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Do I need prompt surgery for a 5.2 cm AAA or a second opinion?

Posted by rel1203 @rel1203, Dec 3, 2025

I am a 60 yr old female seeing a specialist for a rapid growing 5.2cm AAA. I was told I was having surgery then he changed his mind and now the receptionist tells me he isn't in any rush to fix it. I am getting dull pains on and off in my stomach and across my back. I am very anxious! I am starting to think I need a second opinion as I don't won't this thing to rupture. Any advice would be appreciated

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jrcollins999 | @jrcollins999 | Dec 6, 2025
In reply to @moonboy "Not be be overly dramatic, but when I hear someone has reached the 6-centimeter mark, I..." + (show)
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Not be be overly dramatic, but when I hear someone has reached the 6-centimeter mark, I go right back to my own moment in 2015 when my aorta tore open without warning. I remember feeling the unmistakable sense that something catastrophic had happened inside my chest, and within seconds I was on the pavement outside my hotel, waiting to be found. I survived because a team that handles these cases every day got hold of me fast at UCSD La Jolla. That matters more than people realize.

For an ascending aortic aneurysm at 6 cm, this is the point where acting quickly is the safest path. You don’t have to panic, but you shouldn’t sit on it. You want a center or surgeon who deals with complex aortic repairs routinely, not someone who does them occasionally. High-volume aortic programs—major academic centers or specialty aortic institutes—have the experience, the imaging precision, and the post-op protocols that give you the best margin of safety.

Local vascular surgeons can be excellent, but what saved me was being in the hands of a team that treats these problems all the time. When the aorta is involved, experience isn’t a luxury. It’s the difference between controlled repair and crisis. Yes, act quickly. Get evaluated at a specialty hospital. Let the people who live and breathe this work lay out your options. Knowing what’s happening inside you gives you power over it, and you’re catching this before it announces itself the way mine did. Peace.

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@moonboy thanks you for your input. very helpful! Acronyms strike again. I guess AAA could mean abdominal or ascending but either way, good advice - thank you

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maverick1791 | @maverick1791 | Dec 6, 2025

I just got done with surgery to repair a 6.3cm AAA ABDOMINAL!
My surgeon says the cut off for surgery is 5.3cm.
My procedure was an EVAR non-evasive surgery.
If your close to the cut off point, contact a surgeon ASAP!
Be safe & my prayers are with you 🙏

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moonboy | @moonboy | Dec 6, 2025
In reply to @jrcollins999 "@moonboy thanks you for your input. very helpful! Acronyms strike again. I guess AAA could mean..." + (show)
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@moonboy thanks you for your input. very helpful! Acronyms strike again. I guess AAA could mean abdominal or ascending but either way, good advice - thank you

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@jrcollins999 yeah it’s super important that you figure out whether or not it’s an ascending aortic aneurysm or an abdominal aortic aneurysm. They’re treated very differently. Peace.

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moonboy | @moonboy | Dec 6, 2025

@martinkennot Is my HERO. In the category of only take advice from a survivor or a thoracic aortic surgical specialist at a major medical center….Peace down under Martin!

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martinkennot | @martinkennot | Dec 6, 2025
In reply to @jrcollins999 "@martinkennot did you have an abdominal aortic aneurysm or an ascending aortic aneurysm? Wow! It is..." + (show)
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@martinkennot did you have an abdominal aortic aneurysm or an ascending aortic aneurysm? Wow! It is amazing you survived! Your wife saved your life. You were at 6.5cm and it dissected? I am at 6.2cm and am hoping I can get surgery scheduled ASAP once I meet with the surgeon. I have the abdominal variety.....

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@jrcollins999 yes my wife is my hero. Thankfully she is more stubborn than me. And I was in my late 50s two years ago.
I had an ascending aortic aneurysm. And a full ascending and descending dissection.
The valve was dissected too which caused regurgitation.
Valve replaced and upper aorta grafted through open heart surgery, full cardiopulmonary bypass. Scans now show there's a kitchen sink in there!
But they left the descending dissection. My largest point of the descending is 3.8cm which is being medicinally managed.
Not giving medical advice here but I am told the descending is a little more resilient and could be less difficult to fix.
Everyone is different and aneurysms more different again. Get another opinion.
Use your time to research without panic, and try not to lift, pull, bend or over-exert yourself.
Lock in your options and prepare for your future.

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jlf2 | @jlf2 | Feb 9 5:59am

My husband was just diagnosed with a TAA 5.6 and his surgeon said he is an extremely high risk for surgery.
Because of the calcium build up in his Aortic vein. That they may not be able to repair it. And that his chances of death during surgery are extremely high. How do you just except this kind of new. So i think we should seek a second opinion.
What are symptoms of a rupture.

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rlhix | @rlhix | Feb 10 11:45am
In reply to @jlf2 "My husband was just diagnosed with a TAA 5.6 and his surgeon said he is an..." + (show)
Profile picture for jlf2 @jlf2

My husband was just diagnosed with a TAA 5.6 and his surgeon said he is an extremely high risk for surgery.
Because of the calcium build up in his Aortic vein. That they may not be able to repair it. And that his chances of death during surgery are extremely high. How do you just except this kind of new. So i think we should seek a second opinion.
What are symptoms of a rupture.

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@jlf2
Definitely get a 2nd opinion at a high volume facility. I would recommend trying to get consultation with Jack Haney in Jacksonville.

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mikeneverwired | @mikeneverwired | Feb 11 8:15am

I agree with the other comments about where your aneurysm is located. I'd recommend looking at the echo scan yourself to confirm the doc. My records and my echo were on line and I went there, pulled up the scan and basically confirmed the doc's determination. That helped me a lot in both looking at these things and to confirm they were making the right decisions. FYI, I had surgery for a 5.2cm ascending aortic aneurysm 5 months after they first found the problem.

If you have any doubts, get that second opinion and, if your doc will allow, go to his PC and look at the scan yourself. Let the doc point out the location and make the measurement for you. (Those echo scans have a little toolbar that can pull up a measurement scale). That helped me as it confirmed what I saw when I pulled up the scan myself.

Do your homework, get educated, stay in shape and if required, get surgery. Good luck!

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