Aortic Aneurysms – Introduce yourself & meet others

That is very interesting I also have an ascending aortic aneurysm, with no bleeding or other issues. I’ve had two iliac stents and an embolism behind one of them. Two stents in my heart. God has blessed me . My AAE had not changed in size since originally found while in the hospital for another issue. Scans ever year. I have a right hip replacement and awaiting surgery to replace left hip! August had 2.54 “ kidney stone removed several UTIs due to enlarged prostrate. Had procedure on opening prostrate and still after 11 days still passing blood in urine and after urine stops! Still on antibiotics. I’m on blood thinners? Stoped few days prior to procedure and three or four days after. But now I’m taking like prescribed? Should I be taking thinners or not?

My husband is 79-1/2. He has a Stent and a pacemaker which was inserted after my man had a massive heart attack. He was first diagnosed in September of 22 with a 5.3. We were seen on January 18, 2024, and it is now 5.5. They are planning to do surgery in May. His surgery is less invasive by going through both sides of his groin and should take 3 to 4 hours. Apprehensive but content in knowing we are in good company with Mayo Clinic. It was suggested to him not to lift anything over 50 lbs. Also, to not strain himself when having a BM.

My husband is having surgery on his main aorta in May. It is 5.5. They are planning on going in through the groin on both sides. Surgery is supposed to take 3 to 5 hours, and he'll be in ICU overnight. I am new here and wonder if anyone has had the surgery, and what the recovery was like afterward.

I had an ascending aortic dissection, as well as a decending dissection, I was flown to a large hospital in my area, with my body on ice especially around my head. I woke 31 days later. I have Marfan Syndrome which messes with all my connective tissue. Eyes, lungs, joints, foot arches, the works, right?
After I woke, I hallucinated for 3 days, horrible things. I did not know what was real or not. It was quite scary.
I was in the hospital 2 more weeks and went home. I couldn't watch anything scarcely serious, or tense I was terrified. I even hated it when they closed the door to my room. So one day during my stay, I had an Echo, 5 months later I was having my chest cracked again. CABG, and aortic root repair. It was just nuts
The PTSD I suffer from this is all consuming. I think about it every day. I'm always in pain and I have scars all over my body, they always have to fix the next thing that gets knocked out of whack. And yes I feel like I'm on borrowed time.

He said that there are techniques used today that are totally non invasive he talked about going thru the groin and even the side he is a fairly young cardio doctor and he is on top of the innovations that the medical field is working on that is why he said these techniques keep evolving making them better and better.

You Dr mentioned that a minimal non invasive surgery is now or in the future?

God bless you!

I feel blessed, this program is available for us! I’m new ! I’m listening.

Welcome to the group! It sounds like you are considered stable which is great news! By the way I am a WW Lifetime member I became Lifetime over 15 years ago. Good luck with that program it works I am proof of that!

I finally got to see my Cardiologist today. I did meet with his PA over the holiday who is very capable but I just needed to speak to my Doctor. He assured me that my 4.1 cm is very small he went on to say that the word Aneurysm shouldn't not be used to describe certain sized dilations. He also said there will be a new term that the medical profession is looking to use is ectasia. He said mine falls into that category. I asked about the measurement he did confirm that the 4.1 cm is the size of the diameter of the aorta not the ectasia. I asked what size my aorta is and he is sending me for a Chest CT so we can see. But the overall discussion was that yes I have a dilation but nothing will be done before it reaches 5.5 cm he said the medical field is constantly coming up with new innovative ways of treating these types of issues and the survival rate had gone up significantly. So if I need to have this addressed there will probably be a new much less invasive way of correcting it. Bottom line is that I am glad I went to see him my stress level has gone down significantly and I feel much more relaxed about the entire situation. He said as long as I follow his instructions which is take my HBP meds, keep the Cholesterol where it should be and monitor I should be OK and that is all I needed to hear.