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Newly Diagnosed: 4.9 cm ascending aortic looking for support
Aortic Aneurysms | Last Active: 2 days ago | Replies (93)Comment receiving replies
I discovered I had an enlarged aorta when I was getting a cardiac clearance for prostate cancer surgery. The ascending aorta was 4.1 and the aortic root was 4.3. That was 2 years ago. At my yearly CT, this time my ascending is 4.0 but the root has grown to 4.8. The cardiologist has ordered an echo in 3 months. He said at 5.0 we will talk about surgery. I was walk/running 3 days a week (3 miles), doing planks 3 days a week, and lifting weights 2 days a week. At my most recent cardiology visit, the nurse practitioner alerted me to the possible problems with weight lifting and aortic aneurysms. The doctor did not give any clear guidelines. That is when I started looking here. I have stopped the weights and planks for now. I’m not running but still do brisk walking 3 miles x 3days weekly. Any suggestions about exercise? I’d like to continue with strength and cardio exercise. Should I be seeing a surgeon or is my doctor right to wait unless/until the root reaches 5?
Replies to "I discovered I had an enlarged aorta when I was getting a cardiac clearance for prostate..."
@dg72454 Before I ended up having surgery, I kept to keep exercising to 120 bpm and below and no straining. I actually feel this helped me recover faster. I avoided anything that could cause my heart to spike and glad I did bc post surgery my doctor walked in a few days later to say he glad we handled it the way we did bc my aorta was tearing.
I will say even though only 3+ months out I am now happy I don’t have to worry about my aorta tearing during exercise. Now I just got to get it back in shape
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@dg72454 normally you should be ok doing reps with lower weight, something you can lift without major effort and can maintain full breaths through every single rep. I’m not a Dr and you should confirm with yours but that worked for me. Cardio (swimming, etc) should be ok as long as you monitor your HR, your cardiologist should also give you guidance as to your do not exceed HR
You should stay active and maintain your body healthy , it will pay dividends when and if you ever need surgery, but be mindful about the limits