JulianeMaggio991

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a dilation (ballooning) of section of the aorta that is inside of the abdomen. An abdominal aortic aneurysm mostly causes no indicators until it ruptures (bursts). A ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm is often critical. An aorta abdominales much less than 50 mm wide carries a decreased expectation of rupture. A surgical procedure to fix the aneurysm can be suggested if it is greater than 50 mm, as previously mentioned this size the threat of rupture improves. Individuals aged 65 and more are to be proposed a routine scan to screen for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

What is the aorta? The aorta is the most significant artery (blood vessel) in the human body. It carries blood from the heart and descends through the chest and the abdomen. Many arteries come off the aorta to supply blood to all parts of the body. At about the level of the pelvis the aorta divides into two arteries, one going to each leg.

What is an aneurysm and an abdominal aortic aneurysm? An aneurysm is where a area of an artery widens (balloons out). The wall of an aneurysm is vulnerable than a normal artery wall. The force of the blood in the artery results in the weaker section of wall to balloon.

 

Aneurysms could take place in any existing artery, but they most generally occur in the aorta. Most aortic aneurysms arise in the area of the aorta that goes through the abdomen. These are identified as abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Sometimes they occur in the section going through the chest. These are known as thoracic aortic aneurysms.

The normal size of the aorta in the abdomen is related to 20 mm. An abdominal aortic aneurysm is said to be present if a area of the aorta within the abdomen is 30 mm or more in diameter.

The rest of this booklet is mainly about AAAs.

AAAs range in size. As a rule, when you strengthen an AAA, it leads progressively to obtain larger. The rate at which it gets larger varies from person to person. However, on average, an AAA leads to get larger by about 10% per year.

What causes an abdominal aortic aneurysm? In the majority of cases The particular explanation why an aneurysm forms in the aorta in most cases is not clear. Most scenarios occur in older people. An AAA is rare in people less than the age of 60. Therefore, ageing has a significant role to play.

The wall of the aorta commonly has layers of sleek muscle, and layers made from tissues called elastin and collagen. Elastin and collagen are powerful encouraging tissues. What seems to happen is that a part of the aorta loses its normal toughness and elasticity in some people as they grow older. Researches suggests that this is because of to changes in the elastin, collagen and smooth muscle tissues. There seem to be difficult biochemical processes that cause these transformations. Some people are more susceptible than others to these changes.

Your hereditary make-up plays a part, as you have a significantly higher chance of getting an AAA if one of your parents has, or had, one.

Atheroma could as well play a part. Atheroma is a fatty material that stores within the inside of lining of arteries. Atheroma is sometimes termed furring of the arteries. Most AAAs are lined with some atheroma. Any individual can develop atheroma, but it develops more generally with increasing age. Several risk aspects also enhance the chance of atheroma forming. They include: smoking cigarettes, high blood tension, diabetes, raised cholesterol level, taking little exercise, and obesity. These are the same risk factors that enhance the chance of atheroma forming in the heart (coronary) arteries, which can cause angina and heart attacks. In a minority of cases Rare triggers of AAAs include injury or infection of the aorta. As well, certain rare genetic conditions can affect the artery structure. In these uncommon situations an aneurysm may develop at a rather young age.

How common are abdominal aortic aneurysms? About 6 in 100 men and about 2 in 100 women over the age of 65 have an AAA. It will become more typical with raising age. In spite of this, most people with an AAA are not aware that they have one. An AAA is rare in people under the age of 60.

What is the concern about an abdominal aortic aneurysm? The main concern is that the aneurysm might rupture (burst). The wall of the aneurysm is weaker than a usual artery wall and may not be able to stand up to the tension of blood inside. If it ruptures then severe internal bleeding occurs which is often fatal. Of course, most AAAs do not rupture - only a certain proportion (see below).

What are the symptoms and signs of an abdominal aortic aneurysm? Usually there are no symptoms. At the time of identification, 7 in 10 people with an AAA will not have had any symptoms due to the aneurysm. The ballooning of the aneurysm does not result in any symptoms except when it gets large enough to set up pressure on native structures. If symptoms do appear, they are likely to be mild abdominal or backside aches and pains. There are many factors of mild abdominal and back pain. As a result, the identification could be postponed until the aneurysm is big enough to be sensed by a medical expert when he or she inspects your abdomen.

Sometimes small blood clots form on the inside lining of an AAA. These may break up off and be carried down the aorta and block a smaller artery further on. These blood clots are called emboli and can be harmful. For example, full blockage of an artery that delivers a foot may lead to loss of blood to part of the foot, which can cause pain in the foot and gangrene if left without treatment.

If the aneurysm does rupture then you are likely to have sudden severe abdominal and/or back pain. This is commonly soon followed by crease as the internal bleeding causes a sharp drop in blood pressure.

The way in which an abdominal aortic aneurysm is diagnosed? In some cases a medical doctor feels the bulge of an aneurysm in the course of a program checking of the abdomen. Even so, many AAAs are too compact to feel.An X-ray of the abdomen (often done for different causes) will display calcium mineral stores lining the wall of an AAA in some, but not all, scenarios.An ultrasound diagnostic scan is the easiest way to detect an AAA. This is an uncomplicated evaluation. It is the similar kind of scan that pregnant women have to look at the baby in the womb. The size of the aneurysm can also be measured by ultrasound. As discussed later, it is important to know the size.A more detailed scan, such as a CT scan, is sometimes done. This may be done if your medical expert requires to know whether the aneurysm is affecting any of the arteries that come off the aorta. For illustration, if the aneurysm entails the section of the aorta where the arteries to the kidneys branch off, specialists need to recognize this information if they plan to operate.

