Vascular conditions affect the veins and arteries in the body, which conduct oxygen to every living cell. In many cases, vascular conditions can be treated without surgery.
Even so, it’s important to see a vascular surgeon, as these problems can impact other parts of your body. Read more+
Exercise, diet, or medication may be prescribed as a first step in regaining your vascular health. Should surgery be needed, our physicians are experienced in every type of surgical intervention, and successfully perform over 1,000 procedures annually, with excellent results.
200,000 people are diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm every year.
When the wall of a blood vessel weakens, a balloon-like enlargement called an aneurysm can develop. This happens most often in the abdominal aorta, a major blood vessel that supplies blood to your legs.
As the aneurysm gets bigger, it places more pressure on the weakened area of the vessel wall. Sometimes the vessel ruptures and begins bleeding, which can cause serious problems or even death.
Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is the 15th leading cause of death in American adults, and the 10th leading cause of death for men age 55 and older.
The exact cause of an AAA is unknown, but aneurysms tend to run in families. If your mother, father or sibling has had an abdominal aortic aneurysm, you are 12 times more likely to develop one. In addition to family history, these factors may contribute to abdominal aortic aneurysms:
- Inflammation that causes weakening of the aortic artery wall
- Smoking or tobacco use
- Age (50+ for men, 60+ for women)
- History of atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol
- Heart disease or peripheral vascular disease
Other less-common factors include tears in the arterial wall, infections, and congenital connective tissue disorders.
Symptoms
Because abdominal aortic aneurysms can develop slowly over time, they often have no symptoms unless the aneurysm expands rapidly or suddenly ruptures.
Symptoms of AAA rupture include:
- Pain in the abdomen or back (severe and sudden or persistent and constant)
- Dizziness or passing out
- Nausea and vomiting
- Rapid heart rate
- Clammy skin
Most abdominal aortic aneurysms have no symptoms. They are sometimes found during an evaluation for another medical condition. An abdominal ultrasound is the most frequently used test to screen and measure an AAA. The procedure is safe and painless.
Your vascular surgeon may recommend a CTA (computerized tomographic angiography) to better assess the aneurysm’s location, size and extent of impact, and to determine the best type of repair.
Small AAAs are usually not treated, as they have a low risk of rupturing. Your doctor will monitor the growth with an ultrasound every 6 to 12 months.
If the AAA is enlarging rapidly, or if you’re having symptoms, your vascular surgeon may repair the artery with a prosthetic graft, placed through an abdominal incision. Most patients are hospitalized 4 to 10 days, and recovery can take up to 3 months.
When appropriate, a less invasive treatment called endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) may be used instead. Guided by X-ray imaging, the surgeon inserts a tiny device to reinforce the artery wall and exclude the aneurysm. EVAR requires only two small incisions, making the recovery time much shorter, generally 1 to 3 days in the hospital.
It’s important to know your family history. If you have a higher risk for abdominal aortic aneurysm, follow these suggestions:
- Stop smoking
- Follow a healthy, low-sodium diet
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Get regular exercise
- Have your blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly
Ask your primary care doctor to evaluate you for medications that can help control your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol levels, or thin your blood.
Overview
200,000 people are diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm every year.
When the wall of a blood vessel weakens, a balloon-like enlargement called an aneurysm can develop. This happens most often in the abdominal aorta, a major blood vessel that supplies blood to your legs.
As the aneurysm gets bigger, it places more pressure on the weakened area of the vessel wall. Sometimes the vessel ruptures and begins bleeding, which can cause serious problems or even death.
Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is the 15th leading cause of death in American adults, and the 10th leading cause of death for men age 55 and older.
Causes / Symptoms
The exact cause of an AAA is unknown, but aneurysms tend to run in families. If your mother, father or sibling has had an abdominal aortic aneurysm, you are 12 times more likely to develop one. In addition to family history, these factors may contribute to abdominal aortic aneurysms:
- Inflammation that causes weakening of the aortic artery wall
- Smoking or tobacco use
- Age (50+ for men, 60+ for women)
- History of atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol
- Heart disease or peripheral vascular disease
Other less-common factors include tears in the arterial wall, infections, and congenital connective tissue disorders.
Symptoms
Because abdominal aortic aneurysms can develop slowly over time, they often have no symptoms unless the aneurysm expands rapidly or suddenly ruptures.
Symptoms of AAA rupture include:
- Pain in the abdomen or back (severe and sudden or persistent and constant)
- Dizziness or passing out
- Nausea and vomiting
- Rapid heart rate
- Clammy skin
Diagnosis
Most abdominal aortic aneurysms have no symptoms. They are sometimes found during an evaluation for another medical condition. An abdominal ultrasound is the most frequently used test to screen and measure an AAA. The procedure is safe and painless.
Your vascular surgeon may recommend a CTA (computerized tomographic angiography) to better assess the aneurysm’s location, size and extent of impact, and to determine the best type of repair.
Treatment
Small AAAs are usually not treated, as they have a low risk of rupturing. Your doctor will monitor the growth with an ultrasound every 6 to 12 months.
If the AAA is enlarging rapidly, or if you’re having symptoms, your vascular surgeon may repair the artery with a prosthetic graft, placed through an abdominal incision. Most patients are hospitalized 4 to 10 days, and recovery can take up to 3 months.
When appropriate, a less invasive treatment called endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) may be used instead. Guided by X-ray imaging, the surgeon inserts a tiny device to reinforce the artery wall and exclude the aneurysm. EVAR requires only two small incisions, making the recovery time much shorter, generally 1 to 3 days in the hospital.
Reducing Risk
It’s important to know your family history. If you have a higher risk for abdominal aortic aneurysm, follow these suggestions:
- Stop smoking
- Follow a healthy, low-sodium diet
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Get regular exercise
- Have your blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly
Ask your primary care doctor to evaluate you for medications that can help control your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol levels, or thin your blood.
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