Understanding about an aortic aneurysm will be helpful for anyone to prevent it from rupturing. It is unknown about the reasons behind the cause, but doctors link its presence due to family inheritance and trauma. An aneurysm is a condition where there is a development of a bump at any place throughout the aorta. The bump appears at the weak spot of the wall thickness of the aorta. Due to this, the blood that flows through the aorta stores in the same. With increasing pressure, an aneurysm bursts allowing leakage of the blood into the surrounding areas.
What Size Aortic Aneurysm Requires Surgery?
An operation is the only solution when the size of an aneurysm is above 5 centimeters. The chance for a rupture is high in this case, and doctors tend to attend to the situation immediately. An operation includes an open repair or endovascular repair procedure. Selecting between the two procedures depends on several factors, such as:
- The age of the patient
- The health condition
- The risk factors associated with the surgery
- The side effects that arise after the surgery
- The presence of high blood pressure and its state
- The use of tobacco products.
Treating an aortic aneurysm is possible when detected in its early stage. However, it is not possible to identify it unless there is a rupture because it does not display any signs until then. In a majority of the cases, doctors come across the presence of the same during a scan while treating a different ailment.
Other treatment procedures include the use of medicines, diet control, the inclusion of exercises, and quitting smoking. These options are only valid based on the test results received by the doctor. Furthermore, the physician will calculate and think from all the angles to provide the best treatment that will reduce the side effects and helps in faster recovery. The treatment includes a well-balanced diet program, which helps in the resurrection of the health of the blood vessels and decrease in blood pressure. The doctor also provides the steps that help in quitting smoking. He will monitor the situation in a timely fashion to ensure that there are no side effects to the sudden stop to smoking.
Diagnosis
Before deciding on operating an aneurysm, the doctor will require details about the location, the size, and the shape. To receive such information, the patient will undergo a series of tests that include blood tests, MRI scan, CT scan, angiography, and X-ray. All these provide accurate details and help in identifying the location of an aneurysm. These methods are non-invasive and assist in obtaining a better imaging result than before. The advancement in the medical field is allowing the doctors to identify the signs earlier and locate the presence of an aorta aneurysm in the early stage.
Risk Factors Associated With Surgery
After receiving surgery for an aortic aneurysm, many patients suffer from pain, shock, and in rare cases, internal bleeding. Therefore, a patient remains in the hospital for several weeks before discharging and the recovery period to is long when compared with that of the regular treatment that involves the use of medicines and change to the diet plan.
Additional symptoms experienced by the patient include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting sensation
- Blurred vision
- Formation of blood clots
- Blockage of flow of blood to the feet, legs, kidneys, heart, and other organs.
As many people are allergic to several things, it is crucial to discuss the same with the surgeon to ensure that he/she will offer appropriate care before and after the surgery.
- Mayo Clinic. (2021, February 13). Aortic Aneurysm. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/aortic-aneurysm/symptoms-causes/syc-20369472
- Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Aortic Aneurysm. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17784-aortic-aneurysm
- MedlinePlus. (2021, July 15). Aortic Aneurysm. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/aorticaneurysm.html
- Circulation. (2017, February 21). Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Aortic Aneurysm. American Heart Association. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000477
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