1. < Aortic Aneurysms

Aortic Aneurysms – Introduce yourself & meet others

Posted by Kanaaz Pereira, Connect Moderator @kanaazpereira, Feb 16, 2018

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.

Get started rby clicking the +FOLLOW icon on the group page here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/aneurysms/

There are some great conversations going on right now that I think you’ll like. Grab a cup of tea, or beverage of your choice, and lets chat. Why not start by introducing yourself?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Aortic Aneurysms Support Group.

degarden_girl | @degarden_girl | Sep 3, 2019
In reply to @ringyou57 "5.0 is the normal range for surgery... I also have one at 4... 3 months ago..." + (show)
@ringyou57

5.0 is the normal range for surgery... I also have one at 4... 3 months ago I had AVR, and they did nothing about the anurism... said it's not big enough...

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@ringyou57 Wow, that is great that they did the AVR and felt the aneurysm was too small to repair. So often the valve replacement and the aneurysm are repaired at the same time.

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ksprague1 | @ksprague1 | Sep 2, 2019
In reply to @degarden_girl "@Perkman66 I think you are worrying too much about this aneurysm. (I know, the diagnosis is..." + (show)
@degarden_girl

@perkman66 I think you are worrying too much about this aneurysm. (I know, the diagnosis is absolutely shocking!) Don't look for a surgeon but do find a well regarded cardio MD to monitor the size of the aneurysm. The cardio will keep an eye on how fast the aneurysm is growing, if at all, and will advise you if you need to find a surgeon and will probably have some good recommendations as to whom to see. Unless your aneurysm is quite unusual in the rate of growth, you may never need to find a surgeon.

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That is good, accurate and encouraging information.

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ringyou57 | @ringyou57 | Sep 2, 2019
In reply to @anniejam "What is AVR?" + (show)
@anniejam

What is AVR?

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Aortic valve replacement.

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degarden_girl | @degarden_girl | Sep 2, 2019
In reply to @perkman66 "Hello, I am 62 years old male 6'1" 200lbs. I was recently given a CT scan..." + (show)
@perkman66

Hello,
I am 62 years old male 6'1" 200lbs. I was recently given a CT scan to check my lungs. Former light smoker, quit 10 years ago. Lungs okay but found borderline dilated ascending aorta of 4.0cm on CT scan results.
I get conflicting info. I was told 4.0cm is high normal for my age. I have normal bp and work out 5 days a week, running and light weight training.
Should I get a thoracic surgeon now? Is my 4.0cm dilation in normal range?
Anybody know excellent thoracic surgeon in Phoenix area. Mayo clinic local but don't
seem to see much for local surgeons.
Is Tevar procedure technology at level it can be used instead of OHS.
Sorry for the long post. Thank you for letting me join the forum.

Jump to this post

@perkman66 I think you are worrying too much about this aneurysm. (I know, the diagnosis is absolutely shocking!) Don't look for a surgeon but do find a well regarded cardio MD to monitor the size of the aneurysm. The cardio will keep an eye on how fast the aneurysm is growing, if at all, and will advise you if you need to find a surgeon and will probably have some good recommendations as to whom to see. Unless your aneurysm is quite unusual in the rate of growth, you may never need to find a surgeon.

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1 reply
ringyou57 | @ringyou57 | Sep 2, 2019

5.0 is the normal range for surgery... I also have one at 4... 3 months ago I had AVR, and they did nothing about the anurism... said it's not big enough...

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1 reply
perkman66 | @perkman66 | Sep 2, 2019

Hello,
I am 62 years old male 6'1" 200lbs. I was recently given a CT scan to check my lungs. Former light smoker, quit 10 years ago. Lungs okay but found borderline dilated ascending aorta of 4.0cm on CT scan results.
I get conflicting info. I was told 4.0cm is high normal for my age. I have normal bp and work out 5 days a week, running and light weight training.
Should I get a thoracic surgeon now? Is my 4.0cm dilation in normal range?
Anybody know excellent thoracic surgeon in Phoenix area. Mayo clinic local but don't
seem to see much for local surgeons.
Is Tevar procedure technology at level it can be used instead of OHS.
Sorry for the long post. Thank you for letting me join the forum.

REPLY
2 replies
rickbenson | @rickbenson | Sep 1, 2019
In reply to @kimspr3 "Hello Rick, I had to share with you. My mother at the age of 76 had..." + (show)
@kimspr3

Hello Rick, I had to share with you. My mother at the age of 76 had an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm a point away from a 5 cm. so she needed the surgery. Surgery was done in a Well Known Medical Center, Dr's who had done the surgery many times, with an expert team and she came through it with flying colors. Recuperation is up to the Patient. Just wanted to share a positive outcome.

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Really appreciate your reply and thoughts

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lynnw | @lynnw | Aug 31, 2019

That was very well said. I am at 49 and take care of myself but do not stress on it. I think the fitness tracker is a good idea. It will give more peace of mind. I want to enjoy whatever life I am given not worry about what may happen. Today is a beautiful day for a bike ride....

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degarden_girl | @degarden_girl | Aug 31, 2019
In reply to @bryanfox "Thanks for the reply. I don't smoke, and I'm overweight, but not by much (I'm 5'10"..." + (show)
@bryanfox

Thanks for the reply. I don't smoke, and I'm overweight, but not by much (I'm 5'10" 195lbs, but fairly broad-shouldered, so I don't put too much stock in the BMI results the calculator gives me). I've heard the "don't exercise harder than a level which would allow you to have a conversation" suggestion, but even when I'm on the elliptical with a steep incline, I'm pretty sure I could still speak to someone without much effort! I spoke with an aortic surgeon and he recommended a CT scan again in 6 months, while the cardiologist only recommended an echo. I'm wondering if he wants a CT this time just to check growth rate, and if it isn't that high, then maybe he'll switch to recommending just echos? It's obviously a less-pressing concern right now, but I don't want to end up Chernobyling myself because of this, either.

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@bryanfox I think your assessment is spot on. Another CT will give you two like tests to determine the rate of growth. If it is slow growing or not showing any enlargement at all, I agree, you will likely be switched to echos to reduce the amount of radiation.

I think you are on the right track for monitoring this health issue. You might want to get one of those fitness trackers to just monitor your BP when on the elliptical and talk to your cardio about what is a safe limit on the numbers while you are exercising. Also, I think part of the assessment of cardio fitness is how fast your BP and pulse return to normal when you get off the elliptical.

I wish you very good luck and as time goes by, you will recognize this is just something to be monitored, not a death sentence.

Donna

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