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How old is to old ?
I'm wondering at what point the Drs consider you to old and decrepit for surgery.
Myself, I just turned 70, but have other troubles besides a 4.2 asending.
Diabetic, pmr (on kevzara , but still ache) neuropathy. Back issues.
I have issues walking to far (ride the motorized buggies when shopping) get winded bringing the groceries in (have to climb 15 steps)
But my aorta was measured at 4.1 in 21, last year a lung ct measured it at 4.6, but a subsequent gated ct (6 months later) had me at 4.0 x 4.4 (oval) so avg 4.2. Due for another ct in December. Seems like a slow growth, and I'm 5'11" and 230. So hopfully never see 5.5 . Or I'll be pretty old by then, but I would bet they say the rusk is to high for me at that point.
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Good question. I have a 4.5 cm aneurysm (age in mid 60's) and I worry about the same thing. Everything I've heard or read indicates that it depends on the patient's wellness. So it's a patient-by-patient decision (with doctor variability thrown in there too).
I'm handling it by trying to improve my capacity to handle a multi-hour surgery. My HBA1C is currently normal, but I monitor my glucose on occasion to see how it's trending. I'm trying to improve my aerobic fitness, especially longer sessions. Eat right, keep BP low by monitoring it and taking the BP pills. ...
It's perfectly reasonable to ask the physician that's monitoring your aorta what they look for when deciding whether a patient has the capacity for an open heart surgery and how you can get there if you aren't already. To my medically uneducated understanding, there's some early stage work on repairing these without open heart surgery. Sounds like it's a fair ways away. Yet something to tuck in your hat, so to speak.
If you haven't mentioned the PMR to the person monitoring your aorta (and/or the aneurysm to the person monitoring your PMR), I would. I had PMR when I was diagnosed with the aneurysm. I learned there's a related disorder Giant Cell Arteritis that's associated with aneurysm. Best if both your doctors know both conditions.
Hopefully you and I both will never need an intervention. Wish you all the best!
@bitsygirl yes, gca. Had that first , 8 years ago. That may have helped the original cause of mine. But with 60 mg of prednisone, and a sign hanging around my neck (provided by my wife) "Warning, approach at your own risk, high levels of pred in use"
It's gone. But the pmr replaced it.
I will be 90 in Dec, this year and I tried to get into Mayo Clinic in AZ for a year, May be wrong but after getting all my info their system for appointments excludes those who do not hang on their phones constantly, that would be those like me but also seems to be the perfect way to not be bothered by old geezers who need the surgery. You might benefit from the JAMA study that showed that 3 % of people who do get the surgery wind up with complications either on the operating table or within a few months afterward.. Those who gamble and pass up on the surgery wind up with 2% not making it. But, many of those 6,000 people in the study made it to 6.0 + before giving up the gost. At 90, I will take my chances, since there was some doubt about the aneurysm finding on the ultrasound. After two years my DR is now telling me there is no aneurysm.
@dew88 sounds like your above thier criteria, they don't want to mess up thier stats if you die on the table. The risk is to great for them, not you. But that's great if you actually don't have an aneurysm... ! But I think their lying to you. But if I make it to 90, I think that would be a real accomplishment. I'm 70, but I think illbe lucky to see 80.