What is the probability of an abdominal aortic aneurysm rupturing? The opportunity of rupture is low if an AAA is small. As a rule, the risk of rupture raises with raising sizing. This is much like a balloon - the larger you blow it up, the greater the pressure, and the higher the chance it will burst. The diameter of an AAA can be tested by an ultrasound diagnostic scan. The following gives overall risk figures for the size (diameter) of the aneurysm: 40 mm-55 mm: about a 1 in 100 chance of rupture per year.55 mm-60 mm: about a 10 in 100 chance of rupture per year.</li>60 mm-69 mm: about a 15 in 100 chance of rupture per year.</li>70 mm-79 mm: about a 35 in 100 chance of rupture per year.</li>80 mm or more: about a 50 in 100 chance of rupture per year.</li></ul> As a rule, for any given size, the risk of rupture is increased in smokers, females, those with high blood pressure, and those with a family background of an AAA.

Should every person with an abdominal aortic aneurysm have surgery? The simple answer is no. Operative restoration of an AAA is a significant procedure and carries threats. A small quantity of people will die while in, or quickly after, the procedure. If you have a small AAA, the danger of loss of life triggered by surgical procedure is greater than the risk of rupture. As a result, surgical procedures is usually not suggested if you have an AAA less than 50 mm wide. Even so, common ultrasound verification will commonly be suggested to observe if it gets larger over time.

Surgery treatment is usually proposed if you develop an AAA larger than 50 mm. For these larger aneurysms the risk of rupture is usually higher than the risk of medical procedures. Even so, if your common condition of health is weak, or if you have specified other medical related conditions, this could improve the danger if you have medical procedures. So, in certain situations the final decision to operate may be a really difficult one.

Urgent surgical procedure is necessary if an AAA ruptures. On average, about 8 in 10 people who have a ruptured aortic aneurysm will die due to the rapid critical bleeding. Nevertheless, emergency surgery is lifesaving in some conditions.

What surgical procedures are implemented? There are two types of medical treatment to fix an AAA.

The classic operation is to cut out the negative part of aorta and swap it by using an synthetic part of artery (a graft). This is a major procedure and, as mentioned, brings some danger. Some people die while in this operation. However, it is successful in the majority of scenarios and the aneurysm is absolutely fixed. The long-term view is fine. The graft commonly works well for the rest of your life.

A newer technique allows the aorta to be fixed by a procedure termed endovascular repair. This has become a popular option in current years. In this method a tube is passed up from inside one of the leg arteries into the area of the aneurysm. This tube is then passed throughout the widened aneurysm and repaired to the good aorta wall applying metal clips. The advantage to this specific type of fix is that there is no abdominal surgical procedure. This method is therefore safer than the standard procedure, and you need to spend less time in medical center. A negative aspect is that some patients have to undergo a further operation at a later stage to refine the early surgery.

Surgery tactics continue to develop and improve. Your surgeon will recommend about the positives and cons of surgical procedure, the different types of procedure, and the best method for you.

Other treatment options could be necessary If you have an AAA, you are most likely to have a substantial amount of atheroma that lines the artery. For this reason, you are at risk of having significant atheroma formation in other arteries, such as the coronary (heart) arteries and brain arteries. Therefore, you are likely to be at higher risk of developing heart disease (angina, heart attack, etc) and stroke.

In fact, most people who develop an aortic AAA do not die of the aneurysm but die from some other vascular disorders, such as a heart attack or stroke.

Therefore, you should consider doing what you can to reduce the risk of these disorders by other suggests. For example: Eat a healthy diet which consists of keeping a low salt intake.</li>If you are able, exercise regularly.</li>Lose weight if you are overweight.</li>Do not smoke.</li>If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.</li>If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or a high cholesterol level, they should be well controlled on treatment.</li>You may be prescribed a statin drug to lower your cholesterol level and low-dose aspirin to help prevent blood clots from forming.</li></ul> See separate leaflet called Preventing Cardiovascular Diseases for more details.

Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm Research studies propose that a program ultrasound check out is beneficial for all men aged 65. This is for the reason that most people with an AAA do not have symptoms. Following a routine diagnostic scan, surgical treatment can be presented to men found to have an aneurysm over 50 mm wide. Follow-up scans can be offered to monitor those with smaller aneurysms.

In early 2008, the authorities announced that over the subsequent five years ultrasound screening would be rolled out to enable all men in England aged 65 and over to be screened. Screening is likely to begin in Scotland in 2011. Wales and Northern Ireland have yet to announce their plans. Screening for AAA is offered only to men, as the condition is much more typical in men than in women. One study published in 2009 predicted that if all men in their 60s and 70s were screened in England then this could save nearly 2,000 lives a year. Nevertheless, there are some people who have concerns about screening for AAA; for example, see the paper by Johnson cited under 'References', below.