1. < Aortic Aneurysms

Exercise...

Posted by leonh @leonh, Jul 3 8:48pm

With some family history, I had a routine stress test 2 years ago, then 65. It revealed stenosis at the (bicuspid)aortic valve so that I had an exit velocity of 4.5 m/sec, and a gradient of 85 mmHg. That said, I really never noticed any symptoms. The tests also revealed 'minor dilation' of the aorta just at the start of the arch. Multiple tructural specialists and surgeons all arrived at a consistent 4.9 cm measurement.
Surgeons wanted to open me up and fix the dilation wile installing a valve. Younger structural specialists recommended tavr and monitoring of the artery. I chose the latter. One year checkup was measured at 4.8 cm. Maybe the reduction was just measurement error, but not an adverse trend. I took it easy the first year though.
Now I'm trying to get back to what I enjoy...bicycling. However, I am nervous about causing this thing to grow. I get checked again in August. Just looking for insights. Thanks

To compound the confusion, my BP is pretty hard to control. Vigorous exercise helps.

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sabrinaivey | @sabrinaivey | Jul 16 10:10am
In reply to @pamela78 "Thank you for your encouraging response. After an anxious weekend--and a spike in blood pressure--I was..." + (show)
@pamela78

Thank you for your encouraging response. After an anxious weekend--and a spike in blood pressure--I was able to see my cardiologist this morning. I'm going to have a transesophageal echocardiogram next week with a follow up in Sept. I had a good conversation with my doctor and am feeling much better. I'm getting used to the idea of surgery down the line, but I'm not one to sit quietly if I need something. I'm getting more feisty in my old age. Ha. The squeaky wheel and all that. I've found that just being nice and cooperative while asking all the questions helps too. Good luck to you. Aren't we learning a lot, eh?--P

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@pamela78 So glad you're feeling better about it. It is a shock to the system at first. I am still mourning not being able to work out as vigorously as I used to, but I am grateful that I can move my body, while some people cannot. Life is unpredictable, we have to go with the flow. When you fight reality you suffer...it is what it is! You will be in my prayers, take good care! ~S

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thisnthat | @thisnthat | Jul 16 10:57am
In reply to @charlanepj "Mine was found at 4cm. I was told to have yearly exams to watch it. I..." + (show)
@charlanepj

Mine was found at 4cm. I was told to have yearly exams to watch it. I was 68 at the time (I'm a female). While waiting for my one year exam (which actually was a few months past) I had an emergency aortic dissection. Immediate surgery. I am 70 now. Coming up on my 2 year anniversary. The surgery is open heart whether it is an emergency or elective. My intent is not to scare you but to give you confidence to manage your situation. I had not idea how serious this was. I had never heard of this condition. And I had a lot of luck and faith on my side along with highly qualified doctors at Mayo. Find a cardiologist or cardiovascular MD you like and trust and has connections to a good surgeon in a reputable heart center. Keep your blood pressure under control. I never had high BP and at times it was low. I had no other health problems and no symptoms. I was very active. Since my surgery I have been told not to lift, push, or pull anything that causes me to hold my breath, grunt, groan, strain or that I cannot do repetitions of. I do any of the same activities I did before my surgery. I adjusted some eating habits. I walk or bike EVERY day. I walk 1-2 miles and/or bike, normally around 13 miles. I swim, boat, ride a jet ski, ride horses, travel, garden, and so on. Best wishes. Remember you were living with the unknown before. The only difference is now you know. Trust your health care team.

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Hi charlanepj,
Yours is an unnerving story. What an awful surprise surgery! Did your docs estimate the true size of the aneurysm before it dissected, or the reason for the aortic aneurysm (such as family history, HTN, genetics testing)?

I have a thoracic ascending aorta “dilatation” of only 4.1cm, and I am unsure of its etiology. It was caught on a lung CT about 2 years ago, and was stable at 3.8cm till this past May. At 70 years of age myself, it might be dismissed as a consequence of the aging process. But my elderly father passed away from an aortic dissection post-aortic valve surgery and I myself have several signs of a possible inherited connective tissue disease (just not enough to clinch a definite diagnosis). So I’m contemplating going for genetic testing, as it may affect my children, too…

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upartist | @upartist | Jul 22 10:33am

Question for exercising with ascending aortic aneurysm: Is anyone in this group using a wrist blood pressure cuff to monitor your BP while doing cardio and/or weights, or other activities? If so, how is it working for you? And what kind/brand are you using? How accurate is it? Thanks for any info!

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