An abdominal aneurysm is essentially a swelling that occurs within a section of the aortic blood vessel. Often referred to as an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), this bulge develops due to a weakening along a portion of the arterial walls of your aorta. Tobacco use is the main culprit behind this condition, but you may also develop an abdominal aneurysm as a result of high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, obesity or infection. Regardless of the cause, the size and growth rate of the swelling usually predicates treatment.
Endovascular Grafting
While the standard form of treatment for an abdominal aortic aneurysm is open surgery, where an incision is made through the abdomen to access your abdominal cavity, there is an alternative method of repair, especially when the aneurysm is relatively large. Instead of slicing you open, so to speak, doctors can now guide a catheter through the blood vessel and into your aorta in a procedure known as endovascular grafting.
With endovascular grafting, a thin tube (catheter) is first inserted through a blood vessel in the groin and piloted up to the weakened portion of the aorta. A second tool is then steered through this tube to place a stent. Normally, the weakened portion of the aorta is removed and replaced with a synthetic tube, but in this procedure the blood vessel remains intact. The placement of this stent reinforces the weakened portion of the aortic arterial wall, ultimately serving the same purpose as the synthetic tube.
The reason the aorta needs this reinforcement is that larger aneurysms are quite vulnerable to ruptures, namely when they're larger than 5 cm. By strengthening the arterial wall, you reduce the chances of internal bleeding. And since the aorta is the major blood vessel of your body, any bleeding could become life-threatening.
Medications
In smaller to even medium-size aneurysms, your options for treatment grow, and you may be able to turn to another alternative to surgery. Though studies are still limited, some people have responded favorably to certain medications in the treatment of an abdominal aneurysm. Medications used for high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol seem to have a positive effect on the growth process of aneurysms. Statins are one of the more common cholesterol medications that slow growth of aneurysms, but you may also see a slowing through the use of angiotensin receptor blockers. Talk to your doctor to see if you're eligible.
No Treatment
Another alternative in the treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is actually no treatment at all. Typically, this option comes into play when the swelling is minimal. Smaller aneurysms aren't as prone to ruptures, particularly when they grow at a slower rate. However, you will need to have your condition monitored, as the state of an aneurysm can change at any time. If your doctor finds that the aneurysm has swollen to beyond 5 cm or its growth rate has increased exponentially, you'll most likely need treatment.
Tags: blood vessel, high blood, abdominal aortic, abdominal aortic aneurysm, aortic aneurysm