Surgery is recommended in order to prevent an aortic catastrophes, including aortic rupture or aortic dissection. An aortic rupture is typically a fatal event. An aortic dissection is associated with a high rate of death as well as other serious complications including heart attack, stroke, and paralysis. The risk of these events increases with aortic size.
For aneurysms less than 5 cm, the risk of aortic catastrophe is approximately 4-6% per year. When the aneurysm grows to 5-6 cm, the annual risk increases to as much as 12% per year, and at 7cm it exceeds 25% per year. Given these risks, surgery is usually recommended for patients with aneurysms 5-5.5cm in diameter.
Continue Learning about Aneurysms
Aneurysms
Aneurysms form balloons in weakened arteries of our bodies, potentially causing life-threatening problems such as a stroke. Although aneurysms can form in any weakened artery, they commonly occur in the arteries of the brain and i...
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