Aneurysmal Disease

The aorta is the human body's primary blood artery. It transports blood from your heart to your head, arms, abdomen, legs, and pelvis. If the aortic walls become weak, they might inflate or protrude out like a balloon. When this develops in the aorta in the abdomen, it is referred to as an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

AAAs may not always cause issues, but a burst aneurysm can be fatal. As a result, if you're diagnosed with an aneurysm, your doctor will most likely want to constantly monitor you, even if they don't intervene immediately. 

1. Unexpected pain in your abdomen or back 
2. Pain growing from your abdomen or back to your pelvis, legs, or buttocks 
3. Clammy skin 
4. Increased heart rate 
5. Loss of consciousness 

1. Smoking directly harms the walls of your arteries. This can make them more likely to protrude. Smoking also increases your risk of high blood pressure
2. High blood pressure blood pressure is the intensity of pressure on the walls of your blood vessels. Having high blood pressure can cause the walls of your aorta to weaken, making an aneurysm more likely to form 
3. Vascular inflammation severe inflammation within the aorta or other arteries can sometimes cause AAAs, but this is a rarity. Because of the size of the aorta, these aneurysms pose as a more serious risk 

AAAs are characterized by their size and the speed at which they are growing. 

1. Small AAAs are less than 5.5 centimeters. Slow-growing abdominal aortic aneurysms have a lower risk of bursting. Doctors will typically consider it safe to monitor these with abdominal ultrasounds to treat them. 
2. Large AAAs are greater than 5.5 centimeters. Fast-growing abdominal aortic aneurysms are significantly more likely to burst than small AAA’s. Ruptures in these aneurysms can lead to internal bleeding and other complications. The larger the aneurysm is, the more likely it will need to be treated with surgery. If they are causing symptoms or leaking blood, they need to be treated immediately. 

1. Male 
2. Overweight/obese 
3. Have a family history of heart conditions, diseases, or aneurysms 
4. Have high blood pressure 
5. Have high cholesteral or fatty buildup in the blood vessels 
6. Live a sedentary lifestyle 
7. Had previous trauma to the abdomen or midsection 
8. Smoke tobacco products 

1. Open Abdominal Surgery This operation is performed to remove diseased aortic sections. It is the more intrusive type of surgery with a longer recovery period, but it may be required if your aneurysm is really large or has already ruptured.
2. Endovascular Surgery This type of surgery is less intrusive than open abdominal surgery. It entails applying a graft to stabilize the weakening aortic walls.
3. Monitoring If your AAA is less than 5.5 cm wide, your doctor may decide to monitor it with imaging rather than undertake surgery.

It may take up to 6 weeks if your doctor recommends open abdominal surgery. An Endovascular surgery will typically have a recovery time of 2 weeks. The success and recovery of treatment depends on if the AAA is discovered pre or post-rupture. If it is found before bursting, the prognosis is typically good. 

If it is not treated, an AAA can have serious complications for your health which can be fatal

1. Aortic dissection is a tear in the inner layer of the aorta 
2. Blood clots can break loose and prevent blood flow to other parts of the body 
3. Internal bleeding can be caused by a ruptured aortic aneurysm.