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Aortic Aneurysms – Introduce yourself & meet others
Welcome to the Aortic Aneurysms group on Mayo Clinic Connect.
An aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of the aorta. The aorta begins deep in the heart as it emerges from the powerful left ventricle, gently arching over the heart, descending into the chest, and finally into the abdomen. Some aortic aneurysms can be harmless; others can lead to catastrophic problems. I invite you to follow this group and connect with others, share experiences, exchange useful information, and learn about aortic aneurysms.
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It does help. Thank you for taking the time share what you have learned and your experience.
I have a situation where the aortic root end was at 4.4 and the ascending aorta end was 3.9 cm on Oct 31 based on echo ordered by my primary care doctor after my biannual checkup. Got in with cardiologist Dec 17th and by Jan 8th had got blood pressure under control. Cardiologist set a follow up a year for next Jan 5th. On my next 6th month visit with my primary doctor, a 6-month follow up Echo was ordered. The aortic root is still 4.4 cm, but the ascending aorta is 4.3. The doctor that wrote both echo reports noted that there is mild regurgitation at the aortic valve likely caused by the aortic dilation. There is also mild regurgitation at the mitral valve and tricuspid valve with trivial regurgitation at the pulmonary valve. In addition, he noted mild concentric LVH and Stage 1 diastolic dysfunction in the left ventricle. Due to this 6 month follow-up, my primary care doctor called the cardiologist, but he wasn't interested in seeing me before Jan 5th. That is why my primary care doctor helped me get a referral approved through my insurance to go to Mayo Clinic. I have an August appointment at Mayo in Jacksonville. None of those things individual would scare me, but all of it together definitely concerns me.
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1 ReactionI agree that there is nothing wrong with getting a 2nd opinion. 4.0 to 4.3cm in a year is not that dire and you are still far below the usual 5.5cm which is where most institutions recommend surgery (Cleveland Clinic is more conservative and recommends surgery for ascending aortic aneurysms at 5.0 cm). Still, for your peace of mind try to get a recommendation for that 2nd opinion. You may even want to consult a cardiac surgeon WHO HAS EXPERIECE DOING THIS TYPE OF SURGERY!! My ascending aortic aneurysm is 4.8 having grown from 4.5 in 2 years. Because my cardiologist is at Cleveland Clinic and they use the 5.0cm criterion, I now have CT angio every 6 months. At another institution which uses the 5.5cm determination maybe they would, like in your situation, wait a year. I hope this helps even just a little bit. Michael
Hi!
Mine was 4.2 cm by CT with contrast 2 x, 4.1 cm with echo 2 times… but then at my last CT with Contrast in April, they measured it 4.0. I think it has to do with the angle of the measurement. It’s my understanding that .2 cm can fall within an acceptable margin of error. The AHA published guidelines for doctors in 2022 (maybe 2020). Anyway they are the latest. If you want details about everything including measuring and how they advise it to be done, google it for some excellent and DETAILED info.
I’m interested in learning about how much of a difference the ECO and Contrast CT measurements can be? Did you have both done and would you be open to sharing the difference of the two?
Thank you
Can you fly with an aneurism (4.3).
Hi!
I understand the fear that comes with this condition. I want to say though that 4.0 to 4.3 is only .3 of a centimeter . Was your aneurysm measured the same way both times or were they different like a CT scan and an echocardiogram? Echocardiograms usually measure them smaller 4.3 is still considered moderate not severe meaning the odds of it in any year rupturing or dissecting are pretty low. I think you might wanna look this up, but I think it’s less than one percent or around one percent. if you’re having pain though, I would not do the activities which cause it. Try to eat really clean and kerp your your blood pressure and heart rate lower. do a lot of walking that helps with the anxiety and it helps with your cardiovascular system. It won’t hurt your aneurysm but getting stressed can be the worst thing for your aneurysm so just try to be as peaceful as you can. when I was diagnosed with mine, I spent a lot of time in prayer and finally, I was able to give it to God and just do my part to keep everything Under the recommendations .
Thank you so much for your response.
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1 ReactionSounds like it might be a good idea to get a second opinion.
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1 ReactionHi. I’m a 58 year old female from North Carolina. I had a recent CT scan that incidentally found abdominal aortic, PAD that doctor didn’t tell me about. I have seen aortic aneurysm results from a scan several years ago but no one told me. The recent finding however I’m concerned about since I looked further into what they are and what they can do if they get big enough. Abdominal pain sent me to the ER countless times, intense pain, specifically belly button the past several months that feels like a big rip or tear but not finding the source.