Aorta aneurysm repair Question - Aneurysm Message Board

lightning62 · 01-22-2009, 06:40 PM

Hello all--I have a question about my 77 yr old mom-who has a Aorta aneurysm at 5.2--her heart is good-Her BP is down to normal levels with BP meds and all her other reading were good..The doctor said they cant do the operation through the leg--They have to cut her-to fix the AAA--They are going to cut the bad out and graft in a new tube--My question is--Is there anyone that has had this done or does anyone know anyone who had this done in my moms age group? I'm just wondering what to expect.. Thanks so much!!!! Mark

halman · 01-23-2009, 08:59 PM

Hello Mark, I am Hal, and I am 57 yrs old and three months ago I had a aorta aneurysm repair with a artificial splice and a valve replacement of the left ventricular chamber. My number was 5.7, and doctors said it needed repaired. If your mother is 5.2 and with her age, I am a little surprised that they are recommending the surgery, as it is very hard to recover from even for my age. It would be a difficult surgery for your mom to recover from. I had a second opinion with another surgeon who told me that even at 5.7 that I could wait and have another ct scan at 6 months intervals to monitor the size. I decided to have the surgery anyway with the first surgeon. For your monther at that age it would be more risky and difficult I'm sure than myself at 57 yrs., so I wondering why a surgeon would not prefer monitoring with periodical exams instead of surgery right away. This is just my opinion. At three months after surgery I am back at work, and getting stronger, but it takes time to heal and get my strength back. Good luck with your mom. Hal

lightning62 · 01-23-2009, 09:10 PM

THANKS HAL... Mark

SherryAnne · 01-24-2009, 10:05 AM

Hi Mark, My mother-in-law just had that surgery 2 days ago but they also did a quadruple bypass at the same time. She is 84 years old...other than these issues she is healthy. I saw her last evening and she was in an extreme amount of pain (probably mostly from the drainage tubes). They said it was going to take her a minimum of three months to recover. However, at her age, it is probably going to take longer.

Mark, it is always good to get a second opinion for any condition that requires surgery. I hope things go well with your mom.

lightning62 · 01-24-2009, 10:39 AM

Thanks so much!!!