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Aortic Aneurysms – Introduce yourself & meet others
Aortic Aneurysms | Last Active: 11 hours ago | Replies (543)Comment receiving replies
I was diagnosed with a thoracic aneurism in 2022 @4.0 cm. Last scan in 2023 shows 4.3. A 3 cm growth in a year. For right now my cardiologist says we just watch it - and check it once a year. I don’t know if that is right or wrong. He is a great cardiologist but I feel a bit dismissed when I ask about the aneurism. I am now 70 years old and have had undiagnosed back pain for at least 2 years (mid back) and pain in my shoulder and neck when I am overly active. I have “normal to slightly high blood pressure until I get overly active (a treadmill test is a good example) when my blood pressure will bottom out. I haven’t been able to complete a stress test in 2 years. An angioplasty was done and nothing of significance was found. Cardiologist wants my BP to run a little high. But I am reading that for the aneurysm your BP is better low. I am so confused. And scared.
Replies to "I was diagnosed with a thoracic aneurism in 2022 @4.0 cm. Last scan in 2023 shows..."
Can you fly with an aneurism (4.3).
I agree that there is nothing wrong with getting a 2nd opinion. 4.0 to 4.3cm in a year is not that dire and you are still far below the usual 5.5cm which is where most institutions recommend surgery (Cleveland Clinic is more conservative and recommends surgery for ascending aortic aneurysms at 5.0 cm). Still, for your peace of mind try to get a recommendation for that 2nd opinion. You may even want to consult a cardiac surgeon WHO HAS EXPERIECE DOING THIS TYPE OF SURGERY!! My ascending aortic aneurysm is 4.8 having grown from 4.5 in 2 years. Because my cardiologist is at Cleveland Clinic and they use the 5.0cm criterion, I now have CT angio every 6 months. At another institution which uses the 5.5cm determination maybe they would, like in your situation, wait a year. I hope this helps even just a little bit. Michael
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Sounds like it might be a good idea to get a second opinion.