[dbrow]

I have a dilated thoracic aortic arch, measuring 4.6 cm. I'm told that 4.0 cm is normal and above 4.5 cm is cause for concern. In February this aneurysm measured 4.1 cm. Does anyone have experience with this condition? What did you do to treat it?

Dbrow

[Tennis Player]

This was the problem that killed my mother, just to begin on a cheerful, upbeat note. You should know what she was 83 years old, had a lot of vascular disease and the aneurysm was on the descending aortic arch. It was explained to us that this was a very difficult procedure to pull-off for a number of reasons: 1. the location required that besides stopping the heart and lungs, one must also stop the brain for the duration of the surgery. 2. At the time (1990) there were very few surgeons who had ever performed this surgery successfully--none where I live. The chance of my mother having a good outcome at her age with her vascular disease made us decide to do nothing. Ultimately, the aneurysm started leaking and within a year she was gone. I don't recall your age but if you are under eighty, I would start looking for the surgeon who has done this procedure a significant number of times. I think there is someone at the NIH. Good luck to you. Let us know how it goes. Susan

[Tennis Player]

I wrote you a long post on this topic as my mother had an aneurysm on her descending aortic arch. I don't know what happened to my post. I'll try it again another time. Susan

[peaches217]

Dbrow,
HI my annie is not of the aortic arch. But that sounds pretty scarey. I hope everything works out okay for you. My surgery date is December 7th. Cleveland Clinic did say they could help me. It was suppose to be inoperable. Its at the basilar Terminus and no one wanted to touch it. But they are going to try and do a bypass and clip it in two places. The doctor is Peter Rasmussen from Cleveland Clinic. He has an award for best neurosurgeon in the US and also a honor and an award for best teacher. He is the director there. He said he never seen an aneurysm like mine before but knows he can fix it. It's rare and has 5 arteries feeding into it. I'm really scared but there are alot of people and churches praying. He said this kind of aneurysm will rupture and when it does I wont make it to the hospital. So yes... I'm having the surgery.
So wish me luck everyone

[mrsD]

I know someone who has this--- she has Marfan's syndrome, which affects the blood vessels.

She takes tenormin for it to keep the cardiac output pressure down.

[Cooze]

Hi dBrow

What is your update on this?

These problems are not unknown in Marfan Syndrome, Vascular Ehlers Danlos or Loeys-Dietz Syndrome. There are a number of heart surgeons who can, I believe perform these procedures. John Hopkins in Baltimore is a good place.

Hope you are ok