Aortic Aneurysms – Introduce yourself & meet others

Hi! I’m Garry HILL 70 year old male and just went through the surgery. Thank goodness it was thur the femoral artery’s. I still am very sore. I’m 3 weeks out. And slowly moving forward. Any advice for being so sick at my stomach. Thanks in advance.
Garryhill65@icloud.com

@ctflyr Thank you so much for this important information. I plan to follow through on each thing you have mentioned. I am already seeing a cardiac specialist and will be checked at least every 6 months for additional growth. Again thank you for the encouragement as I move forward through this part of the journey in my life.

Hello everyone. I had a brain aneurysm on the middle cerebral artery which was addressed last year via craniotomy (brain clipping) and recently was diagnosed with a small 4.1 cm aortic aneurysm on the ascending and coronary artery disease. Nice to meet everyone.

Hi. I was recently diagnosed with a 4.6 cm aortic root with a 4.0 cm ascending aorta via echo. CT scheduled for 3.5 months from now. I do not know how to behave, how I got here, or what my options really are. Serious medical stuff has not been part of my life until this (58 years old, 6’2”). I’m kind of petrified right now about open heart surgery. Any words of encouragement about the condition or surgery would be super helpful because I am a big baby!

Hi. I have a 4.6 ascending and a 4.2 root aneurysm. I also have an immobile leaflet in my aortic valve. I was getting checked every year, but when they found the valve issue, they now check me every six months. Consider yourself lucky that they found them. Most people never know they have them until it’s too late. You will come to terms with that because you really don’t have a choice. I think about it every day. The best thing you can do is keep yourself informed. Listen to your doctors. Find the best surgeon you can. Don’t lift anything over 30 pounds. 6 foot one and 180 pounds. I try to keep myself healthy by walking a lot. You’ll be fine. Good luck.

@cdt55 BTW, I’m 71. My biggest dilemma is am I getting tired cause I’m 71 or am I getting tired because of the heart issues? I go for a stress test in September. I suppose I’ll know then. Also, the CT scan is the gold standard. Then you’ll get the precise measurements. Mine went from a 4.8 ascending to 4.5 when I got the CT scan.

@laugsb1 as others have said, it is normal to feel anxious and worried about the diagnosis, but you know you have it and can monitor, plan and do something about it before (if ever) becomes an emergency, not everyone gets that opportunity.

With your body size, a 4.6 aneurysm (if size is confirmed with CT) may just get monitored for now. My recommendation is to find a cardiologist who is an expert in aortic diseases, not all of them are and it makes a big difference. The cardiologist will repeat CTs at intervals to determine growth rate, which is an important measure. He/she will also monitor and help you control your BP, which is one of the most critical variables.

You may also want to find the best cardiothoracic surgeon in a major hospital most accessible to you. The surgeon will answer all questions about the surgery, the risks in your particular case, periodical monitoring (may interface with cardiologist for that) and help you plan for any possibility of surgery.

Other than that, keep yourself healthy, you want your body at its best if you ever need surgery. Stay active, exercise but follow exercise restrictions, mainly avoid any exercise that leads you to hold your breath while exerting, like weight lifting, crunches, etc it is known that BP rises significantly during those seconds, and again high BP is the worst enemy of an aneurysm.

I had my surgery at 54, had a 5.2cm ascending aneurysm, I was in very good physical shape and my surgeon gave me >99% probability of an uneventful surgery, and that's how it went. I was out of the hospital in 5 days, back to work in 3 weeks. I was back at mildly intense work outs in 6 months, and full intensity in less than a year. Surgery is tough but bearable, the fitter you are the easier it gets. I live a normal, active life. Get checked every year by my cardiologist.

You will be fine

@laugsb1 I have an ascending aortic aneurysm found on a ct scan for calcium score. Also no other medical conditions. This ct showed 4.5 cm. My PCP ordered CT angiogram immediately and it measured 4.1. I felt like a ticking time bomb. I got in with a cardiovascular thoracic surgeon that specializes in aortic disease. Received great education, genetic testing and developed a plan of care. I am now being monitored with CT angiogram every 6 months. For you to wait 3.5 months for a CT seems very stressful. This group has been most helpful for me. The visit with the surgeon relieved my anxiety greatly. Although I did not have high blood pressure before diagnosis, my anxiety after finding the aneurysm made it high., I now take be meds to keep it down and so far so good. Not sure what type of Dr. is following you on this but I would suggest getting in with a cardiovascular aortic specialist to help develop a plan. Good luck. Open heart surgery sounds very scary but there are so many stories of success in this group, hope you find hope here.

You’re gonna be fine. Listen to everything that at @houston13 says. I had a sudden dissection at 50 years old. I had absolutely no clue. I had no issues until I was cracked open having emergency open-heart surgery. Trust me emergency surgery is no fun. You on the other hand know you’ve got a problem you can deal with it. Having scheduled surgery with the right doctors, with the right equipment, with the right staff, at the right time, and at the right hospital, is the difference between poor outcomes and great outcomes. You’re gonna have a great outcome. You’re gonna be fine. I’m not gonna lie Open Heart surgery sucks. But the alternative is not to be here and that sucks a lot more. Trust me I flew up to Fargo North Dakota last night to see my 17-year-old daughter at State choir concert and I was overwhelmed by the experience. Mainly, because I am here for it.

All of us are here for our families and not for ourselves. So to say that I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. It was a joy to be alive and it was a joy to, 11 years after a dissection, to be able to see her and enjoy that experience. Then we drove home to Minneapolis in four hours while she slept. I was able to be there for her as her father and rescue her from having to drive home at night after a long week of choral rehearsals. I thank the stars above every day for everything I have and for the chance I’ve had to have a second life. You will too, and you’re going to be fine. Peace.

Ps. She’s the one in the middle all the way in the back.

@houston13 Thank you, and everyone else who responded so kindly! My current cardiologist seems qualified so far, but is a PA rather than an MD, and I am unaware whether she has a particular focus, so it seems I have some searching to do for one specializing in aortic disease, as well as for a surgeon I can consult with.

As for staying fit, I spent the last few months cutting weight and will continue on that path (222 -> 198). BP was probably borderline high for a while, and still trying to get that medicated correctly. The strain avoidance is difficult, as I like to rotate my own tires, do yard work, etc. but I do take that restriction seriously.