Aortic Aneurysms Information: Risk Factors, Symptoms & Treatment

Understanding Aortic Aneurysms

Disease awareness and prevention are vital first steps toward creating a healthier community. That’s why South Miami Heart Center places such importance on its educational outreach efforts. The information here is an overview of aortic aneurysms—a potentially life-threatening condition.

About Aortic Aneurysms

An aortic aneurysm is a weakened, bulging area in the major vessel that supplies blood to the body. As blood flows through the aorta, the weak area bulges like a balloon and can burst if it gets too big. One of the most common aneurysms is an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). AAA is often called a “silent” disease because many people don’t know they have an aneurysm until it ruptures.

Fast Facts

AAA affects as many as 5 to 7 percent of people over the age of 60. Males are four times more likely to have an AAA than females. It is the 13th leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for approximately 15,000 deaths each year.

Risk Factors

Those at highest risk for AAA are:

• Males over the age of 60 who have a history of tobacco use
• Males who have a history of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
• Males and females with a family history of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Symptoms

Usually, there are no obvious symptoms of the disease. When symptoms are present, they may include:

• Severe abdominal pain (pain can be constant or can come and go)
• Pain in the lower back that may radiate to the buttocks, groin or legs
• The feeling of a “heartbeat” or pulse in the abdomen

The best way to know if you have an AAA is to be evaluated by your doctor. Often, he or she can hear an abnormal sound with a stethoscope placed on your abdomen or can feel the AAA by pressing gently on your abdomen. Other tests used to diagnose AAA include ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) or other X-ray exams.

Treatment

South Miami Heart Center’s vascular surgeons are experts in treating diseases of the arteries. They are fully trained in the latest techniques from minimally invasive procedures to traditional surgery. For many years, our experienced team has repaired abdominal aortic and thoracic aneurysms with excellent results. In fact, they have successfully treated many aortic aneurysms completely percutaneously, or without incisions. Their skill, combined with our location in South Miami Hospital’s state-of-the-art facilities, contributes to exceptional patient outcomes.

Small AAAs rarely rupture and often require no treatment other than “watchful waiting” under the guidance of a vascular disease specialist. When AAAs become larger or rupture, our vascular surgeons can repair them through traditional open surgery or, in most cases, a minimally invasive technique called endovascular repair. In this technique, a device called a stent-graft is threaded through a blood vessel in the groin and into the aorta to block the flow of blood into the aneurysm. South Miami Heart Center interventional radiologists also perform this minimally invasive technique.

Physician Referral

Get an online referral to a South Miami Heart Center physician or call the South Miami Heart Center Physician Referral line at 786-662-2222.