Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)

An aneurysm is a condition in which the artery wall is weakens and causes an abnormal bulge. An Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm is a weakening in the wall of the aorta. The aorta is the main artery connected directly to the heart and carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. If the aortic wall is weak, it can bulge and rupture.

An AAA is sometimes known as the silent killer because often times, the condition presents no symptoms. However some patients feel abdominal pain, lower back pain, or pulsing in the abdomen.

Once an aneurysm bursts, symptoms may be sudden, extremely severe headache, nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, a drooping eyelid, seizure and loss of consciousness. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms of a ruptured AAA should seek immediate medical attention.

Treatment

Interventional Radiologists perform a minimally invasive procedure which involves X-Ray guidance of a catheter into the site of the bulge through a pinhole puncture. Then a stent graft is placed to reline the weakened aorta. Unlike surgery, an interventional repair does not require a large abdominal incision and also has a shorter recovery time. Patients typically spend one night in the hospital and spend two weeks recovering after an interventional repair. A surgical repair requires several days of hospital stay and six to eight weeks of a recovery period.