Aortic Aneurysms – Introduce yourself & meet others

@gladifoundthissite you can search it up (please do that). But I have both for different reasons. Echo is an ultrasound and can do live recordings, so then it can measure the pump action of the heart chanbers. This is how my heart failure amount is determined.
The Angiogram is a computer 3D model of the heart and aorta. Which is great to measure my aortic diameter at any point and spin it around in 3D. With the contrast it can see the blood flow into surrounding organs and vessels.
In triage in emergency the doctor did a bedside ultrasound and could see the 6.5cm aneurysm and my aortic dissection. This kicked off a whole bunch of excitement in the ER which resulted in my OHS soon after. I then had a CTAng to get the full picture which they would need for the surgery. They drew blood to see if I was having any heart attack.
I guess I was in shock and didn't know what was happening.
Like @moonboy - no one wants to get to this point.

Hello, I’m a 62 year old female diagnosed with another AAA. I had open-heart surgery to repair the first one in 2012 and that was a real ordeal! I am being followed by my thoracic surgeon at the VA Hospital and it seems to have recurred. Screenings show it is now at 5.2cm with no symptoms. Knowing this makes me feel like a ticking time-bomb and don’t know what to do with myself! Is anyone receiving disability for this diagnosis?

@sistersoldier You should sit down with a disability attorney as soon as possible because these cases are won or lost based on how your medical restrictions are documented, not just the diagnosis itself, and an attorney will know how to translate your aneurysm, prior open repair, and current monitoring into a legally viable claim. They can also evaluate whether you qualify under the favorable age-based rules at 62, coordinate directly with your doctors to obtain the right functional limitations, and position your case correctly with Social Security or the VA from the outset rather than after a denial.

At the same time, a 5.2 cm aneurysm is not something to treat casually, so your primary focus needs to remain on close follow-up with your surgeon, avoiding strain or exertion, and staying within whatever restrictions your care team gives you. Peace.

I’m Debbie from New Hampshire. I have a TAA and it is 4.6 just found out a few months ago. But I’ve changed my diet trying to eat right and take care of myself.
Thank you

Hi- I’m a 69 year old female that went to my doctor for chest pain. CT revealed an ascending TAA at 4.3. She referred me to a cardiologist and am currently getting more testing done. I knew my Mother’s family had varied heart issues but learned only recently that her brother died of a TAA. I feel very lucky to have had symptoms leading to the discovery of mine.

Hello - new to this group and thankful it exists.

I am 44 YO Male in good health and have been followed by a Cardiologist since birth for an irregular heartbeat (I grew out of it) and Mild Mitral Value Prolapse. 2 years ago I had an Echo done and my Aortic Root measured 3.8CM. This year it measured 4.2CM . I got a CT scan done and it ended up being 4.4CM. The rest of my heart is structurally fine. My cardiologist said he would see me in 1 year and that the 4.4CM will be my baseline.

I am numbers guy and if this continues to grow at even 1MM per year, I would need open heart in 10 years around 54 YO. I am married and have 2 young girls so needless to say I have been very upset over this.

I do not have high blood pressure, eat pretty well, exercise. I do not drink alcohol or smoke, and I do not have any genetic heart issues

The open heart surgery seems to be a highly successful surgery but it is still open heart at a relatively young at 54. If this is done at 54, will the surgery last a lifetime and can I expect to live a full life assuming the rest of my health is fine?

I had a sudden dissection in 2015 at age 50. I had two open heart surgeries with a repair being a 13 inch Dacron Graft. My surgery has lasted 11 years and I am here talking to you. I have five daughters. You can expect to live a full life after surgical repair. You're in a good place because you know you have a problem and you're gonna deal with it before you suddenly dissect. I have been in that place and it is a nightmare. I had no idea I had a problem. Stay in close contact with your doctors and reduce your stress. No heavy lifting (20 lbs), no grunting, no planking, no blood pressure spikes. Eliminate smoking, drinking, and anything that spikes your blood pressure. You're going to be fine. Message me directly if you want to discuss further. Peace.