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Has anyone ever shrunk an Aneurysm?
On 2/5/24 I took myself to the ER for ongoing sharp back pain (waited all day). The CT scan revealed a AAA at 7.9 on the verge of rupturing, plus 2 others. The next largest one is a 5.4 Ascending. I’m still recovering from the first life saving surgery and I was wondering in anyone has any information on shrinking an Aneurysm naturally.
I’m 51, in good shape and never smoked however I chewed tobacco or used nicotine pouches for 30 years (up until the surgery). My next scan is September. I’ve tried researching this topic but there is no information and no one says you can’t shrink it holistically but they also don’t offer any other information.
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It is a miracle that they can open you up like that operate and put you back together and you are up for another surgery. God bless you and prayers that when all is done you live a long happy life
Thank you for this comment Moon Boy! While I have been going at this for quite sometime, I still need to hear an informed perspective like yours. I get tired, dont feel well, and lose focus on the big 3 thinking I am not doing enough. Then I remind myself that I am grateful I can still stay active, I am grateful that I have a great team of cardiologists helping me manage my aneurysm and a few other things that have popped up. Your perspective, and your positivity bring me back to the horizen line. So Thank you!!!
UPArtist
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2 ReactionsHello,
Reading all your comments and experiences is helping me so much. In January following a hernia investigation I received an email to tell me I had a Chronic Dissection of the infrarenal aorta. Following a consultation with a vascular surgeon I had full aortic CT scan and they discovered an aortic aneurysm of 4.3cm. I never knew anything about these medical conditions before now. It has been overwhelmingly frightening and waiting for appointments before any decisions are made has my head in a tailspin. Thank you all for sharing because I would really be hopeless right now if I had not read your encouraging words. Live well, take care
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1 ReactionPrayers up for successful monitoring and/or surgery if necessary. I had a ruptured AAA a couple of years ago and now dealing with chronic aortic dissection. It’s scary, but I try to leave it all in Gods hands and do the best I can for my part. Hoping you do well thru this, stay strong and positive. 🙏
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1 ReactionI completely understand, after repairing my ruptured AAA I now have chronic aortic dissection and they’re monitoring it as well. On my mind 24/7… I just keep asking God to give me strength, healing, and peace… I will pray for yours as well.❤️
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1 ReactionI just found out about mine and it is 4.8. On my mind constantly. Why can’t they just go in and fix it instead of waiting for it to get to 5.5? I feel like a human time bomb just waiting for the worst to happen.
I know what you mean, I feel the same… kind of like a dark cloud always over my head. Still adjusting and trying to make this my “new normal” and try to not think about it all the time.
What you’re going through is valid. But it’s also important to know why they wait to operate. Surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm isn’t a quick fix. It’s open-heart surgery. The aorta has to be clamped off, circulation is sometimes stopped, and the damaged section is replaced with a synthetic graft. This is major. It comes with real risks—stroke, bleeding, complications from the bypass machine, long recovery time. It’s a lot to put a body through, and doctors don’t want to expose someone to that unless they’re truly at the threshold where the benefit outweighs the risk.
That threshold—5.5 cm for most ascending aneurysms in people without connective tissue disorders—is based on statistical modeling. Below that size, the risk of rupture or dissection is relatively low for most patients. But every millimeter counts, and the decision to wait is not passive. They’re watching. Measuring. Comparing. Planning. Because it’s possible your aneurysm will stay stable for years. The best news here is that you know. You’re not in the dark. You’re not going to be blindsided like I was. You can monitor it, ask questions, seek second opinions, and be ready.
And even better—you’re only at 4.8. That means you have time. Time to keep your blood pressure low. Time to get the best imaging. Time to line up the best surgical team if and when you ever need them. You’re in a strong position. Truly. I know how loud the fear can get. But the fact that you know you have this aneurysm means you’ve already taken the most important step: awareness. You’re not a ticking time bomb. You’re someone with a diagnosis, a plan, and a future. I had my Type A dissection at 1:40 a.m. on June 28, 2015, in a hotel room in San Diego. I was 50 years old, 1,600 miles from home, and it hit without warning. Emergency open-heart surgery saved my life. I had no idea I had a problem I now live with a Dacron graft replacing the ascending aorta and aortic arch. It was the most serious medical event I’ve ever experienced. And yet, here I am in Minneapolis 10 years later, and as my 19-year old daughter called me this morning at breakfast: bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! Peace.
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3 ReactionsWhat is the life expectancy of someone with an ascending thoracic aneurysm?
I feel the same way.
Mine was 3.7 in 2017 and is 4.0 now, so I'm thanking our Lord that it hasn't gotten much larger over the last seven years. I am very active, but I need to get back to exercising more. And I have been referred to Johns Hopkins for genetic testing for Marfan Syndrom. First available appointment was in August.