Aorta size

[Alisbabas]

Hi,

Last year my aorta was 38mm this year it is 40, is this an average growth in a year?

I have a bicuspid valve.

Thanks

Alison

[Alisbabas]

Anybody with advice please

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum! I was hoping somebody with more experience of the condition might reply. Anything over ~30mm is considered enlarged and I believe 45mm and above is when surgery might be considered. 2mm per annum appears to be an average but it varies with age, sex and other medical conditions. You should be being monitored every 6 - 12 months minimum! When I went for my aortic scan one gentleman was 135mm. He was not allowed to leave and an ambulance was called. Good luck going forward!

[Alisbabas in reply to MichaelJH]

Thanks Michael

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to MichaelJH]

Aorta aneurysm screening is rountinely offered to all men over 65 in the UK.

nhs.uk/conditions/abdominal...

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Milkfairy]

Oh, I only felt 35 today! There's an admin error somewhere! 😁

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to MichaelJH]

😊

[JulianM in reply to Milkfairy]

If it's an aneurysm related to a bicuspid valve, it's usually an ascending aortic aneurysm, which is a very different thing to an abdominal aortic aneurysm. If you have them in your family, there's a chance of getting screened but otherwise it's very random whether and when they get picked up. I was lucky to have my ascending aortic aneurysm (with a tricuspid aortic valve) picked up from a research study; if it hadn't been, there's a moderate chance I'd have discovered it after a dissection, probably in the later stages of a sports event.

40mm is moderate dilation, definitely not normal (it's more than two standard deviations above the mean), and should be monitored, with a combination of CT or MRI and echo - if you're lucky, the echo will be enough for most purposes, including monitoring the valve. However, it is unlikely to carry a high risk of dissection, unless there are some genetic factors beyond the valve, which is why (I'd hope) you have been asked about your family history.

2mm growth in a year is higher than average for ascending aneurysms; bicuspid valve ones tend to grow faster than tricuspids, so probably relatively normal. There's an issue, that 2mm is around the accuracy of the measurements - so further monitoring is likely to be the main thing.

If you are into competitive sports or your job involves heavy lifting, you might want to take medical advice on assessing the risks of those things, but that risk is likely to be very low at this stage.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to JulianM]

Thank you for your very informative reply.

Taking part in research does indeed have many unforeseen benefits.

[Alisbabas in reply to JulianM]

Hi

Very informative 👌

Thanks everyone

Ali

[N1kk1B]

Hi Alisbabas.

I also have a thoracic aortic aneurysm and a bicuspid valve. I discovered it after a car accident in Feb 18, it measured 40mm at the time. A little over a year later it measured 45mm. I have an echocardiogram booked for the 17th December to see if it has increased in size. Definitely a little anxious about it, but I know that if it turns out that it has then I'm in good hands and will be guided by the experts. Listen to any advice given and try not to worry too much as that'll have an adverse effect on your health too.

[Alisbabas in reply to N1kk1B]

Thanks N, let us know how you get on

Al