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Ascending aortic aneurysm – repair/surgery
I am so glad that you are there and wish you all well. My question for you is as the title says.
Although I wish the aneurysm (4.7) will grow slowly or not at all, I also know that as I age the surgery will be more difficult. I have somewhat good general health for age 69 except for some ortho issues. Blood pressure is on the low side, etc. I am not the strongest person with a small frame and weight. Nor am I the bravest regarding this surgery and have only one person as my support and no family.
I would like to ask anyone who is of this age and has had the surgery in their 70s for a bit of input and/ or sincere advice or thoughts on this issue.
Thank you for your kindness.
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I had the AAA open surgery when I was 71. It was quite a long recovery trying to get strength back otherwise the surgery went well. I was under 4 hours. Hope this helps. My aynerisum was 5.5 at that time. Hope this helps. Thinking of you.
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4 ReactionsHello, you are brave and I admire you! I am 65, with a smaller 3.9 to 4.0 AAA. I have some questions now about planning. If it grows in diameter, how do I choose a Mayo surgeon, and are the hospitals they affiliate with necessarily Mayo hospitals? My current doctor is part of an excellent Brown University group , operating out of RI hospital. Shouldn’t the hospital be located where you live in order for you to commute easily and also in case there is an emergency? Of course we may be talking years and decades from now, hopefully. There’s no saying the doctor I have chosen is even going to be remain at that hospital when I need him .I’d like to know more about how all of this works.
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1 ReactionI had my repair at Abbott hospital in Minneapolis Minnesota. The surgeon was well known. He has written papers on AAA. I. personally believe if the surgeon has preformed the surgery before a number of times successfully he knows what.he is doing. Let me know when.amd if you.need surgery how it turned out. Thank you and good luck.😇👃👃
Had AVR 28th of May, Dr. Tehrani is one of or even the best cardiac surgeon in eastern wa... Doing real good at 6 weeks post... Have a nice day!!!
The surgeon is around 40 something, has done about 20 surgeries . Mine is not bicuspid.maybe in 10 years he’ll be even more expert, if he’s affiliated there any more.
Best of luck to you!
All those I have encountered have been younger than the ages I mentioned above. Is there anyone who went successfully through such a surgery at these ages? If so, how many years are you past it successfully living your life? Thank you.
I was age 72 when I had the surgery in May 2016. I have had no problems whatsoever and live as I did before the surgery. After 4 weeks, I started rehab which went very well. Since then, I am able to do anything I want to do. Good luck to you! The surgery is scary but easier than you think. There’s only about 5 days of discomfort and that is well handled with some painmeds ut mostly Tylenol.
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3 ReactionsI was 70. I am now 74. Healthy and able to do anything. My surgery lasted 4 hours the surgeon cleaned out one artery to the kidney and repairs the aorta. The repair was so good it looked like the aorta hadn't been touched. I would highly recommend it at any age. My anerism was 5.5 at the time. Good luck.
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1 ReactionI am 74 and in April 2019, after a CT scan following a fall outside (I missed a step on my way to the garbage bin) revealed the presence of a 4.3 cm thoracic aneurysm; now, after an echo in November 2019 the ascending thoracic aneurysm measured 4.5 cm and a descending aneurysm measuring 4.0 cm. After reading all these posts, I am reasonably assurred that there is a light at the end of a scary tunnel. I was especially taken by the positivity of your post. Who was your doctor and where was your surgery performed? I would be most grateful to know. Thank you.