce a new generation of non-animal-derived materials, redefining biocompatibility and sustainability in aortic surgery. As the first globally available solution, this innovation is expected to influence clinical adoption and reshape regulatory expectations across healthcare systems.

Earning eight Queen’s Awards for Enterprise and, more recently, a King’s Award makes Terumo Aortic one of the few medical device manufacturers to receive this level of recognition. These honours showcase the company’s global leadership in advancing aortic care—from pioneering product innovation and expanding international trade to upholding the highest regulatory standards and driving meaningful, patient-focused progress.

At the heart of all the progress lies a simple yet powerful question: “What can we do to improve aortic care?” This mindset continues to propel Terumo Aortic forward to shape and dominate the future of aortic care.