Minimally Invasive Repair Of Aaa
Approximately 70 percent of patients are candidates for endovascular aneurysm repair , a minimally invasive procedure to repair an AAA. The procedure requires a small incision in the groin , followed by the placement of a stent graft inside the aneurysm to reinforce weak spots in the artery. This procedure is very effective in preventing aneurysm rupture, shortens the hospital stay and greatly reduces major complications.For those who dont qualify for EVAR, a fenestrated endograft is another minimally invasive option for treating an AAA. The fenestrated endograft is inserted into the femoral artery through a groin incision, then guided through the blood vessel to the aneurysm.
Lowering Risk For An Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
The best thing you can do to avoid developing an aneurysm is to not smoke. Smoking is the most common cause of an abdominal aortic aneurysm as well as many other health problems. Exercising daily can also be beneficial, as can lifestyle changes that help lower your blood pressure. If you are at risk, donât put off talking to a doctor about steps you can take to protect your health.
What Are The Symptoms
You might not even know you have this condition because it often doesnât have any symptoms. Some aneurysms start out small and get bigger gradually. Others grow quickly, and some never grow at all.
If yours is growing, you may feel:
- Pain deep inside, or on the side of, your abdomen
- Sudden, severe back pain
- A pulsating feeling in your abdomen
If you have any of these signs, see your doctor immediately or call 911.
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How Is An Aneurysm Treated
Treatment typically depends on the location and type of aneurysm.
For example, a weakened area of a vessel in your chest and abdomen may require a type of surgery called an endovascular stent graft. This minimally invasive procedure may be used over traditional open surgery because it involves repairing and reinforcing damaged blood vessels. The procedure also reduces the chance of infection, scarring, and other problems.
Other treatments can include medications that treat high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Certain types of beta-blockers may also be prescribed to lower blood pressure. Lowering your blood pressure may keep your aneurysm from rupturing.
How Is An Aaa Diagnosed
Doctors commonly find AAAs by chance during a routine exam. They also find them when testing for other issues, including pain in your abdomen. Doctors recommend an AAA screening for men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked.
If your doctor finds or thinks you have an AAA, they may order tests. Common tests include:
- Ultrasound or echocardiogram These use sound waves to create pictures of the inside of your body.
- Computed tomography scan The doctor uses X-rays to take pictures of your organs. Dye may be injected into your veins so your doctor can see them clearly.
- Magnetic resonance imaging This test uses magnets and radio waves to create pictures of your organs.
- Angiography This test uses dye and X-rays to look at the inside of your arteries. This can help your doctor see how much damage or blockage there is in your blood vessels.
If your doctor finds or thinks you might have an AAA, he or she might refer to you a specialist for treatment.
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Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Causes
An abdominal aortic aneurysm is caused by a weakness in the wall of the aorta. The number one risk factor for this medical issue is smoking. Smokers die four times more often from a ruptured aneurysm than non-smokers. Men are more likely to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm than women. Family history is another major risk factor, as are high blood pressure and old age. Talk to your doctor if you have any of these risk factors. Most people who experience an abdominal aortic aneurysm have more than one risk factor, generally, smoking combined with other factors.
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How Do Doctors Treat An Aneurysm
Your doctor will suggest treatment based on the size of the aneurysm. If an aneurysm is small, your doctor can monitor it closely and may prescribe a blood pressure medication. If an aneurysm is larger, your doctor might recommend surgery, such as implanting a Nellix sealing device or a graft over the walls of the aorta.
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Types Of Aortic Aneurysms
There are two locations of aortic aneurysms. One, in the chest, is a thoracic aortic aneurysm. The other is in the abdomen and is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Thoracic aortic aneurysm. Genes play a role in your chances of having an aortic aneurysm in your chest. Conditions that people can be born with that can affect the aorta include a bicuspid aortic valve, , and Loeys-Dietz syndrome.
Other causes for thoracic aneurysm might include:
- Coughing
- Hoarseness
Your doctor often can diagnose a thoracic aortic aneurysm with tests such as an X-ray, an echocardiogram, CT scan, or ultrasound. It’s also often monitored on an annual basis to assess for growth.
Routine screenings, especially for specific genetic conditions, can also help your doctor find out if your chances are higher. If they are, they might prescribe medications to lower your cholesterol and reduce your blood pressure.
If your aneurysm becomes a major problem or grows rapidly in size, you might need surgery. Your doctor will replace the damaged section of your aorta with a man-made tube. Once itâs in place, the graft will make that section of the aorta stronger.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm. This can happen in the portion of your aorta that passes through your abdomen. There are usually no telltale signs to warn you that something is wrong. Still, you might have:
- Back pain
- A deep pain on the side of your abdomen
- A throbbing sensation near your navel
What Are The Types Of Aortic Aneurysm
A thoracic aortic aneurysm happens in the chest. Men and women are equally likely to get thoracic aortic aneurysms, which become more common with increasing age.4
Thoracic aortic aneurysms are usually caused by high blood pressure or sudden injury. Sometimes people with inherited connective tissue disorders, such as and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, get thoracic aortic aneurysms.
