Thank you for sharing your history. A very impressive series of recoveries. We’re all of your operations after the initial emergency open heart or did they do some endovascular stents? Did you test positive for a genetic link?

I had an emergency ascending aortic dissection repair at the root a year and a half ago. It was dilated to 4.3cm when it dissected. Some family history and no known genetic aneurysm link yet. I have an amino acid mutation in the smooth muscle of unknown significance. I now have an aortic valve and polyester unit in place. I just had a CT scan for my annual check up before seeing my cardiologist. The report shows a 4.1cm enlargement further along the ascending arch. I’m assuming it means another open heart surgery but sure would like to have endoscopic approach. I’m quite interested in knowing if you had endoscopic in the ascending area.

Have you had a stent for lower abdomen? I hear they are a little hard to find vascular surgeons to repair. My husband has an aneurysm in lower abdomen 3.5cm being monitored. He survived aortic dissection in thoracic region and aortic arch in 2018, additional repair in 2019 wAs both opening sternum again and Tevar repair ( think spelled ok) this last aneurysm is pressure from this repair called an endoleak. Surgeons have done great work, but explanations about what all would happen were weak, and sternum never properly pulled back together properly, causing long term muscular pains in this area