Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are a pathological dilation of the aorta greater than 2.5cm and affect more than 4% of the male population and 1% of women aged 60 years or older. Screening is recommended among men and women older than age 65, and is covered by Medicare for patients with a family history and men with a history of smoking. Due to its asymptomatic nature, AAA is usually found incidentally during another radiological investigation. Many factors are associated with AAA development, but it is most commonly found in conjunction with atherosclerosis. There is currently no pharmacological intervention specifically for AAA, though statin therapy has shown some promise.
The aneurysm will invariably grow, with an average rate of expansion of less than 0.5cm per year. As the aneurysm grows larger the chance of the rupture increases significantly with this outcome carrying an extremely high rate of mortality. Surgical intervention is recommended once the diameter reaches 5.5cm in men or about 5cm in women. There are two approaches to the repair of the aorta: the open surgical approach and the endovascular approach. The open surgical procedure replaces the affected portion of the aorta with a graft. The endovascular procedure places an endograft within the intact aneurysm, effectively excluding the affected section of vessel. The endovascular method carries a lower perioperative mortality rate than the open procedure, but over time can require additional surgeries to prevent continued aneurysm expansion due to blood flow in the aneurysm sac. Additionally, lifetime surveillance of the endograft is required to monitor its integrity and effectiveness.
Lifestyle changes and possible pharmacological interventions in patients with AAA should focus on cardiovascular health changes to improve overall health and minimize risk factors for continued development of the aneurysm. In patients who will require repair particular attention should be paid to individual risks and preferences. The open repair procedure may be preferable in patients with better overall health and a longer life expectancy, while endovascular repair may be beneficial for more elderly or frail patients. Research and technology in this area are developing quickly, particularly for endovascular procedures, and the near future may see important changes in the risk-benefit analysis of AAA surgical interventions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/14374 |
| Date | 22 January 2016 |
| Creators | Trussler, James |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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