Abdominal aortic aneurysms have the ability to turn your life upside down. There is a lot of damage that it can inflict. The damage increased manifold in the elderly. There are more than fourteen thousand American people dying every year from Aneurysms. Most of these deaths are attributed to a sustainable loss of blood at a velocity which is too fast to provide adequate treatment in time.
Here are a few deadly facts about Abdominal Aneurysms
1. They are the 3rd largest cause of deaths among men passed the age of 60.
2. The chance of surviving this medical condition is very low. Only 1 out of every 10 patients recover from it.
3. It is believed that there are more than 1 million undiagnosed cases of abdominal aneurysms in the United States alone.
Well, when the walls of the aorta are pressurized, they run the risk of rupturing. The aorta is the artery which is responsible for delivering blood to all the lower parts of your body from its source, the heart. Abdominal aneurysms mostly occur when the walls of your aorta lose their elasticity. This eventually leads to a rupture of the artery since it is no longer capable of handling the pressure of your blood as it flows through. The formation of such aneurysms is very slow and may often develop for years without really revealing any symptoms. The people that are part of the select group that do experience early symptoms claim to have pains in their lower back, a tenderness in their chests and pulsations in their abdomen.
There are many theories on how Aneurysms are caused. But, so far, no one has been able to give any concrete evidence as to what directly causes them. Some of the factors which increase the risk of Aneurysms include clogged arteries, high blood pressure & high cholesterol. Some of the other factors are
1. Age – Persons that are over the age of 60 are more likely to suffer from abdominal aneurysms.
2. Gender – It has been determined that men have a five to ten time higher probability of getting aneurysms than women.
3. Genetics – It has also been determined that more than 15 % patients that are diagnosed with aneurysms also have other family members suffering from the same condition.
4. Smoking – This is one of the preventable causes of aneurysms. Smokers run an 8 to 9 times higher chance of getting aneurysms as compared to non smokers.
The treatment of aneurysms has an almost 95 % success rate if spotted on time. You can get an ultrasound test in order to determine whether you are in any danger. It is quick as well as painless and can also help discover the size of your aneurysm.
Endovascular surgery to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms involves a less invasive technique of surgery that has the vascular surgeon placing a stent graft into the aneurysm without actually cutting the artery. In comparison to open chest surgery, endovascular aneurysm repair only requires a few days to recuperate from and the patient could be back on his feet within a couple of weeks.
This form of treatment is perfect for patients whose overall health or age do not allow for open chest surgical procedures.
Since the inception of this method, the number of successful surgeries has increased tremendously and it has proved to be an efficient treatment for the deadly medical condition.