Aneurysms
What are Aneurysms?
Dilation or ‘ballooning out’ of the arteries (the tubes that deliver oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body) is known as an aneurysm. The expanding size of the aneurysm can be a life-threatening condition as the risk of bursting and ‘rupturing’ poses a threat to life.
Aneurysms can occur in most arteries but a common spot is the Aorta. The Aorta is the large blood vessel that comes out of the heart and runs down the body in front of the spine.
Aneurysms can be caused by many things including smoking, genetics, injuries and also infection.
How do we treat Aneurysms?
We treat aneurysms with different surgical interventions depending on your particular condition.
Surgical
Endovascular Stenting of the Aneurysm (EVAR and TEVAR)
Open Surgical Aneurysmal Replacement
Non-surgical
There is very little role for non-surgical management of aneurysms if they reach a certain size. This is because there is nothing that can shrink the size of aneurysms once they occur other than surgery. Some aneurysms are small enough to monitor and not treat.