Anaheim Memorial Medical Center Advanced Endovascular Institute

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Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

The aorta is the main blood vessel carrying blood throughout the body. An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a bulge or area of dilation of the aorta caused by an imbalance in the build-up and break-down of the aortic wall. If the aneurysm becomes large enough, it may rupture.

AAAs occur in about 5% of men over 60 and women over 70 and is the 10th leading cause of death in men over the age of 55, usually due to rupture. Ruptured aneurysms result in death in approximately 80-90% of cases.

Symptoms:

Most patients (70-75%) with AAA have no symptoms. If the aneurysm begins to leak or rupture, the patient may experience:

• Abdominal or back pain
• Flank or groin pain
• Low blood pressure
• Loss of consciousness

Risk factors for AAA are similar to those of atherosclerosis:

• Smoking
• Older age
• Male gender
• Family history
• Hypertension

Diagnosis:

AAAs are often found incidentally during a routine physical examination by feeling a pulsatile mass in the abdomen or on an x-ray exam performed for other reasons. Imaging modalities used to diagnose and characterize AAA include:

• Ultrasound
• A noninvasive test that can determine the presence and size of an aneurysm
• CT scan
• A specialized X-ray that shows the size and extent of the aneurysm and is used for planning operative repair
• Angiography
• An X-ray dye study often required to plan endovascular stent graft repair

Treatment:
Small AAAs (<5cm) should be regularly followed with ultrasound to track changes in size. Repair is typically performed when the AAA reaches 5cm or larger, due to increasing risk of rupture. The Advanced Endovascular Institute at Anaheim Memorial Medical Center offers endovascular stent graft and open AAA repair by some of the most experienced surgeons in Orange County. For patients who meet certain criteria, endovascular procedures typically have lower risk and shorter recovery times than conventional surgical approaches (see comparison).