Thoracic aortic aneurysm: Anyone had surgery?

Thanks for sharing . Stay well.
Rob L

@roll

Yes, Thoracic Ascending Aorta Aneurysm.
Dr. X das is surgeon in Mount Sinai Hospital Miami Florida.

@rl1

ppiper's advice is accurate and good advice. I had surgery Sep 2024 and wouldn't have made it to January without. The chair of cardiovascular surgery at Mayo Clinic told me during a consult on Aug 18 that he would like to do surgery in 10 days but due to the complexity of my situation he wanted to Schedule surgery for Sep 10th. He saw the look on my face and said we could postpone. I said, "do you mean like Jan or Feb?" to which he replied, "No, you won't need surgery then." So I said lets do it Sep 10. After over 14 hours of surgery, I am still here.

@celaud and your surgery was in your upper thoracic region ?
Congratulations . Where is your surgeon Dr Xydas located please?

Wow! ppiper, if your comments are based on a professionally based knowledge and experience of the topic , it certainly makes a continued search worthwhile .
Maybe I have encountered surgeons who enjoy the rural lifestyle in Wisconsin and stay out of the competitive fray of more competitive metropolitan places .
Interestingly , I was on a session overnight from Sydney , Oz , where the surgery that I appear to need is considered routine and typically 95% successful rates . Maybe they just have more time to study challenges with less intrusion from their healthcare system .
Thanks for bringing optimism back to the table !

@rl1
Those are tremendously overly pessimistic views of your situation! Your Medicare is not a problem, particularly if it’s Classic. By all means consider distant surgery options. These are procedures that require experience above all. Mayo, Madison, Cleveland Clinic all well worth having to recover with less support than if local. But ‘recover’ is the operative word! By all means get the second ( and third) opinion. Many good articles emphasizing the completely normal lifespan after successful surgery, so go for that 13 rather than 2. And all those risks of stroke, MI etc are real, but typically quite manageable. Mortality is down to 1% or less at major centers and morbidity ~ 6 %, so think 94% positive outcome.
Keep us filled in and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

@rl1 oops,- I omitted- non smoker past ten years. On warfarin past ten years . Non drinker . Weight a little heavy but not obese . Long time cholesterol issues under control with low dose statins.

I have been diagnosed with a Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm 5.4 .
I have seen my GP, referred to a specialist , then to a top guy in Milwaukee Froedert / Medical College of Wi. - referred back to local guy who does not actually carry out surgeries !
So went for a second opinion in Thedacare , expert surgeon who doesn’t actually do surgeries - but scared the life out of me - I requested hard facts , odds, likely outcomes and I got them!!!
Poor odds, distant locations suggested making a surgery over 100 miles from home a real challenge for spouse re commuting to , say Madison or Milwaukee to support me during and hopefully after surgery . Details of challenges including possibility of dangerous spinal issues , paralysis , complications etc . No action ? Likelihood of short future survival .
Going the surgical route if an option ? Likelihood of poor outcome and even if successful perhaps buying only two years of extra life . I feel that my jovial personality , perhaps an apparently casual approach has triggered a perhaps a Sienfeldian “ Doctor black bean file” ! I am 72 , survived a complicated open heart surgery ten years ago , replacement aortic valve ( mechanical Boston Sci) ten years ago .
Feeling fair and no serious pain or discomfort , just a “Halo of uncertainty” , big time fear, challenged by surgeons who don’t do surgeries , maybe my
Medicare cover is an unattractive cloud ? ( I can find my copays / out of pocket costs from funds on hand so removing geographical distance and happy jovial approach to life and considering Mayo to have a peep if my insurance will permit !!!
I’m 72 with a lot to do in life , married 50 years . Inspiring comments appreciated , facing maybe a bit of real life wake up call stuff . Pensive and unusually scared .

How do they determine the cause ? I had GCA (diagnosed via ultrasound) put on 60 mg pred (7 years ago) they have rechecked the ultrasound and found it had resolved. However, PMR has come visiting, and I've been on and off pred ever since. Previously, I had been fighting high blood pressure (trying natural suppliments ) finally put on a couple meds that made me cough like my lungs were comming out. Finally on verapamil that has me me pretty stable around normal pressure. The GCA was diagnosed just after that. My Rheumatologist wants to put me on kevzara as I can't seem to get off pred, so she did a ct and found my 4.6 assending aorta "dilation" along with 3.5 pulmonary trunk "dilation" no mention of the valves just this "Heart is normal in size. No coronary artery calcifications. No pericardial effusion." So would that hi res ct show valve trouble ? Or, how do they tell if you have those other syndromes?
I have other questions on hospitals / drs... that will be next.

I'm 79 and in good shape.
When I heard I'm having an 5,2 cm AAA in September 2024, I decided " oh no, I never will undergo such a major surgery".
But 6 month later the CD showed, it was 5,3 cm.
I had a consultation with my surgeon again. He explained everything to my husband and me so understandable, that I trusted him, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK.

Dr. XYDAS and his team are geniuses. If you see me now, 4 month later, I'm totally back to normal as before. I'm doing my exercises and daily work, like nothing has happened.

Wishing you the same.