Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Abdominal aortic aneurysm refers to a critical disease condition caused in the lower aortic area. Typically enlargement of this major aortic segment is observed in such condition. Due to the importance of this aorta as a premier source of blood supply medium any rupture can become life threatening. At each step the treatment contains medication and proper monitoring of the situation and surgery is generally delayed till the condition becomes worst for the patient or any life risk circumstances arises. Emergency surgery in this regard always remains chancy.

Disease Statistics

Mortality from AAA is declining due to a reduction in deaths from ruptured AAAs. This was first observed in the young age groups. Men died more often and at a lower age. The Preventive Services Task Force recommends that men aged 65–75 years who have ever smoked should get an ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms, even if they have no symptoms.

Typical symptoms

Abdominal aortic aneurysm represents a sluggish growth, which is often ignored by the patients due to lack of proper and specific symptoms. Moreover, in certain cases the developed aneurysm never ruptures, therefore, decision making for surgery becomes cumbersome for the patient as well as for the responsible medical practitioner. Any kind of further prediction on the growth rate and the situation is not possible as there is varied evidence of cases which never followed any particular pattern.