Does the echo cardiogram show an ascending aortic aneurysm size

Wow. You have been through it, @britt013. Thanks for sharing your story. You are a warrior. I have learned so much from this discussion forum and am so grateful to everyone who's shared. It's really comforting when I see people with similar questions to mine. Stay well, and big hugs.

@kompa, I feel the same way. I'm really glad to meet you and others
sharing on this group.

It is very comforting and informative.

We are here to support each other

We are gaining knowledge and insight into our health condition. Also not
feeling so alone.

@nkompa Stay well and a big hug to you also. Thank you,
@britt013

@shirlrydm. I hope you get to feeling much better soon.

A hug to you as well.

@britt013

Echoes are a general method of measuring. My doc said that because of the angle of the device it will give different measurements. He takes all of the measurements and then gets the average. CT is the only way to get a positive measurement.
Good Luck

Depending on your weight, age and other factors, a 3.2 cm aneurysm may not be an issue for your upcoming surgery. Get a CT angiogram and see a surgeon that specializes in repairing these aneurysms.
My husband had a 4.3 aneurysm back in 2007. Mayo determined that given his height, weight and other factors, a 4.3 bulge was not an issue.

Hi @hsminc
If you don’t mind, has your husbands 4.3 ascending grown much since 2007?
Also how tall is he?
Also has he changed his routines, like PB meds, not lifting weights, etc
Apologies for probing 😌

I do not mind sharing info at all. We learned about this 4.3 aneurysm (CT) from 2007 in January 2021. Big surprise. At that time (2007) , the radiologist felt that 4.3 was fine given his weight and height. His height was 5 ft 11 1/2 inches. It was strange the CT scan was done - there was no good reason.
In January 2021, my husband had an echo, which showed the 4.8 or 4.9 aneurysm. It was still stable this last May 2024 - no change since Jan 2021.
Yes - my husband’s life style has changed greatly. He has always loved to build “stuff” - which meant lifting and carrying heavy objects. Now be does not even lift our German Shepherd puppy, who weighs 33 lbs. His limit is 30 lbs. (He was never a weight lifter, per se.)
He takes his blood pressure twice a day and takes two bp meds. He also takes metropolol, a long acting beta blocker. Lastly, he takes repatha to keep his LDL(c) under 55.
My husband went from feeling fantastic about his health to being very concerned.
Mayo also found that my husband has an elevated Lp(a), which was probably a risk factor for this aneurysm.

I greatly appreciate your speedy and detailed response. I assume / hope that from 2007 your hubby lived a full and engaging life until 2021 - bit like me until June 2024 when I was greatly surprised with a 4.4 ascending reading (65 yo Male). I now fully know that “walking time bomb” feeling; i sometimes wish I’d never been told - I could have continued to live my life in blissful ignorance ☺️

Must admit I have become constantly vigilant about lifting weights, and taking BP meds and mostly keeping off excess weight. I’m glad your other half has managed to maintain his status from 2021 but it is a worry. I hope to remain stable until “they” come up with a less invasive surgical procedure given I’m a wimp and a coward.
I asked about height - I’m 6’ 3” so I’ve been telling (deluding?) myself that my aorta may be naturally larger to start with 🙏. My beloved keeps telling me not to worry as I’ve been told I’m low risk - always easier to tell someone else not to worry
Kindest Regards.

I don't think that either of us worry about it. You will gradually get rid of the time bomb feeling. I have a blood dyscrasia (monoclonal gammopathy), which was discovered at Mayo in 2002 when I was 59 years old. I suspect that I had it stemming from a ruptured appendix with sepsis in 2000. For years I worried about it and my heart stopped every time I had blood drawn. My hematologist ordered my blood drawn every three months. It was justified because my dad had a cancer that had probably evolved from a similar blood dyscrasia and I had a cousin with a very aggressive AML. Now I don't worry about it. I have a different hematologist, who is not worried either and that makes a big difference; the previous one retired.
You may never have a problem if you behave yourself and keep your blood pressure low and don't lift weights or lift other things that could cause stress.
My husband is reasonably "good" and both we and his current thoracic surgeon (as well as his cardiologist) are of the opinion that he will die of something else. Time will tell.
My husband's first cousin had an ascending aortic aneurysm (MIDLEVEL also) and his dissected about the same time as my husband's was detected on the echo. He died a couple of times before he was "put back together." He also has a descending aortic aneurysm and an abdominal aneurysm, He is almost exactly the same age as my husband (one month difference). So this is probably hereditary. This cousin was a weight lifter but also had a healthy very athletically active life style. If one of his aneurysms ruptures, he just wants to die. My husband would not want to die -- and that is a very good thing.