Second Aortic Aneurysm Found – 7cm Only a Year After Surgery of 6.4cm

Thanks for sharing your story. I just turned 40, and had my first ascending aortic dissection (emergency) surgery November 2013. After opening up my sternum and making the repair, I eventually had three more subsequent surgeries to repair the aorta that continued to tear and enlarge all the way down to my lower abdomen.
Happy to answer any questions you may have, and stay strong!

Thank you for sharing your history. A very impressive series of recoveries. We’re all of your operations after the initial emergency open heart or did they do some endovascular stents? Did you test positive for a genetic link?

I had an emergency ascending aortic dissection repair at the root a year and a half ago. It was dilated to 4.3cm when it dissected. Some family history and no known genetic aneurysm link yet. I have an amino acid mutation in the smooth muscle of unknown significance. I now have an aortic valve and polyester unit in place. I just had a CT scan for my annual check up before seeing my cardiologist. The report shows a 4.1cm enlargement further along the ascending arch. I’m assuming it means another open heart surgery but sure would like to have endoscopic approach. I’m quite interested in knowing if you had endoscopic in the ascending area.

Have you had a stent for lower abdomen? I hear they are a little hard to find vascular surgeons to repair. My husband has an aneurysm in lower abdomen 3.5cm being monitored. He survived aortic dissection in thoracic region and aortic arch in 2018, additional repair in 2019 wAs both opening sternum again and Tevar repair ( think spelled ok) this last aneurysm is pressure from this repair called an endoleak. Surgeons have done great work, but explanations about what all would happen were weak, and sternum never properly pulled back together properly, causing long term muscular pains in this area

Thank you for the information. I hope your husband is doing well. Was his sternum wired up or did it have a glue used? I have wires but friends of mine had heard that glue can be used too. My sternum hurts from time to time but I don’t know what is normal. I’ve never had a broken bone before. I’m not looking forward to another open heart surgery.

They used the wire. Your doc would only recommend whats best, ask if you need reassurance of how and why. Or if its stable and you can wait. They removed the wire though like 2-4 days after surgery, so not sure if this meant he had the glue as well. I watched her pull it out in his room.

I asked so many questions💜

The only wires removed from me after 3 or 4 days was the leads going to the heart. That was like getting speaker wires pulled out of my chest. The titanium sternal wires are still in there and its been 10 months. They will likely stay in there. It takes the sternum at least 90 days to get even close to 90%. It took mine longer I guess because of being in surgery over 14 hours. It requires general anesthesia to remove the wires and requires sutures and 4 hours in the recovery room to remove them.

They typically use either stainless or titanium wire, dissolving sutures and glue. The wire is not magnetic and doesn't cause problems with MRI's etc. The sutures look similar to white dental floss. Its been 10 months and I still have the wire. It took 6-months before I didn't feel very weak in the sternal area. I still have to be careful. The scar is the best I have ever seen. I don't plan to have the surgery to remove the wire. Most people don't. General anesthesia is required and another incision made in order to remove them after the bones have healed.

Here is a good overview of what happens during and after a sternotomy.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24016-sternotomy

Sorry to hear about the first and second aneurysm.
I had an aneurysm of 6.5cm and I dissected from the cardiac artery into the valve and back over the arch and down into the femoral arteries. OHS, valve replaced, aorta grafted from heart to the top of the arch.
I still have the complete dissection and a bunch of meds to manage it. My remaining aorta is at 3.3cm at the widest point.
Search around for my older posts describing the emergency and my recovery. And tips.
Feel free to ask any questions.

Thank everyone for sharing your stories. My little brother passed away the day after i shared my story. He got rupture after 2weeks we found 7.8cm aneurysm .
🥺