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Exercise, Lifestyle and Life Experience with Dilated Aorta?
Aortic Aneurysms | Last Active: 23 hours ago | Replies (55)Comment receiving replies
My husband had a similar diagnosis back in 2007, i.e., an aneurysm was 4.3 cm. He was told it was okay for his height and weight. He did nothing to change his lifestyle, listing heavy stuff, etc. It was unfortunate but we had "no clue" - I am not even sure that we knew the significance of the ascending aortic aneurysm. I sure don't remember it. We seriously woke up when his first cousin, who is one month older and a "fitness nut" was found dead on the bedroom floor with a ruptured aortic aneurysm in the same place as my husband's. His daughter, an EMT saved his life. He was airlifted to a large hospital (Abbott Northwestern) in Mpls where they did a fabulous job of repairing him. He is alive now with some deficits but he is alive.
Fast forward to 2021 and my husband was assigned to a new cardiologist cause the old one accepted a different type of job elsewhere. This new cardiologist ran an echo and then an angiogram with contrast. By now, his aneurysm had grown to 4.8-4.9. It has remained stable (last measured May 2024). He will have yearly tests although his potential cardiac surgeon said he could skip a few years. We have decided not to do that and will do it yearly.
A lot depends on whether you have vasculitis or any other risk factors. Find a cardiologist that specializes in ascending aortic aneurysms and also a surgeon. Community hospitals don't have the experience with this type of medical condition. Go to an academic center or a private center that does a whole lot of them. (For example: I don't know if the Cleveland Clinic is an academic center or a private entity.)
Good luck,.
Replies to "My husband had a similar diagnosis back in 2007, i.e., an aneurysm was 4.3 cm. He..."
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit multispeciality academic center. The invented the Bentall procedure. I ended up having an emergent Bentall procedure during my open heart surgery Sep 10, 2024. I was having three major procedures done. We planned to not do it that day since surgery was already going to be about 8 hours. It was 4.7 at the mid ascending aorta and 4.8 at the root. However, the root ruptured and aorta tore so the Bentall was done. We had discussed 3 scenarios and options depending which is good because the surgeon had the materials ready just in case. I was in surgery between 10 and 11 hours and lost 3.5 liters of blood. I wouldn't blow of monitoring a 4.8 to 4.9 ascending aorta or root for "a couple of years" and would fire that surgeon. I still have a 4.6 cm ascending aneurysm on the native aorta on the distal end that we are monitoring with CT contrast and echos no more than a year apart. I have been getting care through Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. Something we take for granted is that the aneurysm may not be the only issue going on. I was 60 when that went down. The aneurysm was found 2 years ago and 9 months later I was in open heart surgery and that wasn't really on the radar 2 years ago.
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@hsminc Mine is diagnosed 4.3cm of the root. I was told immediately to stop lifting heavyweights and doing things with heavy exertion. I still lift and run, bike, hike, at moderate levels. I hope I can get 17+ years with no problems. Even though his cousin had a dissection it doesn’t sound as though he has a genetic or familial component. Has he had genetic testing? It gives me hope. Thanks for posting.