Dr. John Eugene M.D.

Advanced Aneurysm Care

Definition:
aneurysm (an'u-rizm) [Gr. aneurysma a widening] a sac formed by the dilation of the wall of an artery, a vein, or the heart. The chief signs of arterial aneurysm are the formation of a pulsating tumor, and often a bruit (aneurysmal bruit) heard over the swelling. Sometimes there are symptoms from pressure on contiguous parts,
abdominal a., aneurysm of the abdominal aorta.
aortic a., aneurysm of the aorta.
thoracic a., one situated within the thorax
dissecting a., one resulting from hemorrhage that causes longitudinal splitting of the arterial wall, producing a tear in the intima and establishing communication with the lumen; it usually affects the thoracic aorta. Called also aortic dissection, Laennec's disease, and Shekelton's a. (27th edition, Dorland's Medical Dictionary).

Questions and Answers:

How fast do aneurysms grow?
An Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) grows at a rate of 2 to 4 mm. annually. If a AAA grows faster than this, repair is indicated.

Is this hereditary?
Twenty (20) % of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms are hereditary. These usually occur in first-order relations (father/son, brothers, etc.)

Is AAA common in women?
AAA's a five times more likely to occur in men than women.

What are the risk factors for AAA?
The most common risk factors are hypertension and cigarette smoking. Most aneurysms are diagnosed in the 7th decade of life.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

An Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) is the swelling or ballooning of the abdominal aorta, which results from a weakened section in the artery that cannot support the force of the blood flow.

The major risk of AAA is rupture. The fatality is very high. Famous persons who have died from this disease are Albert Einstein, Lucille Ball, and George C. Scott. Often the disease goes undetected without symptoms until dissection (longitudinal splitting of the arterial wall) occurs. Most common symptoms are chest, abdominal, or pelvic pain, a pulsating, pounding sensation in the abdomen, and an actual pulsation felt in the abdomen.

The Advanced Aneurysm Care team has years of experience with both techniques for treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) the classic open surgery and the new Endovascular Stent Graft procedure. We have devoted our recent efforts to expanding the use of the endovascular technique for those patients who otherwise would not have been surgical candidates.

Repair is indicated when the patient becomes symptomatic and the aneurysm grows to be greater than 5 mm.

The classic open surgery requires an incision to repair the diseased section of the aorta by placing a Dacron Graft in the abdominal aorta that is sewn into place. The recovery period involves a hospital stay of 5 to 7 days with healing time up to 3 months before the patient can return to normal activity.

The Endovascular Stent Graft procedure is minimally invasive. The graft over a stent is passed into the aneurysm from a small incision in the groin. The graft internally bypasses and seals the aneurysm. The recovery period is much more rapid. Typically it involves a hospital stay of 3 days or less with a return to normal activity within 6 weeks of the procedure.

For additional information please contact Dr. John Eugene at these office locations.