Connect
Can Mayo do a stent for an ascending thoracic aneurysm.
I am 81 and score 5.3 for the ascending and descending is 3.9. I went up .5 on the ascending in about 2 years. I had been doing weight lifting which could have caused the increase. I have stopped the weight training.
I don’t want to go through open heart surgery because it is a bummer. Spending time in the ICU for several days is not fun. The dog would disagree vehemently with open heart surgery because he wants his 2.25 mile walk at 10AM regardless of the weather.
Is there any hope for a stent solution?
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Aortic Aneurysms Support Group.
Connect
My aorta dissected. I am lucky to be here. I have three graphs and a stent in my descending aorta. I will be 70 this year. My aortic arch had an aneurysm that measured 4.5 when I dissected. So you never know. I would talk to your doctor. I was life flighted and had no choice, everything went fast. In my opinion, my open heart surgery was easier than knee surgery! Best wishes to you!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsThank you for your kind words. I am glad you survived a very traumatic event. I will be hoping a stent will do the trick for me. Cleveland Clinic is supposed to be using stents for ascending aneurysms in certain circumstances. I an hoping ti find out if Mayo is ahead or behind Cleveland Clinic
I recently had a long conversation about this with my cardiac surgeon. He explained why the stent is not used for ascending aortic aneurysm and showed me why with my echo and his heart model. It boils down to there is much more difficulty reaching the ascending because there are more obstacles in the pathway to reach the ascending compared to going in through the groin for the descending. I asked if he thought the technique would improve over time and he was not optimistic.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI have a similar question. I have been told by friends that there are alternatives to open heart surgery that are less invasive. I'd like to learn more, because my number is 5.0 to 5.2 and approaching the "critical" value of 5.5 (when, I'm told, the chance of mortality from a rupture begins to exceed the risk of dying on the operating table).
Bless You! My surgery was at Mayo. I think it is worth another opinion.They told me they do about 4000, surgeries like mine, a year. They said they did what they had to do to save my life.