Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

What is abdominal aortic aneurysm?

The aorta is the largest artery in your body, and it carries oxygen-rich blood pumped out of, or away from, your heart. When it reaches your abdomen, it is called the abdominal aorta.

When a weak area of the abdominal aorta expands or bulges, it is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). A ruptured aneurysm can cause severe internal bleeding, which can lead to shock or even death. Less commonly, AAA can cause another serious health problem called embolization. 

What are the symptoms?

Although you may initially not feel any symptoms with AAA, if you develop symptoms, you may experience the following:

  • A pulsing feeling in your abdomen, similar to a heartbeat
  • Severe, sudden pain in your abdomen or lower back. If this is the case, your aneurysm may be about to burst
  • On rare occasions, your feet may develop pain, discoloration, or sores on the toes or feet because of material shed from the aneurysm

If your aneurysm bursts, you may suddenly feel intense weakness, dizziness, or pain, and you may eventually lose consciousness. This is a life-threatening situation and you should seek medical attention immediately.

What tests will I need?

Abdominal aortic aneurysms that are not causing symptoms are most often found when a physician is performing an imaging test, such as an ultrasound or CT scan, for another condition. Sometimes your physician may feel a large pulsing mass in your abdomen on a routine physical examination.  If your physician suspects that you may have AAA, he or she may recommend one of the following tests to confirm the suspicion: abdominal ultrasound; computed tomography (CT) scan; or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

How is an abdominal aortic aneurysm treated?

Watchful waiting
If your AAA is small, your physician may recommend "watchful waiting," which means that you will be monitored every 6-12 months for signs of changes in the aneurysm size. Your physician may schedule you for regular CT scans or ultrasounds to watch the aneurysm. Your physician may prescribe blood pressure medication to lower the pressure on the weakened area of the aneurysm. If you smoke, you should obtain help to stop smoking.

Open Surgical aneurysm repair
A vascular surgeon may recommend that you have a procedure called open aneurysm repair if your aneurysm is causing symptoms, or is larger than about 2 inches or is enlarging under observation. During an open aneurysm repair, also known as surgical aneurysm repair, your surgeon makes an incision in your abdomen and replaces the weakened part of your aorta with a tube-like replacement called an aortic graft. The strong tube takes the place of the weakened section in your aorta and allows your blood to pass easily through it. You may stay in the hospital for 4 to 7 days. Depending upon your circumstances, you may also require 6 weeks to 3 months for a complete recovery. More than 90 percent of open aneurysm repairs are successful for the long term.

Endovascular stent graft
Your vascular surgeon may consider a newer procedure called an endovascular stent graft. The treatment is performed inside your artery using long, thin tubes called catheters that are threaded through your blood vessels. This procedure is less invasive, meaning that your surgeon will usually need to make only small incisions in your groin area through which to thread the catheters. Your surgeon will use live x-ray pictures to guide a tube, called an endovascular stent graft (or endograft), to the aneurysm. Like the graft in open surgery, the endovascular stent graft strengthens the aorta. Your recovery time for endovascular stent grafting is usually shorter than for the open surgery, and your hospital stay may be reduced to 2 to 3 days. However, this procedure requires more frequent follow-up visits for imaging tests and periodic maintenance. Your vascular surgeon will help you decide what is the best treatment for your situation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Virginia Interventional and Vascular Associates (VIVA)
1201B Sam Perry Blvd
Suite 265
Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401
(Next to Mary Washington Hospital)
Phone: (540) 654-9118
Office Hours: 8 am to 5 pm Monday - Friday
Web site: www.vivassociates.com