Aortic aneurysm

[Aquanaut]

Hello all, I have been diagnosed with an root aortic aneurysm of 4.6 cm can anyone please how serious this is.

[Isobel1]

Hello, I had an aneurysm near my aortic valve , not quite the same place as yours . I had an operation this May. I think it would be best if you looked it up on the internet , it will give you a more correct answer than I can .

[wanderingmariner]

Hi, I have a dilated aortic root similar but slightly larger than yours. It is a a serious condition as it can cause the aortic valve to stretch and cause regurgitation of blood back into the left ventrical of the heart.

I am due in shortly for aortic root replacement and possibly valve replacement if the root repair does not resolve the regurgitation.

If you are asymptomatic (not getting breathless etc) they may just monitor you a bit longer however if you have private health care cover have a word with your cardiologist about going down that route to fix it. Leaving it too long can risk reduced heart function, a tear inside the aorta and even a sudden aneurysm.

Don't panic though as it is all fixable and almost a routine op these days.

[Aquanaut in reply to wanderingmariner]

Thanks for replying, good luck with your operation and I hope you feel better soon.😉

[cjbroon]

Mine was 4.9 when diagnosed in 2017 Ascendingat the root as well. I had no symptoms whatsoever. I was 49 at the time and I was only discovered because my my brother passed away of the same thing, however he was undiagnosed. My Cardiologist always said I would be fine because they knew about mine. They were excellent.

They normally don't do anything until it reaches 5.5, unless you have family history they'll repair at 5.0. But as I had a family history they repaired mine in April 2019. It was still 4.9 at that point. Surgeon felt there was no point in waiting as he believed I had an excellent chance of a full recovery at that point.

4.6 is still a bit off from surgery. I never really worried about mine during the 2 years I was monitored. I was just told no heavy lifting or straining and I would be fine.

The fact they know about you makes a huge difference in terms of treatment. Just listen to the Cardiologist's and you'll be absolutely fine.

[Aquanaut in reply to cjbroon]

Thanks for your reply, I have a family history of cardiac issues because my sister needed a heart valve replacement but sadly she passed away from a blood clot to the brain. Also 2 weeks before the diagnosis of anuerysm I was told I have LVSD because of low sats and breathlessness. Which lead to a heart scan then found anuerysm.

[Coper10]

Hello, I was found to have an aortic root aneurysm earlier this year. Mine was larger - 5.9cms so needed an operation. I had a valve replacement as well as the repair of my aorta. 14 weeks on, recovery seems to be going well. I had no warning signs prior to diagnosis so felt very lucky it was found when it was.