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Anyone have experience with an abdominal aortic aneurism
Just wondering if anyone has had a personal experience with the condition.
Any feedback would be much appreciated. |
The lead singer from Type-O Negative had an experience with it.
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what size is your aneurysm? What are you wanting to know?
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The aneurism is at 4.5cms. But the doctor told him to come back in a year for re-testing to see if it was growing. When I heard the news - the first thing that came to mind was "a year?!" Seems like a very long time between testing. Should it be more frequent? I'm wondering what the risks are with corrective surgery. And any other helpful info from a first-person perspective or experience would be greatly appreciated. |
Abdominal aortic aneurysm is what killed Albert Einstein.
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I don't have any personal experience. I know, that's what you were hoping for, but it's a rare thing so might not find any here with it. Have you checked out any forums on the topic to read any first-hand experiences?
It's very treatable, though pretty invasive surgery to undertake depending on how big it gets and where it's located exactly (don't youtube it, whatever you do!) I, too, find that 1 year wait for any type of aneurism to be absurd. A good family friend of mine had a brain aneurism pop on her, was not a pleasant experience. She's perfectly fine now though and miraculously, her life-long migraines are now gone. 4.5cms seems kinda big... |
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4.5cms is considered a big aneurism - but according to wikipedia 5-5.5cms becomes the point at which corrective surgery is considered less risky than no surgery. The difference of only 1cm seems damn small to me - which is why it puzzles me about the 1 year timeframe before the next check-up. 'preciate the comments and input. :) |
all the best man
'a year' is weird to me as well, id do the second/third opinion thing, and frankly would probably force the issue at 6 months to get an idea on the growth. |
I'm sure a doctor has experience with it. Just the name alone strikes fear into me.
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Best get a second opinion, preferably from a specialist on that particular condition. If the doctor your family member already saw IS a specialist, see another one.
No direct personal experience here, but in my years working on CVT (Cardio-Vascular Thorasic Unit) I had a few occasions to take care of abdominal aneurysm cases, both pre and post surgery. Every case is different of course but it's a serious thing, and like many things if it's caught and dealt with early it can very often be a much lighter ordeal than some might think. These days even quad bypass and valve replacement surgerical patients are in and out in a matter of days, not weeks. The technologies and procedures they have now are quite incredible really. Seriously, if there was ever a time when you'd want a second opinion it's now, for this. Waiting a year on a ticking time bomb doesn't sound like much fun, but if two different docs say that's the best way to proceed then it's probably the right call. |
Doctors do not order... They suggest.
He suggested you come back in a year. Get a 2nd opinion and go back in 3 months If he asks why you didn't wait a year, tell him you will be back then too. ;) Good luck with it. |
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Was the diagnosis by a board certified vascular surgeon of repute? |
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No, sound uncomfortable. Try eating oatmeal for bfast and some green tea twice a day. |
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4.5 is very small for the area it is at, almost to the point where you wouldn't even worry about it. when it gets above 7.0 is when you should start looking into surgery. being that it is only 4.5 I don't think a year sounds bad. Just make sure your family member gets their blood pressure under control and may want to stay away from doing anything really strenuous. as far as the risks your chances are very good with having the surgery done. If it ruptures you have about a 90%+ chance of dying. but again 4.5 is very small and you shouldn't worry to much. |
I have another question. What type of scan did they do to find the aneurysm? Like I said 1 year doesn't sound uncommon but then again if it was me, I'd get a second opinion and make sure to have a ct scan for accuracy.
Also, every one keeps saying 4.5 sounds big, that is because the types of aneurysms they are used to hearing about are in other much smaller area's :2 cents: |
I'd go to the Cleveland Clinic for an assessment, world renowned heart institute/clinic. They'll probably agree with your relative's doctor's opinion but it will make the relative and family feel better about the situation.
Einstein did die of an aortic aneurysm in his stomach at I think 75. Weird, he refused surgery, chose to die. Maybe in those days the surgery had little chance of success. |
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As I said, I just found out about this last night - so I'm still somewhat reeling over the news and trying to find out as much as I can in a short time. Trying to keep my apprehension in check...but not doing a good job of it. Thanks Barry (and to everyone that's offered helpful advice in the thread so far). |
Not many people get them treated, because not many people even know they have it until it ruptures. And unfortunately, that's the end of most of them.
If I had one, I'm not even sure if I'd like to know about it. I guess I would absolutely avoid doing anything that raises blood pressure or activities that could cause it to tear. |
A year between is probably because you're in Canada. If you were here in the states they're be checking you once a month and billing the insurance company as much as possible for each visit.
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This seems pretty informative: |
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:thumbsup |
definitely have him go earlier
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I'll make every effort to convince him into going for follow-ups much sooner. We haven't had the chance to sit down and talk it all over yet - that'll be this weekend. Until then, I'm reading everything I can about it to try and be at least a bit knowledgeable about it. The more I know...hopefully the more convincing I can be about the concerns and how we should proceed. |
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Naw, but seriously...it's definitely gonna be a wake up call, that's for sure. |
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