Abdominal Aneurysm
An abdominal aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of your aorta, the main blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart. It can be caused by abdominal trauma or may happen spontaneously over time. Abdominal aneurysms can rupture suddenly and cause severe abdominal bleeding, resulting in life-threatening complications.
Who gets an abdominal aneurysm?
Abdominal aneurysms most commonly occur in people between the ages of 40 and 60. However, people can develop this condition at any age if they have certain risk factors. Risk factors include:
- Smoking cigarettes or using other tobacco products
- Having high blood pressure
- Being overweight or obese
Symptoms of abdominal aneurysm
The symptoms of an abdominal aneurysm can vary depending on the size and location of the aorta. The most common symptoms include:
- Pain in the abdomen, lower back, side, or groin that may radiate to your chest
- Nausea and vomiting
- Bloating around your belly button
- Swelling of your abdomen
- Bulging of your belly button on one side (hernia), which may be accompanied by bowel obstruction if severe enough
- Weakness in your legs
- Breathing shortness
Diagnosis of abdominal aneurysm
To diagnose an abdominal aortic aneurysm, typically, your doctor will perform a physical exam and review your medical history. If there are any signs of an abdominal aneurysm on the physical exam, then we may order further tests to help determine if you have one or not. Common tests that help diagnose abdominal aneurysms include:
- Blood tests
- CT scan
- Ultrasound
Treatment options
The treatment of abdominal aneurysms depends on the size and location of the aneurysm. Sometimes, the treatment will be medical therapy to prevent the aneurysm rupture and symptoms. Surgery can treat most abdominal aneurysm conditions.
Surgery is very effective at treating most abdominal aortic aneurysms. This is usually done through a small incision in the belly button and requires anesthesia so that you’re not awake during surgery. Surgeons may use several different techniques depending on the size of your aneurysm, which include:
Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR)
In this procedure, tiny tubes are used to place a stent that strengthens and holds open blood vessels near the aneurysm. It’s often used when surgeons haven’t much room to work around the organs inside your body.
Endarterectomy or clipping procedure
If there isn’t room for EVAR or if our doctor thinks this type of surgery would take too long, we might do an endarterectomy or clipping procedure instead. This is a quick operation where they remove part of your artery wall near where it connects with other arteries so that less blood flows into it over time. This is done by removing plaque made up of cholesterol deposits and other substances inside our bodies.
Conclusion
You don’t need to live with an abdominal aneurysm. At Washington Vascular Specialists, we will use our various treatment options to restore your health and get your life back on track. Call us today at 301-891-2500 or fill out our convenient online form to make an appointment.
