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Thoracic aortic aneurysm: Anyone had surgery?
Aortic Aneurysms | Last Active: May 11, 2023 | Replies (247)Comment receiving replies
Yes here I’m scared now , for the future surgery or not. Hard to live scared , telling my self all will be ok not knowing has sent me into a depression and therapy. On top I keep thinking that it’s possibly self inflicted cause everything I thought was harmless palpitations. My kiddos are my angels that I love so much and need to be here with as you do your son. My girls are 3 and 5. My aneurysm was 4.3 on last months ct down from 4.6 in June somehow. Confused and living on a prayer - nightmare that never ends - our minds have to over power cause it seems we don’t have a choice.
Replies to "Yes here I’m scared now , for the future surgery or not. Hard to live scared..."
@Drew944 If you had an echo for one of the measurements you list and the CT for the other, it is possible the size of the aneurysm hasn't changed and it is actually correctly measured at the smaller size. One test measures straight across like a ziti is cut and the other measures on the bias, like how a penne pasta is cut on the angle. So your aneurysm might have been the 4.3 measurement all along and it is stable. Aneurysms don't get smaller as much as we wish they would. But the difference in the testing and the person reading the results can result in different numbers.
@anniejam Did your cardio indicate it would be "open heart surgery" or open chest surgery? As far as I know, the aneurysm is located either ascending from the heart or descending from the heart and during repair, the heart itself isn't surgically involved. I also have the AAA but have a leaky aortic valve as well which, if one or the other needs repair will result in both being repaired at the same time and I guess that would qualify as "open heart surgery".
When I was first diagnosed I have to say that it was the only thing I could think about for about a year. But the initial horror of the diagnosis has faded and it has been 10 years and no symptoms so my advice is don't let this diagnosis steal your enjoyment of life. Follow your cardio's orders and get regular testing to monitor the size and if it is growing.
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If it helps any to diminish a little of your fears, I will tell you that in 2016 I was 78 years old and had the surgery for repair of aortic aneurysm. My surgery was done at Mayo in Rochester and I can honestly say it was not that difficult of a recovery. It was the only major surgery I've had in my long life. I cannot praise enough my surgeon, Dr. Pochettino and his staff, each and every one of them were the best. I went into the surgery room with complete confidence that all would be positive and it was. It is best to have complete trust in your surgeon as I believe that helps so much for a quick recovery. Hope this info is helpful to you.