← Return to Aortic Aneurysms – Introduce yourself & meet others

Discussion
Comment receiving replies
Profile picture for houston13 @houston13

@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

Jump to this post


Replies to "@laugsb1 as others have said, it is normal to feel anxious and worried about the diagnosis,..."

@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.