Aortic Aneurysm

If you have an aortic aneurysm, you will see your doctor regularly to check on the size of the aneurysm. The size of the aneurysm and how fast it is growing both help determine how and when to treat it.

Rupture is a dangerous complication. As an aneurysm expands, the tension on the blood vessel wall increases. This causes the aneurysm to expand further, which puts even more tension on the wall. The larger the aneurysm gets, the greater the chances that it will grow larger and eventually burst. Your doctor will want to repair an aneurysm before it has a risk of rupture.

Blood clots in the aorta is another complication. When an aneurysm develops, it can damage the wall of the aorta. The damage leads to clot formation. A blood clot can narrow the aorta and slow down blood flow to the rest of the body. Pieces of the blood clot can break off and get stuck in the bloodstream. This blocks blood flow and causes damage to tissue beyond the blood clot.

Reference Inflammatory aneurysms Opens New Window are not common, but they can cause complications like fever and weight loss. A massive inflammatory reaction can affect body parts close to the aorta, including part of the small intestine, the ureter, or the veins to the kidney. Any of these body parts can become blocked by the inflammation.

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