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Is there a good source of general advice for TAA w/o surgery?
Hi all, I'm a 73 y.o. male whose TAA has enlarged from 4.1 to 4.6 cm in the last two years. I have a lot of questions about how to best manage myself as we continue to monitor the condition: things to avoid doing, or things to do that might help slow the progression of a TAA. Is there a good source or list of recommendations that could be followed by the average patient who hasn't had surgery yet? I haven't been able to find one yet, and it seems like there ought to be one somewhere. (And if there's a reason that thoracic surgeons can't do this, what is it? Hopefully it's not their malpractice insurance talking. There must be basic things that they *can* safely say.) Thanks.
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That is a significant increase. Have you been working with a thoracic ascending aortic aneurysm specialist at a center that does a high volume ofvthese surgeries? Have you been assessed for vasculitis and other factors that would explain this growth?
My 82 yr old husband husband has an ascending aortic aneurym of 4.9. He has no vasculitis; this progressed from 4,3 cm in 2006 - slow growing.
In 2021 the aneurysm was 4.8 (CT angiogram) and finally he got a different cardiologist who was concerned - same big academic practice.
My husband was told to keep his blood pressure low and not to lift anything over 30 lbs. Those were the main recommendations. He is followed once a year.
Hi , thoracic surgeons normally evaluate your growth rate and other physical conditions to assess the need and timing of a possible surgery, risks, etc they focus on that: surgery and all that that entails.
What you need is an aortic disease specialist, those are cardiologists who specialize in aortic aneurysms and other aortic diseases, their cause and treatment. Not all cardiologists have that expertise. An aortic specialist will look at all variables , your general health, BP, family history, growth rate, etc etc and make recommendations that are appropriate for you, follow up protocol and will, in best cases, interact with the surgeon if and when you are approaching a size that may require repair.
I had a 5.2 cm aneurysm that was repaired 6 years ago, in my case it was large when found so I needed surgery fairly soon after and I saw a surgeon first but he referred me to a cardiologist (aortic specialist) for follow up. It has made such a difference, I get the right answers and recommendations. He sees me yearly and checks my repair, general health, and every 4 years orders a complete aortic scan to ensure no other aneurysms are appearing.
If you haven’t seen them, search for Dr Prakash’s videos in this forum, they have been posted several times, he is an aortic disease specialist, you will get an idea (the videos also contain recommendations that may be useful for you). He also happens to be my cardiologist. If you don’t find them let me know and I will look for them and repost them for you.
All the best
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1 ReactionHello....your growth rate over the last 2 years would be considered "rapid", and warrants close monitoring by an aortic specialist. More frequent CT scans, BP control if that hasn't been addressed, and lifestyle changes to reduce stress and risk....especially avoiding heavy lifting and breath holding, valsalva and other manuevers and BP- stress inducing activities. That's the basic start to finding a more detailed solution to your condition through direct communication with an aortic specialist. Best wishes in your care journey!!