Signs and symptoms of thoracic aortic aneurysm can include the following:
- Sharp, sudden pain in the chest or upper back
- Shortness of breath
- Trouble breathing or swallowing
An abdominal aortic aneurysm happens below the chest. Abdominal aortic aneurysms happen more often than thoracic aortic aneurysms.
Abdominal aortic aneurysms are more common in men and among people age 65 and older. Abdominal aortic aneurysms are more common among white people than among black people.5
Abdominal aortic aneurysms are usually caused by atherosclerosis , but infection or injury can also cause them.6
Abdominal aortic aneurysms often dont have any symptoms. If an individual does have symptoms, they can include the following:
- Throbbing or deep pain in the back or side
- Pain in the buttocks, groin, or legs
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How Do Medical Professionals Diagnose Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
Physical examination can be the initial way the diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm is made. The health care professional may be able to feel a pulsatile mass in the center of the abdomen and make the clinical diagnosis. In obese patients with a large girth, physical exam is less helpful. In very thin patients, the aorta can often be seen to pulsate under the skin and this may be a normal finding. Listening with a stethoscope may also reveal a bruit or abnormal sound from turbulence of blood within the aneurysm.
In most cases, X-rays of the abdomen show calcium deposits in the aneurysm wall. But plain X-rays of the abdomen cannot determine the size and the extent of the aneurysm.
Ultrasonography usually gives a clear picture of the size of an aneurysm. Ultrasound has about 98% accuracy in measuring the size of the aneurysm and is safe and noninvasive.
CT scan of the abdomen is highly accurate in determining the size and extent of the aneurysm and its location in the aorta. To help plan repair, if needed, it is important to know whether the aneurysm is above or below where the renal arteries branch off to go to the kidneys and whether the aneurysm extends towards the chest or down into the iliac arteries into the legs. CT scans require dye to be injected to evaluate the blood vessels . People with kidney disease or dye allergies may not be candidates for CT. MRI/MRA may be an alternative.
What Are The Risk Factors For Aaa Rupture
When the abdominal aorta, the largest blood vessel in the human body, develops a bulge or swelling due to a weakening of the wall, this is called an aneurysm. An abdominal aortic aneurysm often has no symptoms, and its rupture is a very serious complication.
Aside from the risk factors that cause AAA in the first place, the risk of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm depends on several factors:
- The size of the aneurysm: An abdominal aortic aneurysm with a diameter measuring more than 4 cm is more likely to rupture.
- Aneurysm diameter growth rate: Faster than 0,5 cm in six months.
- Sex women are three times more likely to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture than men.
- High blood pressure.
- Continued smoking.
The numbers weve mentioned here are used as a threshold in aortic surgery. For example, although aneurysms smaller than 5.5 cm are statistically less likely to rupture, due to these differences, it is up to the surgeon to ultimately evaluate the risk of aneurysm rupture in each patient. The surgeon can then decide if surgical treatment is in order, by calculating the benefit vs risk ratio. Its also important to mention that even small aneurysms in women are more likely to burst than in men.
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How Are Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Treated
Treatment depends on the size of the aneurysm. Aneurysms that are less than five centimeters in diameter have a low risk of rupturing and may not need treatment right away. Your healthcare provider may recommend watchful waiting, which includes:
- Getting ultrasounds every few months to make sure the aneurysm isnt getting bigger.
- Making lifestyle adjustments, such as exercising, not smoking, eating a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol and maintaining a healthy weight.
- Taking medication to lower your blood pressure.
No known medication, supplement or other treatment can shrink an aneurysm once it has formed. The goal of the measures above is to keep your aneurysm from growing and identify which people have a high risk of rupture, meaning they would benefit from surgery to treat their AAA.
Surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm
Aneurysms that are larger than five centimeters across or that show signs of rupturing need surgery. Depending on the size, location and complexity of your aneurysm, your healthcare provider may recommend:
After either type of aneurysm repair, its critical that you continue to follow up with your provider for surveillance of your repaired aorta. This again can be done with ultrasound or CT.
What are the risks of surgery?
Minimally invasive surgery has a lower chance of complications than open surgery, but risks still include:
- Bleeding.
What Is An Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a potentially life-threatening condition. Its a bulge in the main artery that supplies blood to your belly, pelvis and legs. The aneurysm is a weak spot in the blood vessel wall, at risk for rupturing and causing a hemorrhage . Sometimes people call AAA a stomach aneurysm.
