The aorta is the largest artery in the body. It starts at the heart and passes through the chest to the abdomen. Aortic aneurysms can develop anywhere along the aorta. Once an aneurysm has started to develop, it slowly expands in diameter over a period of several years. As an aneurysm grows larger, the wall of the artery thins. When the strength of the aneurysm wall becomes too weak the wall can break, resulting in a ruptured aneurysm.

There are several options for treatment of aortic aneurysms. Here again, understanding the risks and benefits of the different forms of treatment options are critical. For the remainder of the discussion we will consider aneurysms limited only to the abdomen in the most common configurations, and descending, ascending, and thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms will not be included.

Individuals with the following characteristics are at risk for developing Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms:

aortic aneurysm is a bulging or "ballooning" that forms in a weakened area of the aorta, the large artery that exits from the heart and carries blood to the rest of the body and to the other major arteries. An abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs in the part of the aorta in the abdomen, usually below the kidneys. Abdominal aortic aneurysms can sometimes leak or rupture, resulting in serious bleeding and possibly death.

aneurysm is a dilatation—or a bulging ballooning out—of the walls of an artery. An aortic aneurysm is bulging out of the walls of the aorta, which is the largest artery in the body and carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Aneurysms that involve the part of the aorta in the chest (thorax) are called thoracic aortic aneurysms, whereas those involving the part of the aorta in the belly or abdomen are called abdominal aortic aneurysms.

aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition that occurs at a rate of about 3 cases per 100,000 people per year. It involves a tearing away of the innermost lining of the aorta. It is not unlike when you put on an old winter coat, but as you slide your arm into the sleeve your fingers catch a tear in the sleeve’s lining, leading your arm into the space between the inner lining and the outer layer of the coat sleeve.

The wall of the aorta is normally very elastic. It can stretch and then shrink back as needed to adapt to blood flow. But some medical problems, such as high blood pressure and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), weaken the artery walls. These problems, along with the wear and tear that naturally occurs with aging, can result in a weak aortic wall that bulges outward.

Aneurysms are often diagnosed by chance during exams or tests done for other reasons. In some cases, they are found during a screening test for aneurysms. Screening tests help your doctor look for a certain disease or condition before any symptoms appear. Experts recommend screening tests for aneurysms for men between the ages of 65 and 75 who have ever smoked. These men are more likely to have an aneurysm than are women or nonsmoking men.

No. Unfortunately abdominal aneurysms are also highly hereditary and should be detected before they can rupture.

Many patients with ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms at younger ages (30s, 40s, 50s) have Marfan syndrome or a bicuspid aortic valve as the cause. However, there are other people who have aneurysms at a young age and it appears to run in their family. A number of such families have been studied and found to have a genetic abnormality that accounts for the aortic aneurysms. This is now called a familial thoracic aortic aneurysm syndrome.

In about 20% of people more than one aneurysm is found at the time of the angiogram. However, the haemorrhage will have only come from one of the aneurysms. The chance of an aneurysm rupturing if it has never bled before, is very small. If you have more than one aneurysm, your neurosurgeon will discuss this with you, and whether further surgery or treatment would be needed for any other aneurysms.

aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge in a blood vessel that can affect any large vessel in your body. An aneurysm happens when the pressure of blood passing through part of a weak blood vessel forces the vessel to bulge outward, forming what you might think of as a thin-skinned blister. Not all aneurysms are life threatening, but those found in the arteries in our bodies often need to be treated. If the bulging stretches the artery too far, this vessel may burst, causing a person to bleed to death.

In certain circumstances, and for certain aneurysms that do not involve the ascending aorta, there is a new technique known as stent graft repair. It is the equivalent of a minimally invasive approach for aneurysm repair. Such stent-graft procedures can only be performed at select medical centers by physicians specifically trained in this field.

When an aneurysm is not large enough that you need surgery, your doctor will treat you with medications to control your blood pressure and heart rate, in order to reduce the force of your blood against the wall of the aorta. The size of your aorta will be followed closely with repeated CT scan, MRI scans, or echocardiograms (ultrasound examination of the heart), to monitor for any growth. If the aneurysm grows large enough in size, surgery may then be recommend (see above).

The pressure on the aortic valve is expected to be lower when the C-Pulse deflates just prior to the heart ejecting blood, and higher when the aortic valve is closed and the C-Pulse inflates as the heart is re-filling. Overall, the average aortic pressure does not vary significantly from normal blood pressure.

The consequences of aneurysmal rupture depend on the severity of the bleed. The outcomes range from only having a headache to having different degrees of neurologic deficits, including being in a persistent vegetative state, to death. Approximate 50% of people die following an aneurysmal bleed.