Aortic aneurysm

What is it?

The aorta is the large artery that leaves the heart and supplies the whole body. An aneurysm is a permanent widening of its wall along one segment. It usually develops without symptoms and is found during an imaging test. What happens next depends on the measured diameter, how fast it is growing, and your general health.

Step by step

1. 1

   A consultation is used to review your medical history, your blood pressure and the factors that influence how the aneurysm develops.

2. 2

   The diameter of the aorta is measured by ultrasound or CT angiography (a cross-sectional X-ray with contrast dye). This measurement is the reference for later checks.

3. 3

   If the diameter stays below the treatment threshold, surveillance is the chosen approach: repeat imaging at set intervals, blood pressure control and stopping smoking.

4. 4

   Above that threshold, or if the aneurysm grows quickly, treatment is indicated. The choice between an endovascular procedure and open surgery depends on the location of the aneurysm and on your anatomy.

5. 5

   The endovascular procedure passes a stent graft (a reinforced tube) through the femoral artery at the groin to line the aorta from the inside; anaesthesia is local, regional or general depending on the case.

6. 6

   Open surgery, performed under general anaesthesia, replaces the widened segment with a vascular graft. In both cases, follow-up imaging is scheduled.

Recovery and follow-up

After an endovascular procedure, the hospital stay is usually a few days and the return to activity is quick. After open surgery, the stay is longer and convalescence extends over several weeks. In both cases, a follow-up scan is scheduled and then repeated to a set timetable. Blood pressure control remains essential.