Mild ascending Aorta?

Mild Ascending Aorta

by Gemita - 2023-11-27 07:27:24

Hello Millie, welcome back.  I know you will be concerned about your enlarged aorta, a condition affecting the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.  

Firstly your doctors will be watching you carefully and will intervene if and when the size of your aorta concerns them or if they notice any adverse effects, so try not to worry.  After all, you are still active and feeling okay, which is a very good sign. 

You will have so many questions, but here are a few I would want to ask:

How big is too big and at what stage would you recommend surgery?

What does "watchful waiting" mean and how frequently will I need monitoring?

What symptoms should alert me of a possible problem or will I remain symptom free?  

Is my aorta dilation stable or growing?  If growing, what is the rate of growth since my last investigation?  

What can I do to try to control the growth of my Aorta?

In your shoes, I would make sure that you continue to have frequent follow ups and to watch for any signs of growth.  Keep blood pressure well under control, continue to exercise as normal (if your cardiac team advises this) and watch your diet to keep cholesterol levels within healthy range.

Finally, do you have confidence in your cardiac team Millie?  As long as you have the best doctors taking care of you, I would not be concerned or worried at this stage.  I hope you stay safe and well

ascending aortic aneurysm

by Good Dog - 2023-11-27 07:55:29

Your ascending aortic aneurysm is a faily common problem for men over 60 and women over 70. 39 mm is not a reason for concern at this point in time. I have one that is 45 mm (I am a 74 year old man). It has been fairly stable for the previous couple of years. An echo is not the most accurate means to measure an aneurysm, but is usually sufficient if it is stable or unless your Doc recommends otherwise. It just needs to be monitored regularly at least once per year. A CT is most commonly recommended for greater accuracy. I receive a CT once/year to monitor my aneurysm. I am unaware of any means to manage it other than controlling your BP.

If it grows to somewhere between 50 mm and 55 mm, then there will likely be a need to intervene. It is entirely possible that your aneurysm will remain stable and not require any intervention at all. It just needs to be monitored. Not to worry!

I wish you the very best!

Sincerely,

Dave

Mine was 5.5cm

by USMC-Pacer - 2023-11-27 13:26:34

At 42 (2007) mine was at 5.5 CM when they told me it was time for surgery. Mine was the result of a congenital bicuspid aortic valve so the surgery was more due to the ascending aorta than the valve. They took care of both while they were in there. They replaced my ascending aorta with a Dacron Graft which is still fine after all these years. It was done via mini-sternotomy. 

They were watching this for over 10 years so it is not a rapid progression. IMO if you don't have valve issues, it may not change much for a long time. For me, my valve was becoming stenotic cause a jet which accelerated the ballooning of the aorta creating a "timebomb." They watched it closely doing an echo every six months for the last few years.. 

USMC-Pacer - Thanks

by Good Dog - 2023-11-28 07:44:29

 USMC-Pacer - I just want to thank you for your input here. Although I have known about my aneurysm for some time now, it is helpful to learn more from someone that has experienced it through a successful repair. Frankly, I am a little dissapointed that we did not receive more responses on this. My wife just had a 5 cm abdominal aneurysm repaired with a stent graph. It was discovered inadvertently as a result of a CT for another issue. It was about a 4 hour procedure. That incident highlighted the biggest danger with an aneurysm; being unaware that you have it!

Sincerely,

Dave

Good Dog

by USMC-Pacer - 2023-11-28 12:05:05

Dave, glad I could help and thank God they found that for your wife!