Aortic Aneurysm Treated by Top Vascular Surgeons at Mercy

Your aorta is your body’s main artery. It performs a crucial task: pumping oxygen-rich blood from your heart to other parts of your body. An aortic aneurysm is a weak spot in the wall of the aorta where a balloon-like bulge can develop from the pressure of blood flow. If they rupture, they can cause internal bleeding that may be fatal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that each year, about 10,000 people in the U.S. die from ruptured aortic aneurysms. It is the tenth leading cause of death for men over age 50.

Aneurysms can also occur in other blood vessels throughout the body, including in the abdomen, pelvis, legs, chest, and neck.

Most aortic aneurysms do not cause any symptoms until it is too late and are often found during testing for other health issues. Therefore, it is important for you to get regular check-ups and ask your doctor to perform imaging tests to scan for aortic aneurysms—especially if any of the following risk factors apply to you:

• Smoking or history of smoking 
• 65+ years of age
• Family history of aneurysm, heart disease, or other arterial diseases
• High blood pressure 
• High cholesterol
• Aneurysms in other areas of your body
• Genetic connective tissue disorders, such as: 
  • Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
  • Marfan syndrome
  • Loeys-Dietz syndrome
• Illicit drug use 

In cases where an aortic aneurysm does cause symptoms, those symptoms often include:

• Pain in the area where the aneurysm is growing (usually in your chest, back or abdomen)
• Abdominal pain
• New back pain
• Flank pain radiating to your groin 

If you are experiencing these symptoms, get in touch with your doctor’s office as soon as possible and let them know. If your doctor can locate and either monitor or treat your aortic aneurysm before it ruptures, you will have a better chance of making a full recovery. 

If your aortic aneurysm ruptures, you will feel a sudden onset of the following symptoms:

• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Rapid heartbeat
• Sudden, severe pain in your chest, back, or abdomen

If you believe you are experiencing a ruptured aortic aneurysm, call 911 and seek medical attention immediately.

If your aortic aneurysm is small, your doctor will likely not treat it right away, but rather monitor it at regular screenings. For most symptomatic, enlarging, or large aneurysms, your doctor can insert a stent graft via minimally invasive surgery that require only one overnight in the hospital. Others will require an open operation to replace the damaged blood vessel.

Our vascular surgeons will optimize a plan unique to you based on your anatomy. For detailed risks specific to your aneurysm and procedure, talk with your surgeon. Follow-up appointments and imaging after aneurysm repair are essential for complete healing with minimal complications. Regular visits with your specialist are also important because aneurysms can develop at other locations in the body.