Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) is a condition where the lower part of the aorta, the major blood vessel supplying blood to the body, becomes enlarged. This bulging section of the aorta can be life-threatening if it ruptures, causing severe internal bleeding. Risk factors for AAA include age, smoking, high blood pressure, and a family history of aneurysms. Often, AAAs develop slowly without symptoms, making regular screenings crucial for early detection and management.

An aneurysm is a “bulge” in the blood vessel caused by weakening of the blood vessel wall. One of the most common locations for an aneurysm is the main artery in the body – the abdominal aorta, called an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Rupture of this vessel accounts for 15,000 deaths per year, yet they may have no symptoms. This silent killer has been called “the U-boat in the abdomen.” Risk factors for aneurysm development include arteriosclerosis and cigarette smoking. Traditional treatment for an abdominal aortic aneurysm involves major abdominal surgery to “tie-off” the bad segment of vessel and do a bypass operation with polyester graft material. This surgical procedure can be lifesaving, but has a high rate of morbidity, especially among the elderly and in patients with other serious medical conditions.

If left untreated, an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm can continue to expand and ultimately rupture, leading to a medical emergency. Symptoms of a ruptured aneurysm can include sudden, intense pain in the abdomen or back, low blood pressure, and signs of shock. Immediate medical attention is necessary to address a ruptured AAA, and surgical intervention is typically required to repair the damaged aorta and prevent further complications.

Preventative measures for AAA include managing risk factors such as controlling blood pressure, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. For those diagnosed with an AAA, regular monitoring through imaging tests is essential to track the aneurysm’s size and growth. In some cases, elective surgery may be recommended to repair an aneurysm that is at risk of rupturing based on its size and growth rate.

Key Points:

• Enlargement of the lower part of the aorta
• Risk factors: age, smoking, high blood pressure, family history
• Symptoms of rupture: severe pain, low blood pressure, shock
• Preventative measures: risk factor management, regular monitoring

Treatment: Treatment for AAA typically involves surgical repair to prevent rupture. Options include open abdominal surgery to replace the affected section of the aorta with a synthetic graft or endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), a less invasive procedure where a stent graft is placed inside the aorta to reinforce the weakened area.

The interventional radiologists of VIR Chicago are among the few in Illinois who can treat aneurysms with a new device called a stent-graft or endograft, which is released from inside the vessel to seal off the aneurysm from the inside out and is delivered to the abnormal vessel through small tubes that enter the leg arteries.

Our doctors in the Chicago area have performed over 800 successful aneurysm endograft procedures. We participated in the PIVOTAL research study, a randomized trial studying the effect of stent grafts in smaller sized aneurysms. We treat aortic aneurysms in the chest as well. At VIR Chicago, abdominal aortic aneurysm procedures are performed with our vascular surgery colleagues using a team approach, and patients are selected by clinical evaluation and detailed review of medical imaging.

The cutting-edge technology of an aneurysm endograft has much less risk, less blood loss, shorter hospital stays, and much shorter recovery times than traditional open surgery. Aneurysms almost anywhere in the body can be treated using this new technology. Screening programs are available to detect an abdominal aortic aneurysm.