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Early surgery: Can I get aortic aneurysm repair before it's 5.0?

Posted by ontogenyx @ontogenyx, Sep 26, 2020

I have a 4.1 ascending aortic aneurysm, and my local cardiologist tells me what every other one tells me, including Cleveland Clinic and Mayo. No surgery considered until 5.0, if valves are in good shape (mine are, except for 5% regurgitation).

The rationale offered for waiting: the risk of the surgery is greater than the risk of an event resulting from the aneurysm before it reaches 5.0. Meanwhile, I am told to limit myself to moderate exercise and to take drugs, in hopes of slowing growth of aneurysm.

I will be 71 next month, in good health, and very active. I am more interested in getting the repair done now so that I can resume a full life, rather than waiting around until I get feeble and less likely to have a good result when they eventually open me up for repair. I am much more willing to accept the risk of the surgery now than I will be 10 years down the road. I know, I know--it might never even require surgery--in which case, I can continue my life of "moderate exercise" until my number is finally up. Not interested.

Does anyone know a top surgeon who is willing to talk with me about getting this done now or in the near future?

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christine5 | @christine5 | 5 days ago
In reply to @eervin "Hello, I was recently diagnosed with a 4.2 ascending aorta dilation, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, I am..." + (show)
@eervin

Hello, I was recently diagnosed with a 4.2 ascending aorta dilation, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, I am waiting a second opinion from Mayo. In the interim, I do moderate exercise which includes, biking, weight strenghting classes where I use weights on a bar up to 20 pounds and single weights of up to 12 pounds in each hand; Zumba, Pilates, yoga, and cardio+resistance training. I was doing kick-boxing but stopped after the diagnosis. I am wondering if any of the other activities should stop as well.

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You should find out from your provider what they want you heart rate and bp to be. I cannot get my hr over 80. Or bp over 120/80. Also I would ask about the weight lifting. I was told no static actions.
Nothing over 10 lbs. My decending aneurysm is 4.5.

I dissected in 2012. It was horrible. That was my ascending.

REPLY
eosow55 | @eosow55 | 3 minutes ago

My case is similar to you. I am at 5.1 cm and mulling over surgery at 70 years old. My doc is recommending it instead of waiting for it to get to 5.7 cm where we would do the surgery right away. Mine has not grown in 3 years, we measure every 3 months. I don’t like the 3-4% surgical risks of stroke, infection, heart attack. I am totally healthy otherwise.

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