Thoracic & Abdominal Aneurysm
An aneurysm is a balloon like enlargement of an artery. The aorta is the artery that runs from the left ventricle
of the heart through the chest and abdomen supplying oxygen rich blood to throughout the body. Aortic aneurysms
occur more often than any other type of aneurysm. There are two types of aortic aneurysms: thoracic aortic
aneurysms (TAA's) and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA's).
When the walls of the aortic artery become weak, they bulge and stretch. Aortic aneurysms can grow for an
indefinite period of time and can go undetected if the aneurysm doesn't rupture or affect other organs. Aneurysms
are often detected when a computed tomography (CT) scan is performed for other medical reasons. Without early
detection, aneurysms can cause serious physical pain, restrict blood flow, cause heart disorders and can rupture
causing life threatening hemorrhaging.
Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms
Thoracic aortic aneurysms make up 25% of all aneurysms and occur in the thorax or chest. TAA's are not detected often and do not cause significant symptoms in the early stages. When a TAA enlarges, it can interfere with functioning of the aortic valve. When the aortic valve cannot close properly because of a TAA, blood can flow backwards into the heart causing significant heart damage. Frequently TAA contain clots and debris which can be shed into the blood stream causing damage to other organs as well. Thoracic aneurysms can also rupture with almost all patients dying as a result. In fact, in half of the patients with TAA, aneurysm related complications are the cause of death.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
Abdominal aortic aneurysms make up 75% of all aneurysms and can occur in any part of the aorta that runs through the abdomen. AAA's tend to grow quite large because they tend to grow undetected. Approximately 20% of all AAA will rupture. A ruptured AAA causes internal bleeding and shock which is life threatening even when immediately treated. Three of four patients with ruptured AAA die despite the best of care.
Surgical Treatment
Thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms require surgical treatment. Open or endovascular approaches are available. Open surgical repair requires a large incision in the chest or abdomen or both. While highly successful open repair has a significant risk of complication and a long recovery period. Endovascular aneurysm repair is a new technique using an endovascular stent graft to reline the inside of the aneurysm and prevent rupture. The approach is minimally invasive and most patients go home the next day. The long term results are unknown but at ten years follow-up appear to be equal to those obtained with open repair.
The surgeons at MountainStar Cardiovascular Associates specialize in open and endovascular aneurysm repair. Whether you live in Salt
Lake City, Ogden, or Utah Valley, or anywhere in the country, contact MountainStar Cardiovascular Surgery
Cardiovascular Associates or call us at 801-743-4750 today.