Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Welcome to Connect, @worry. I'm glad your aneurysm was found early while it is still small. What changes, if any, have you made to help prevent a rupture?

I quit smoking 2 months ago, and walk 3 to 4 miles a day.

I also take an 81mg aspirin every day, cholesterol pill, and eat plenty of fruits.

My AA is 4.4 also and has been for the past four years. I monitor dearly. It also depends on your height and weight. I’m 6’ 1 190 and the doctor says that’s a little large for your size but OK.Good luck to you. So far so good.

When iwas first diagnosed mine was 4.3. The Dr told me to recheck in a year. I felt since he didn’t know when it started & had no baseline I had it rechecked in 6 mos. it was 4.8. I couldn’t live with the fear and my job is physical so I had the surgery. Be assertive in your healthcare and do what feels right for you. I am a nurse & that was my choice. Good luck

I have an abdominal aortic aneurysm that is 4.8. Mayo in Rochester is watching it. The doctors don’t want to operate until it’s bigger. I trust Mayo so much that I just follow their advice. In addition, many complications can arise from any surgery so unless the aneurysm grows more, Mayo will not operate. I do have yearly CT scans which are sent to Mayo. It’s hard to watch and wait but if you trust your doctor, it’s very easy to avoid thinking about it.

Hi @acara,

We cannot specifically recommend any doctors on Connect, but I would sincerely encourage you to seek an opinion from Mayo Clinic, as it is consistently ranked among the Best Hospitals for heart and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report. If you would like to make an appointment, please call any one of our appointment offices. You can also request an appointment online. The contact information for Minnesota, Arizona and Florida can be found here: http://www.mayoclinic.org/appointments

I hope this helps?

Have it removed. I went to Dr. SULLIVAN at Abbott in Minneapolis. Mine was 5.5 and I had surgery. Dr. SULLIVAN is fantastic. Everything went as planned. I know longer have to worry about it rupturing. Peace of mind.

Thank you
Just an update for the discussion group
When I was first diagnosed with the ascending aortic aneurysm in Dec.2017, I thoufht that my life changed. I had lots of questions, and many were answered in this discussion group. But more questions arose as well. Then I recall that I had an echocardiogram 1 year ago, when I had some pain that was diagnosed as a muscle event only. When I asked my cardiologist what the measurement was then, he said it was the same. Yet, he didn’t tell me,...said it was an incidental finding.
I got a second opinion recently, and was told that it is a borderline diagnosis, and that I shouldn’t worry very much, that my hypertension should be monitored and controlled, and if my repeat echo in July is unchanged, I could thereafter be monitored every 3-5 years. I feel now like I need a 3rd opinion.
He explained that the measurements tools are not accurate, so not reliable. That’s disconcerting.
While it made me feel better, I feel like I am under as fake sense of security.
Why is this area of medicine so lacking in reliable literature and in reliable tools to measure the aneurysm?
I worry less, plan on eating better and e revising more, hoping to address my blood pressure issues, while I await my next echocardiogram.
Stay tuned.
Hope all of you who are going through this uncertainty are ensuring that you get 2nd and 3rd opinions.

It must be watched and checked every six months. I had AAA when mine was 5.5 . Surgery successful. No worries now. Excellent Surgeon at Abbott. Dr. Sullivan. Great credentials. Good luck to all.