Massive aneurysm
An unusually massive aneurysm resected before it ruptured!! This was a case of an elective resection of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) measuring a staggering 9.5 cm in a 79 years old male patient. The resected part is shown! The abdominal aorta is 1-3 cm in diameter in most individuals, and a diameter >3 cm at the level of the renal arteries is considered to be an aneurysm. It typically occurs in people aged >60 years who are smokers, men, and with a history of coronary artery disease. The patient presented with a pulsatile abdominal mass although usually most AAAs are asymptomatic and discovered incidentally. Rupture is a potentially life-threatening complication presenting with an acute onset of severe back pain, syncope, and profound hypotension. Once the aneurysm ruptures, only about half of the patients survive to come to the hospital, hence the importance of early recognition by screening ultrasound or CT scan of the abdomen to discover it in its early stages and operative intervention. This patient was immediately taken to the operating room for emergent surgical repair of the aneurysm. The goal of AAA repair is the resection and replacement of the diseased portion of the abdominal aorta with a prosthetic vascular graft.
Im always amazed at how large they can be without rupturing!!
It would be much more appropriate and realistic to state that a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm can occur to anyone of any race or gender. I’m a 49 year old black female that survived a rupturing AAA when I was 41. It was the same size as this one. I lost 9 pints of blood, stayed in the hospital for 1 months…recovery took years. I’m finally able to walk 5000-10,000 steps a day. Doctors need to make it a point to screen everyone at the age of 35. Palpating the stomach or feeling around for a lump and heart beat is simply not enough. People are losing their lives; this is not natural. Thank you for sharing this article. I had no idea that this is how huge that aneurysm was. Astonishing. I thought I was healthy.
