Aortic Aneurysms – Introduce yourself & meet others

Hey there. I had a complete aortic dissection in 2015 which was sudden and an emergency. My best recommendations for you are that you’re not doing any exercises that involves holding your breath. No planking, no dead lifting, nothing that involves valsalva maneuver— forcefully exhaling against a closed airway to increase pressure in the chest and abdomen. I would absolutely take it easy. Walking is fine. Weightlifting is out. Do not take advice from anyone who has not survived a sudden aortic dissection or isn’t a cardiothoracic surgeon with an expertise and repairing dissected aortas. Keep your blood pressure down and your spirits up. I would have traded my left arm to know that I had a problem in order to deal with it. You do not want to dissect. Take this seriously. it was a really treacherous and difficult road back from this surgery for me and I would simply encourage you to have a schedule operation in a major heart care center near you. If this is planned and scheduled, it is imminently successful. If you dissect suddenly and you’re not across the street from cardiac ICU and surgical center, you’re gonna have a hard time surviving it. That’s the reality. The great news for you is you know you have a problem and you are not yet a surgical candidate at this point. Keep your blood pressure down. Feel free to post here right back directly to me if you want to talk more. Peace.

Hey there - first time here on the Mayo Aortic Aneurysm group. I'm male, 68 yrs old, healthy, active and in good shape, played sports & worked out my entire life. Aortic Root aneurysm just measured 4.6cm on 1/19/26 - previously 4.2cm when discovered six months ago (Jul 2025). I have CT Scan scheduled this week 2/11/26. My PCP referred me to cardiothoracic surgeon but can't get in till 3/30/26. Put myself on CXL list to hopefully get in sooner. I've experienced occasional chest pain and pressure a few times but soon it went away so hard to know if it's even related. Still work out at gym and all seems good with that so trying not to overreact. Don't think there's much else I can do other than wait. Any additional thoughts or suggestions much appreciated.

Thank you! I plan to see a cardiologist soon, unfortunately in my local area none seem to have the experience I would like. I am at least 1/2 to 2 hours away from a thoracic surgeon. Wanted to get established and hopefully avoid an emergency. Hoping he can give me an opinion or recommendation . Knowledge helps me tremendously. This group is most encouraging!

@ghk
Hello again......with proper BP control your aneurysm may stay stable and not grow. However, it would be wise to consult a cardiologist and get established as a patient. While a consultation with a cardiothoracic surgeon may be informative, it's possibly premature since surgery isn't typically done on a 4cm aneurysm. At our age they can grow at .1cm per year and be considered "normal". Most likely, with proper BP control, you'll be monitored at yearly intervals or maybe even less often as determined by your cardiologist. Get informed, and use that knowledge to place your situation in perspective for a more manageable day-to-day. Wishing you calmer days ahead.

Thank you. Size based on ct angiogram is 4.0 cm. I do not have a cardiologist but have an appt with cardiothoracic surgeon next week. No BP issues ( until I found this). My pcp put me on meds to help keep it down. I’m pretty sure it is anxiety related. Father died of “ sudden cardiac event” at age 60 so with no other risk factors my thought is that it is hereditary Most information I have I have found on my own. I have a long list of questions for the Dr.

@ghk
Hello.....hopefully you know the size already. Depending on that, family history, and your overall health condition, you may be able to have it monitored. Usually nothing is done except BP control and monitoring until it reaches 5.0-5.5cm. BP control is essential to reduce the chance for size to increase. Knowledge is power and may help to keep this situation in perspective. As you read other posts here, many who have this condition are leading normal, active lives! Best wishes for better days ahead!

Thank you for your response. Gives me hope and optimism. Since my retirement I have been consistent with going to the gym and have been afraid that I would lose that activity. Waiting patiently for my medical appointments is difficult but hopefully will know more soon. Best to you on this journey as well!

@ghk Hi ghk, I think we all feel like ticking time bombs when we first learn about our aneurysms, I certainly did. Particularly for me because I found out after I got testing done which was prompted by my brother’s sudden death from a heart attack. No autopsy on him so we don’t know what really happened to his heart and if he had an aneurysm dissection. It’s now been 2 years since my diagnosis of a 4.8 aneurysm at the root and a 4.2 aneurysm further up the aorta. I now feel lucky to be aware of the issues, and comfortable that it is highly unlikely that I will have dissection so long as I work with the right medical experts, keep my blood pressure in check, get checked annually and follow their advice. It does take a bit for the shock of the diagnosis to wear off, but the only changes to my lifestyle have been for the better as I now am much more committed to my gym! Best to you on this journey!

66 y/o female diagnosed with thoracic ascending aortic aneurysm 3 weeks ago. Incidental finding on coronary calcium score ct scan no symptoms no cardiac history. Not on any meds prior. Now on BP and statin. Anxiety level high. Have appt with specialist in a week. Feel like a ticking time bomb

At age 64, I was solo backpacking in the Colorado mountains in 2009 when I noticed that my left leg was getting more tired than my right leg. Several tests led to an ultrasound that revealed an abdominal aortic aneurism, so in 2010 I had an endoluminal graft (ELG) inserted into my abdominal aorta via a catheter from my groin. I then had annual ultrasound checks for leakage around the ELG. In 2019, enough leakage was noticed to necessitate another graft being inserted inside the previous one. Now, after 6 1/2 years, annual ultrasounds show all is good. I’m 81 years old and glad I noticed my left leg getting tired 17 years ago. Obviously, I insist that my two grown children get annual aortic scans.