Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA): Symptoms and Surgery

The aorta is the largest artery in your body, and it has an important job — carrying oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood from the heart to the lower body. An AAA, which is an abnormality in the wall of the aorta, can put the vessel at risk of serious damage that can disrupt blood flow to the body. A surgeon can repair an AAA before that happens, but complications are medical emergencies that require immediate surgery.

Find out if you have an AAA with Beaufort Memorial’s $60 vascular screening package, which includes an AAA scan.

What Is Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm?

If there is a weak spot in the wall of the abdominal aorta, an AAA — a bulge in the artery wall — can develop. If the aneurysm grows large enough, it can burst — known as a ruptured aneurysm — and leak blood. Another complication of an AAA is dissection, which is a split in the wall of the artery that allows blood to enter and damage the vessel.

Experts aren’t sure exactly what causes an AAA, but several factors can increase your risk, including:

• Being a man older than age 60
• Coronary artery disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Inflammation of the aortic walls
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Smoking

You also have a higher risk if a first-degree relative had an AAA.

Signs of an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Symptoms are uncommon and typically occur when an AAA ruptures or is on the verge of rupturing, which is a medical emergency. Signs include:

• Dizziness
• Elevated heart rate
• Fainting
• Nausea
• Sudden, intense pain in your abdomen or back
• Vomiting

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Diagnosis

Because symptoms are rare, a physician is more likely to diagnose an AAA if you have an abdominal ultrasound or CT scan for another medical condition. Another possibility is that your physician notices a lump or stiffness in your abdomen that warrants investigation with imaging.

However, if you have any of the risk factors above, you are welcome to schedule a $60 vascular screening package, which includes an AAA screening and does not require making an appointment with your provider.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Treatment

If you develop an AAA that ruptures or dissects, you’ll need surgery right away. If you’re diagnosed with AAA before complications arise, your cardiologist will determine the best treatment based on the size of the aneurysm.

An AAA that is less than 5 centimeters in diameter usually doesn’t require surgery. Instead, your cardiologist may recommend an ultrasound at least annually to track the AAA’s growth, as well as lifestyle changes to improve your heart health, such as exercising, quitting smoking and managing high blood pressure.

An AAA larger than 5 centimeters in diameter usually needs surgical repair. One option is open surgery through a large incision to replace the damaged section of the aorta with a prosthetic. Another option is endovascular surgery, during which the surgeon makes two small incisions and uses X-ray guidance and a catheter to place a stent in the affected area of the aorta. The stent seals off the AAA while allowing blood to flow through the vessel.