Can you still golf with an Ascending Aortic root aneurysm?

I think we need a little more background to address your question about Golf. If you have an existing anortic aneurysm, which is untreated, that would indicate to me that you deal with any treatment needs before you go golfing and then wait till after you’re fully healed up before you go driving any balls 300 yards. The real issues are force applied to your Thorax and blood pressure. If golfing increases your blood pressure then you shouldn’t do it if you’ve got pending surgical repair for your aorta. If you’ve had your aorta completely replaced like I have, with Dacron graft, you should be just fine to Golf after healing up. I golf Half dozen times year. I have been golfing since probably two years after my surgery nine years ago. The real problem if you’ve had open-heart surgery with golfing is that the force necessary to swing a golf club and hit a ball is significant and you aren’t gonna feel comfortable yanking on that freshly Cut sternum. That said, things heal up after a couple years to the point where you’re going to feel up for golf.

In summary, I wouldn’t recommend big golf outings if you’ve got an untreated aortic aneurysm.

Hi Neil. I think if your form is consistently good, according to the article Justin (our moderator) posted, long drives should be ok. Not so for me personally, because I have a lower skill set with inconsistent form through the swing. I have chosen to stick to putting, which obviously does not require any risk of rotational torque through the thoracic area. A boring choice for most people, but it gets me out. I have altered a few other activities to accommodate the "rotation", as that is the way my cardiologist explained the concept, and I am applying his description to my individual activities. Get out and stay active, and have fun, no matter what!
Cheers!!!

Does this mean you should not try to hit long drives

I have a thoracic anerysum measuring 45mm i see there is a noninvasive repair using a stent
Is this used to stop the anerysum getting larger i.e prevention rather than cure ?

great article...thanks for sharing

Thank you Justin! Good article!

@benjones, this is a good question. You may find this article useful, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-i-drive-exercise-or-have-sex-if-i-have-an-aneurysm. If you scroll down towards the bottom, golf is listed as a health activity that is OK to do. Like other members have mentioned, it should be discussed with your cardiologist or provider to confirm as each person is different and the size of the aneurysm does play a large role in what activities are riskier than others.

Hi sheenasong. Good question! I think your cardiologist will be clarifying your growth rate and then lay out a timeline for future imaging with consideration of other factors that might effect the growth. The measurement schedules vary from person to person and maybe among cardiologists. You should proactively ask your cardiologist. And also make a plan.

To Benjones regarding golf. I actually posed that question to my cardiologist. He recommended avoiding cross shearing types of activities, but felt golf was ok, but my snowmobiling was not. Since I am an awful golfer, as I hit the ground frequently and have bad form, I enjoy putting with my group. I am not a bad putter, plus there is no upper body stress and it gets me out. So you are likely fine, having golfed avidly for 40 years. Just dont over slam those drives and watch your form to prevent the strain during rotation. Have fun!!!

I was just diagnosed with 4.4 thoracic ascending aorta aneurysm recently. Should I get CT scan every 6 months or 12 months?