How is abdominal aortic aneurysm diagnosed?

Abdominal ultrasound. This is the most common test to diagnose abdominal aortic aneurysms. An abdominal ultrasound is a painless test that uses sound waves to show how blood flows through the structures in the belly area, including the aorta.

How can an aortic aneurysm be detected?

Thoracic aortic aneurysms are often found during routine medical tests, such as a chest X-ray, CT scan or ultrasound of the heart, sometimes ordered for a different reason. Your doctor will ask questions about your signs and symptoms, as well as your family’s history of aneurysm or sudden death.

What happens if an abdominal aortic aneurysm goes untreated?

In general the abdominal aortic aneurysm does not have symptoms, it’s a typically silent disease. If left untreated, and if it grows large enough, it can rupture and lead to a most likely sudden death. Aneurysm rupture is much less likely in those lower than 4-5cm.

What is the most common symptom in a client with abdominal aortic aneurysm?

Pain is the most common symptom of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The pain associated with an abdominal aortic aneurysm may be located in the abdomen, chest, lower back, or groin area. The pain may be severe or dull. Sudden, severe pain in the back or abdomen may mean the aneurysm is about to rupture.

How long can you live with aortic aneurysm?

Patients with AAAs larger than 7.0 cm lived a median of 9 months. A ruptured aneurysm was certified as a cause of death in 36% of the patients with an AAA of 5.5 to 5.9 cm, in 50% of the patients with an AAA of 6 to 7.0 cm, and 55% of the patients with an AAA larger than 7.0 cm.

What not to do if you have an aortic aneurysm?

DON’T:

1. Push, pull, bear down or lift anything heavier than 30 pounds (or 10 pounds for patients recovering from surgery).
2. Get a tattoo or body piercing.
3. Smoke (or be exposed to secondhand smoke) or use any other tobacco products.
4. Shovel snow, chop wood, dig earth or use a sledgehammer or snow blower.
5. Take illicit drugs.

Can an abdominal aneurysm heal itself?

Abdominal aortic aneurysms do not go away, so if you have a large one, you may need surgery. Surgery involves replacing the aneurysm with a man-made graft. Elective surgery, which is done before an aneurysm ruptures, has a success rate of more than 90 percent.