Aortic Aneurysm

An aneurysm is the ballooning or enlargement of an artery. An aneurysm can occur in any blood vessel in the body, but the most common place is in the abdomen below the renal arteries. The aorta is the main blood vessel coming from the heart that supplies blood to all organs. An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) can be detected by using ultrasound technology (aortic ultrasound).

Aneurysms may continue to grow larger until like a balloon, it can then burst or rupture. Aneurysm ruptures can be life-threatening events. The goal of all aneurysm treatment is to prevent the aorta from rupturing.

At Vascular Surgical Associates, we provide the highest quality vascular care and treatment available!

Risk Factors

• Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• Age greater than 65
• Family History

Diagnosis

• Routine physical examination of abdomen
• Abdominal ultrasound
• Abdominal CTA (computerized tomographic angiogram) scan

Treatment

• Observation: Asymptomatic small aneurysms of less than 5 cm may safely be observed. This observation can be completed by regular abdominal aortic ultrasounds.
• Open surgery: This is a traditional surgical procedure with an incision made on the abdomen. Hospital stay is 5-8 days.
• Endovascular: This is a new, minimally invasive endovascular procedure. Most of the time the aneurysm is repaired by stent graft through two small groin incisions under regional anesthesia. Patient generally goes home in 24-48 hours.