Aortic Aneurysms – Introduce yourself & meet others

I’m really glad you posted. A 4.6 cm dilation is a lot to take in, especially when all the terminology is new. I remember sitting there hearing numbers and phrases and feeling like I had stepped into a foreign language. You don’t have to learn it all at once. What matters right now is that you know about it. Knowing means you can monitor it, manage blood pressure carefully, and make thoughtful decisions with your doctors instead of being caught off guard.

At 4.6 cm, most people are in a watch-and-manage phase. That usually means regular imaging, tight blood pressure control, and being smart about heavy lifting or straining. It’s not typically an emergency number by itself, but it is important — and you’re doing exactly the right thing by paying attention early. I had a Type A dissection in 2015 and emergency open-heart surgery with a Dacron graft. What I can tell you from the other side of that experience is this: information is power. The people who know about their dilation and follow it closely are in a much stronger position than those who don’t. You’ve already taken the most important step.

You matter. Your questions matter. And there is a steady path forward from here. Peace.

Hello and thank you for creating this space. I am newly diagnosed with a 4.6 cm dilation. Still learning all the words and what comes next. - SZ

@ktracy515
In my humble opinion I think you are right . We watched mine for 7 years and it remained pretty stable. Doc actually said I could do scan once a year or twice…up to me. I chose twice so not to worry and lo and behold 6 months later it had grown an entire centimeter …..and in the next two months that it took to get me scheduled for surgery it had grown a bit more. I’m glad it was monitored so closely.

Hello, I am a 60 year old male, 6' 1" tall, 218lbs. I had a CT scan < 7 months ago, they found a 4.1cm TAA. Now I realize that may not be that bad, however, I have had many CT scans before with and without contrast in the same area as they were looking for more blood clots, (I have clotted up four times, the last being main in rt leg, both lungs and my neck). So with that being said, as an engineer, I view this as a 4.1cm growth in one year excessive as that was my last CT scan showing nothing at all. My hematologist agrees that this is concerning as she reviewed my last 5 CT scans showing nothing. So, my point, I strongly feel I need another scan to see how much it has grown since this last showing scan which was 6 months 3 days ago... Am I right, or over reacting?? I hope I didn't duplicate this as it is my first time posting on a forum.. TY, Keith

@moonboy what a miracle that you are even alive to share this! Thank you for taking the time to share all this information so greatly appreciated. I am indeed lucky that I had the opportunity to repair this before it burst. Also lucky university of Iowa has My Chart and everything is posted…test results, docs notes clinical notes even nurses reports for every shift so I can access all that information ….going to re-read through it all to see if that procedure as used during my surgery. Thanks again.

13 hours surgery and then 7 hours of follow up surgery 3 days later. Two weeks in a coma. I slept more less for the first two months after surgery. I underwent 46 mins of Deep Hypothermic Complete Circulatory Arrest (DHCA). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_hypothermic_circulatory_arrest - "Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) is a surgical technique in which the temperature of the body falls significantly (between 20 °C (68 °F) to 25 °C (77 °F)) and blood circulation is stopped for up to one hour. It is used when blood circulation to the brain must be stopped because of delicate surgery within the brain, or because of surgery on large blood vessels that lead to or from the brain. DHCA is used to provide a better visual field during surgery due to the cessation of blood flow.[1] DHCA is a form of carefully managed clinical death in which heartbeat and all brain activity cease." Read that twice my friend. It explains why things can be a bit wonky at times. Request a complete copy of your medical records post-surgery and see if they used that technique on you. It's worth asking your cardiothoracic at your next appointment. Peace.

@moonboy
I understand how lucky I am that we found mine and I was able to get it repaired before it burst. you are so lucky to have survived that ! I wonder why the tastebuds are involved? How long was your surgery? Mine was about 8 hours. Did you find you had to pee all the time? They say that is because of all the fluids they have to pump into you but it seems those should be out by now? No matter what complaint I express with my doctor the reply is the same "This was a huge surgery and these things are to be expected." It helps so much to know someone else had similar symptoms...you look great by the way

@ymca49 It took me about 3 years before I felt right, honestly. It was a slow walk up a steep hill. That said, I feel great today. The first two months of recovery, everything tasted like metal. I lost about 45 pounds (but sadly regained all of it). I had terrible night terrors for the first two years. It was hard to fall asleep for the first couple of years. I slowly came back. The sadness lifted. I am reborn. Here I am in San Diego working last week. There is life after dissection.

Hello, my name is Cynthia and I had a burst AAA 6 years ago repaired by EVAR.
I now have a 1" Aneurysm and a large stent in my abdomen. I see the Vascular Surgeon once a year for a MRI.
My question is can I take Magnesium supplement ? My arms & legs feel heavy & I need something to get me going!

@moonboycan you talk a little about your recovery? I’m three weeks out from open abdominal aneurysm repair and I have severe fatigue. No appetite. Can’t taste anything ..peeing every 2 hours. Don’t get staples out for 3 more weeks . I will say pain has been minimal thank goodness and that was a surprise to me. What was your experience with recovery