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Aortic Aneurysms – Introduce yourself & meet others
Aortic Aneurysms | Last Active: Dec 11 7:12pm | Replies (581)Comment receiving replies
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
Replies to "I agree that there is nothing wrong with getting a 2nd opinion. 4.0 to 4.3cm in..."
It does help. Thank you for taking the time share what you have learned and your experience.
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I have a situation where the aortic root end was at 4.4 and the ascending aorta end was 3.9 cm on Oct 31 based on echo ordered by my primary care doctor after my biannual checkup. Got in with cardiologist Dec 17th and by Jan 8th had got blood pressure under control. Cardiologist set a follow up a year for next Jan 5th. On my next 6th month visit with my primary doctor, a 6-month follow up Echo was ordered. The aortic root is still 4.4 cm, but the ascending aorta is 4.3. The doctor that wrote both echo reports noted that there is mild regurgitation at the aortic valve likely caused by the aortic dilation. There is also mild regurgitation at the mitral valve and tricuspid valve with trivial regurgitation at the pulmonary valve. In addition, he noted mild concentric LVH and Stage 1 diastolic dysfunction in the left ventricle. Due to this 6 month follow-up, my primary care doctor called the cardiologist, but he wasn't interested in seeing me before Jan 5th. That is why my primary care doctor helped me get a referral approved through my insurance to go to Mayo Clinic. I have an August appointment at Mayo in Jacksonville. None of those things individual would scare me, but all of it together definitely concerns me.