Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm

Thoracic aortic aneurysms are a very dangerous health risk. A thoracic aortic aneurysm is essentially the swelling of the aorta in the chest cavity that can cause rupturing of the blood vessel. Rupturing of a thoracic aortic aneurysm is life threatening due to the large amount of internal bleeding that can result. There are three separate classifications for thoracic aortic aneurysms; ascending, descending and aortic arch, the classification of which depends on the location of the aneurysm.

Thoracic aortic aneurysms can be caused by a number of factors including traumatic impact, infection in the nearby areas of the body, or the gradual breakdown in the aortic wall due to poor vascular health and the wear and tear of aging. Due to the lack of symptoms, recognizing the warning signs of a thoracic aortic aneurysm can be difficult. Shortly before, usual symptoms include shortness of breath, tightening in the chest, acute chest pain and a hoarse voice.

The key to recovering successfully from a thoracic aortic aneurysm is diagnosing and receiving surgical care in a timely manner. Surgical repair of ascending aortic aneurysm (the first part of the aorta right above the heart) has a much higher rate of success if it is done on an elective basis before it is ruptured.  Surgeons usually set the diameter of 5Cm, which is twice the diameter of a normal aorta, as the guideline to do elective surgical repair because of the size – the risk of rupture is more than the risk of having elective surgical repair.  Aneurysms at this stage are usually incidentally found in chest x-rays or C.T. scans done for other reasons, because aneurysms don’t cause any specific symptoms until they rupture.  When they rupture they cause severe chest pain behind the breast bone radiating to the back.  Once they rupture the diagnosis and surgical repair has to be done within a few hours.  So it is very important for patients to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

In mild cases (diameter below 4.5Cm.), however, a cardiothoracic surgeon might suggest keeping a close eye on the aneurysm and measuring its growth before performing surgery. Proper care and diagnosis of thoracic aortic aneurysms is the key to maintaining a healthy quality of life, and the expert cardiothoracic surgeons at the California Center for Cardiothoracic Surgery are among Southern California’s best.