Update on conflicting surgery recommendations

Thats really great news that your surgery went so well. Congratulations and enjoy. The data says you should live as long (or longer, slightly!) than a 72 year old without an aneurysm. I think the critical factor is growth rate. If it’s stable, terrific. And if it’s growing, probably need surgery. I feared most of all losing some years of vitality to a stroke ( I have a close friend who suffered one at 65 unrelated to aneurysm or surgery and it’s such a tragic loss of activity).
Best wishes for your continued recovery!

My aneurysm has gone from 4.1 cm in 2021 to ~4.8-4.9 cm today depending on who is measuring. Again depending on who is measuring some say it grew 0.4 cm in the past year. But no one has expressed concern about the growth.
Yours sounds very stable.
Good luck to you as well.

I am surprised that ~ 0.7 to 0.8 growth rate in 4 years hasn't been discussed.

Thank you! ❤️ I reached out to MGH and will be going through patient registration. Other than their expertise, how are they to work with, bedside manner, etc?

Dr Isselbacher is very bright and active in the research community, can seem brusque as he’s so efficient, but in fact is quite compassionate with an excellent sense of humor.
Dr Jassar is very patient and open to all questions. Both lovely people. And Dr Jassar does all his own surgery- no fellows closing.

Thank you so much for the information. I really appreciate it.

Just would like to share a story regarding Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx and a cardiologist by the name of Foreman.

Back in 1999, I presented to Foreman with left arm discomfort and heart CT scan that indicated calcification in LAD and RCA arteries which concluded I was in the 98% of having a M.I.

After a regular stress test Foreman stated: "The stress test indicates no abnormality and heart CT scan isn't something that is considered mainstream." Two months later I had a heart attack.

Personally, I would never, ever go to Montefiore unless I was shot right outside that hospital.

I too have a TAA, albeit smaller. However, when the time comes I would only consider Cleveland Clinic, Mayo, NYU and a few others.

Best of luck!

Hi all,
Mike had forwarded the research that influenced Dr DeRose to encourage surgery. The principal article is by John Elefteriades et al of Yale, an outstanding surgeon and researcher. It definitely supports aneurysm length as “a slightly better predictor” of adverse events (than diameter). As such, it’s critically important for us all to know our lengths, as well as diameters. There is a helpful chart combining both in the article, and it shows why Dr DeRose was concerned for mleiva given a length of 11.2 cm. Thank you @mleiva1234 for this valuable additional criteria! And best luck with ongoing treatment.

I do not live in Houston but have being sending my scans to Dr Coselli for review for the last 4 1/2 years since my AAA was diagnosed. I found that he does not really look at the radiologists reports but does his own measurements from the scan. He also consistently shows higher readings (I am round 4.5 for over a year and a half) compared to my local radiologists and heart doctor which measure it at around 4.0 to 4.2. He has told me that surgery should be planned around 5.0 cm.

I'm recently diagnosed AAA and 5.9cm. Originally from the southern MN area so a little spoiled with Mayo, but now in north TX. I am going to visit Dr. Brinkman next month after I have a CTA performed at the beginning of the month. Hoping this experience is uneventful. I have a co-worker whose father had the surgery in Plano and had decent results.