Abdominal aortic aneurysm is the term used for a bulging and weakening of the body's primary blood vessel, the aorta, in the area of the belly or abdomen. When undetected, misdiagnosed or improperly treated, aneurysms of this sort may rupture, leading to potentially fatal blood loss. Fortunately, doctors have developed effective methods to detect abdominal aneurysms, as well as procedures to properly treat them.
Symptoms and Degrees of Risk
Symptoms of abdominal aortic aneurysm include pain in the abdomen and back, as well as a distinct pulsating in the abdomen that may feel like a second heartbeat. If you develop these symptoms, seek medical attention as soon as possible. In some cases, the onset of abdominal pain can be abrupt and severe, indicating that a breach in the aneurysm might be coming soon. If the aneurysm actually does burst, that pain may be accompanied by sudden dizziness or weakness leading to unconsciousness. These latter symptoms point to an extremely life-threatening situation, and if you experience them you should call 911 immediately.
Diagnosis and Treatment Options
If you present symptoms of an aneurysm that is not immediately life-threatening, your doctor will perform certain tests to determine if an aneurysm is actually present. These may include a computed tomography (CT) scan, an abdominal ultrasound or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
If an abdominal aneurysm is detected, your doctor may choose one of several treatment options. If you have no serious symptoms and your aneurysm is small (typically less than 2 inches in diameter), risks of surgery may outweigh danger from the aneurysm. In these cases, your doctor may choose simply to observe it at regular intervals, noting its rate of growth. If that rate is too rapid (more than half a centimeter in 6 months), surgery is indicated. When a larger aneurysm (typically 2.2 inches or larger) is present, surgery is the essential option.
In cases where surgery is not immediately indicated, high is a potentially serious complicating factor. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor will likely prescribe medication to keep it under control. Smoking is also a serious danger in aneurysm cases, and if you smoke your doctor will almost certainly ask you to stop. If so, make sure to obtain whatever assistance you need to stay away from tobacco. Failure to do so may gravely endanger your health.
Surgery
Surgery options for abdominal aortic aneurysms include open surgical repair and a newer procedure called an endovascular stent graft. In an open aneurysm surgery, doctors will make an incision in your abdomen to expose the aneurysm, then replace the damaged section of aorta with a graft made from a modern plastic material such as Dacron. Recovery from this procedure can last as long as 6 months.
An endovascular stent graft is a much less invasive procedure that accesses the aneurysm through smaller incisions in the groin. Catheters inserted in these incisions are used to help place the graft in position. While initial recovery time from this method is lessened, potential complications from the procedure still make open surgery the superior option in many cases.
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