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Articles On Aortic Aneurysm
Your heart is the most important muscle in your body. During your lifetime it will pump enough blood to fill about three supertankers.
The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body. Although your aorta is a tough, durable workhorse, sometimes its walls can weaken and bulge in what is called an aortic aneurysm. This could cause a leak that spills blood into your body.
Some aortic aneurysms burst, some donât. Others force blood flow away from your organs and tissues, causing problems, such as heart attacks, kidney damage, stroke, and even death.
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Favorite Clinical Trial Outreach
National Institutes of Health
You may be interested in furthering related research rather than just reading about it. In that case, you may consider participating in a clinical trial. Bookmark this resource from the National Institutes of Health to be on the lookout for clinical trials in your area, and if you spot one youre interested in joining, be sure to chat with your healthcare team first.
Likewise, if youre on the hunt for clinical trials related to brain aneurysms only, take a look this page from the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. The overall focus of most of the listed clinical trials are related to genes and how certain markers may contribute to the formation of brain aneurysms.
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Who Gets Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Are They Genetic
Abdominal aortic aneurysms tend to occur in white males over the age of 60. In the United States, these aneurysms occur in up to 3.0% of the population. Aneurysms start to form at about age 50 and peak at age 80. Women are less likely to have aneurysms than men and African Americans are less likely to have aneurysms than Caucasians.
There is a genetic component that predisposes one to developing an aneurysm the prevalence in someone who has a first-degree relative with the condition can be as high as 25%.
Collagen vascular diseases that can weaken the tissues of the aortic walls are also associated with aortic aneurysms. These diseases include Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Etiology Of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
Etiology of abdominal aortic aneurysms is multifactorial but commonly involves a weakening of the arterial wall, usually by atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is characterized by patchy intimal plaques that encroach on the lumen of medium-sized and large arteries. The plaques contain lipids, inflammatory cells, smooth muscle… read more . Other causes include trauma, vasculitis, cystic medial necrosis, and postsurgical anastomotic disruption.
, weaken the arterial wall and cause infected aneurysms. Staphylococcus aureus is the number one cause of mycotic aneurysms, followed by Salmonella.
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How Serious Is An Aneurysm In Your Stomach
The occurrence of an aneurysm in the stomach is a serious issue. Attending to it immediately is vital to prevent rupture of the same. An aneurysm is a formation of a balloon-like structure at the weakest region on the wall of the aorta. The balloon-like structure forms because of the high flow of blood pumped by the heart through the aorta.
The growth of an aneurysm is slow. However, after a specific value of the dimension, it ruptures and causes spillage of blood into the surrounding region. It not only creates a disturbance to the usual flow of the blood, but also damages the surrounding nerves and arteries.
Is There Any Way To Prevent An Aneurysm
Eating a nutrient-rich diet containing plenty of fruits, whole grains, and vegetables may help prevent an aneurysm from forming. Meat and poultry low in saturated fat and cholesterol are also good protein options. Low fat dairy products are also beneficial.
Incorporating regular exercise into your routine, especially cardio, can encourage healthy blood circulation and blood flow through the heart, arteries, and other blood vessels.
If you smoke tobacco products, consider quitting. Eliminating tobacco can decrease your risk of an aneurysm. Quitting can be challenging, but a healthcare professional can help you build a cessation plan that works for you and connect you with other supportive resources.
Scheduling annual checkups is another way to be proactive about helping prevent an aneurysm. Its also a way to help promote overall health and well-being.
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What Is The Aorta
Your aorta is the large artery at the end of your hearts aortic valve. It carries oxygen-rich blood away from your heart to the rest of your body. It travels through your chest, where its called the thoracic aorta, and into your abdomen, where its called the abdominal aorta. From there, it splits into separate arteries that take blood to your legs and feet.
The Best And Worst Ways To Quit Smoking
Smoking destroys the walls of the arteries and breaks down the lining. Over time, the body tries to repair itself by building up plaque and forming clots, which make them more prone to ballooning. Anything that spikes your blood pressure can weaken that wall and cause things to leak into rupture, says Brown. People who quit smoking still have an elevated risk, but the longer that youre smoke-free, the better, she says.
Smoking, combined with genetics, can also increase the risk for aneurysm. Having a plan and knowing where to turn for support are two keys quitting smoking.
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What Is An Aortic Aneurysm
The aorta, your largest artery, carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. An aneurysm occurs when a section of the artery wall weakens and forms a bulge that can expand over time. An aneurysm can rupture if it experiences enough stress, causing potentially fatal internal bleeding.
There are two types of aortic aneurysm: thoracic aortic aneurysm and the more common abdominal aortic aneurysm . Thoracic aneurysms typically result from a pre-existing health condition, while abdominal aneurysms tend to result from controllable factors such as smoking or high blood pressure.