Aortic Aneurysm – SIMS
What is Aorta?
- Your aorta is the main tube that transports blood from the heart to the rest of your body.
- It’s shaped like a candy cane and is about the width of a garden hose.
- When a problem occurs with the aorta, the blood supply to the heart and entire body may be affected.
According to American Heart Association, an Aneurysm is a localized sac or dilation formed when part of an artery wall weakens, allowing it to widen abnormally or balloon out. This bulge can cause internal bleeding.
What is an Aortic disease?
The aorta may be affected by three different ways
- Aneurysm- the aorta becomes swollen.
- Dissection- a tear in the aorta.
- Occlusion – blockage of the aorta.
Who are at risk of developing aortic disease?
People who have the following conditions may be at higher risk for developing aortic diseases.
- High blood pressure when left untreated.
- Genetic conditions, such as Marfan’s Syndrome which causes weakness in the aorta . This happens in young people (<40 years).
- High cholesterol (atherosclerosis):
- Smoking: People with a history of smoking are 3 to 5 timesmore likely to develop aortic problems.
- Old Age – especially > 65 yrs.
What can be the symptoms if you have an aortic disease?
Sudden symptoms occur when an aortic emergency like dissection occurs.
- Sudden pain in the chest/ back/ stomach/ jaw which is sharp and felt like a tear or stab
- Sudden difficulty to breath
- Sweating
- Sudden weakness of legs
Aortic aneurysms may not have any symptoms until it grows to a sufÞcient size to cause pressure related symptoms ,depending on the location of the aneurysm, like,
- Chest / back / stomach pain
- Breathing difficulty or
- Change in voice
Symptoms due to blocks in the aorta may be,
- Leg pain on walking.
- Blackening of the legs.
- Cold and numb legs
- Stomach pain after eating
How is an aortic disease treated?
There are two main treatment options for aortic diseases.
Open Surgery
Repair or replace the affected part of the aorta.
Endovascular surgery
Replacing the diseased segment using a stent,without open surgery. Usually done through a small cut in the groin.
What we offer at SIMS – Aortic Aneurysm centre ?
We at SIMS have state of the art facilities for diagnosing and treating all varieties of aortic diseases. Our expert surgical team led by senior surgeon Dr V.V.Bashi have performed more than 1500 aortic surgeries including endovascular procedures with a success rate of more than 95%.
Our Specialised aortic centre offers screening tests for early detection of aortic diseases, which includes,
Our Specialised aortic centre offers screening tests for early detection of aortic diseases, which includes,
- Specialist consultation
- Blood tests for genetic screening
- Chest x ray
- Ultrasound abdomen
- 128 multi-slice CT scan
