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Newly diagnosed and/or living with ascending aortic aneurysm…anxiety
Aortic Aneurysms | Last Active: Aug 17 10:10am | Replies (89)Comment receiving replies
Cleveland Clinic offers a virtual 2nd opinion as to timing. There is no other option than open heart surgery for repair.
Replies to "Cleveland Clinic offers a virtual 2nd opinion as to timing. There is no other option than..."
Chris61 is correct - there is no other practical option other than open heart surgery at this time. However, this article below by Houston Methodist suggests that it may not be long before endovascular stent repair will be available for ascending aortic aneurysms.
https://journal.houstonmethodist.org/articles/10.14797/mdcvj.1173
You may well be able to wait. Your ascending aortic aneurysm is 4.8 cm. I do not know information regarding the general health of your vessels; your age; etc.. BUT my husband has had a 4.8 cm aneurysm unchanged since January 2021, when it was first discovered by Mayo in Rochester. He keeps his blood pressure below 130/80; does not lift over 30 lbs; and otherwise tries to behave himself. He is 80 now; he was 78 at diagnosis. He has always been very active and still is.
We saw in an old CT record that this aneurysm was first noted in 2007 at 4.3 cm - 14 years prior. And during that time, he lifted all sorts of heavy furniture, overhead beams, dock boards, etc.. (You name it: He lifted it!) So aneurysms can be slow or fast growing - as his clearly indicates. Yours may also be slow growing. The best way to know is to have it measured frequently on the same CT machine. (We had his measured every three months for the first year.)
There are many risks associated with open repair. Be sure you are cognizant of all those risks before making any decision. Remember that mortality can be 5 percent (depending on patient risk factors) even when done by excellent experienced surgeons practicing at state of the art facilities. Your risk of dissectionor rupture may be much lower.
Blood perfusion to the brain during surgery is important. While various methods of perfusing blood to the drain during open heart surgery are now "state of the art" not all surgeons do this -- or even think it is necessary. (Physician practices at a hospital can vary. Make sure you know about the specific practices of the surgeon you select.) But, to us, if you are concerned about cognition, blood perfusion to the brain during surgery is very important. Coming out of surgery with extra cognitive defects is not a goal.
Best wishes!
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@chrisn61 - Have you consulted Cleveland Clinic? If so, how did you get access to the second opinion? Was it covered by your insurance? Did you find it to be worthwhile?