Medical Treatments
How Are Aortic Aneurysms Treated?
Treatment for an aneurysm depends on its size and location and your general health. If the aneurysm is small and you have no symptoms, your physician may suggest a "watch-and-wait" approach with regularly scheduled images of the aneurysm to check the size.
However, if your aneurysm is large enough, or if the aneurysm is growing more than 1 centimeter (cm) per year, surgery may be your best option.
Your health-care provider will work with you to evalulate the risks of rupture and the risks of surgery.
Medical Treatment of Aortic Dissections
The aorta is composed of three layers. Aortic dissections occur when the layers separate (the way plywood will separate if left out in the rain). When dissections occur, patients typically experience severe pain in the chest or back which may be described as tearing discomfort. This most frequently takes them to the emergency room, where the diagnosis may be made.
Dissections may involve the ascending aorta alone, the descending thoracic and abdominal aorta alone, or the entire aorta.
Type of Dissection Determines Treatment
The risk of death depends on the extent of the dissection. It is highest for those aneurysms involving the ascending aorta. For that reason, most of these aneurysms are treated surgically as an emergency.
Dissections of the descending thoracic aorta can often be treated with blood pressure control. The medical treatment of aortic dissection includes aggressive control of blood pressure and heart rate while the aorta heals. Once the acute dissection has healed, adequate control of blood pressure may eliminate the need for surgery.
Lifelong monitoring of diameter of the aorta is required because a previously dissected descending thoracic aorta may enlarge and rupture.