ANEURYSMS An aneurysm is an abnormal bulge or “ballooning” in the wall of your artery. An aneurysm that grows and becomes large can burst due to an increased pressure of blood, causing dangerous, often fatal, bleeding inside your body. Most aneurysms and dissections occur in the aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

WHERE DOES AN ANEURYSM OCCUR?

• An aneurysm in the aorta in your chest is called ‘thoracic aortic aneurysm’.
• An aneurysm in the aorta in your abdomen is called ‘abdominal aortic aneurysm’.
• Aneurysms can also occur in arteries of your brain, heart, intestine, neck, spleen, back of the knees and thighs, and in other parts of your body.

WHY DOES AN ANEURYSM OCCUR?

An aneurysm can occur due to the following reasons:

• Build-up of fatty plaque in your arteries leading to a condition called ‘atherosclerosis’
• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• Infections of the arteries
• Deep wounds, injuries, or infections in your blood vessels
• A congenital abnormality (a condition that you are born with)
• Genetically inherited diseases

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF AN ANEURYSM?

Most patients with aneurysms do not even know they have one, and they are found by accident during a screening test. When patients do have symptoms, they may very depending on the type and location of the aneurysm. Some of the symptoms could be:

• Shortness of breath, a croaky or raspy voice, backache, pain in your shoulder or between your shoulder blades
• Sudden and severe ripping pain in your chest, which spreads to your back or between your shoulder blades
• Sudden stomach pain, lower back pain, or flu-like symptoms
• Pain or tenderness below your stomach, loss of appetite or even a stomach upset
• Shortness of breath, chest pain, or an irregular heart beat (arrhythmia).
  

HOW IS AN ANEURYSM DIAGNOSED?

If you have any of the above symptoms, you should see your doctor at once. If your doctor suspects an aneurysm, he may prescribe an ultrasound or other radiological imaging such as arteriography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scanning. After these tests, he will be able to ascertain the size and the location of the aneurysm.

HOW IS AN ANEURYSM TREATED?

The future course of your treatment will depend upon the size and location of your aneurysm and on your overall health. The treatment options are medication, stenting and surgery

• Medication : Smaller aneurysms of the aorta will be followed with regular check ups. If your aneurysm does not grow much, it will be left as it is. Sometimes, medications like a beta blocker may be given to reduce your blood pressure and to diminish the stress on the wall of the aorta to help minimize it growing.
• Surgery: The traditional and most common type of surgery for aortic aneurysms is open abdominal or open chest repair. It involves a major incision in the abdomen or chest. General anesthesia is needed for this procedure. Surgery of aneurysms involves replacing the weakened section of your vessel with an artificial tube, called a graft. The surgery takes 3 to 6 hours, and the patient remains in the hospital for 5 to 8 days. It often takes a month to recover from open abdominal or open chest surgery and return to full activity.
• Stenting: This is a newer and much less invasive way to repair an aneurysm. It is also called an ‘endovascular repair’. The aneurysm is not removed, but a stent graft is inserted into the aorta to strengthen it. An endovascular stent graft is a tube composed of fabric supported by a metal mesh called a ‘stent’. The graft reinforces the weakened section of the aorta to prevent the aneurysm from rupturing. Endovascular repair surgery reduces recovery time to a few days and greatly reduces time in the hospital. However, not every patient might be a candidate for this procedure.

FOLLOW UP CARE

After surgical treatment of an aneurysm, you may feel weak and lack energy. These symptoms are not unusual. However, take it easy and avoid undue stress and straining / lifting for around six weeks after the operation. Go far regular check ups to ensure that your recovery is proper.

Special Care Units / Diagnostic Equipment / Facilities

• Treadmill Test (TMT)
• Echocardiography (Colour Doppler)
• Stress Echocardiography
• 24 Hour Holter Monitoring
• Ambulatory BP Monitoring
• Stress Thallium Test
• 64 slice CT

  angiography

• Coronary and peripheral angiograph
• Electrophysiology Study
• Endovascular Suite (For the first time in India)
• Flat Panel Cath Labs with stent boost technology  

Team of Specialists: Cardiology

• Dr. B KalraConsultant- Cardiology at Artemis Health Institute, GurgaonView Profile

• Dr. Niraj KumarConsultant- Interventional Cardiology View Profile

• Dr. KubbaConsultant- CardiologyView Profile