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Should I get a second opinion about surgery?
Aortic Aneurysms | Last Active: Jul 19 9:33am | Replies (43)Comment receiving replies
Oh thank you SO much. Extremely helpful info!!
Sounds like there are many options for surgery recovery and you’re right… lots of people from far flung places are treated at Stanford, then return home, so Stanford is used to dealing with these problems. I needed that reassurance, thank you! And so very sorry to hear your mother in law had giant cell arteritis. I had never even heard of it before I was diagnosed. My sympathies to her and I hope she’s feeling much better!
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Second opinion for surgery: In your place, I would not. There is absolutely no reason to get a second opinion in my view. Stanford is very experienced and does a high volume. Experience translates to good patient outcomes; they know what they are doing.
The only question that I would ask the Stanford surgeon is whether, given your height, weight, body area (something that is calculated), you can and should wait until your aneurysm is 5.5 cm? (As I remember it was 5.2 cm?) An issue in that decision would be how fast is it growing, if at all, and whether it is possible to know. Is it stable?
My husband's aneurysm has been stable at 4.9 to 5.0 cm since January 2021 - that is when it was found -we first found out about it. During 2021, we had to return to Mayo, however, every three months until Mayo was certain it WAS stable. Then we returned twice a year; now once a year - and his surgeon said he could come every two or three years - but we will go every year.)
A CT angiogram is a more accurate measure than an echocardiogram. Have you had a CT angiogram? If yes, that would be the measurement to go by.
Much will be depend on the PET scan that has been ordered to determine whether you have any vasculitis (inflammation) of the aorta. If you do have inflammation, then you and your surgeon will want to make sure that is under control before having surgery.
Last, but not least, how do you feel about impending surgery? Do you want to just get it over with it so you can go on with your life? Or can you wait comfortably? Those are important questions to ask yourself.