No pain before surgery. I have had a fractured sternum from a car accident. I kind of felt pressure on my chest - nothing great or hurting. My aneurism in the sending arch was found by accident, like so many. I had a blood clot in my kidney and it was discovered in some tests. Doctors acted like it was no big deal, just keep an eye on it.

I have to say that my surgery at Mayo (although extensive) did not cause much pain. I had excellent pain control in the hospital and went home on Tylenol and used it three times a day for about 3 months on and off. I walked, walked, and walked as much as I could. To be honest, I had knee surgery three years ago and it was much worse than my aortic dissection surgery.