Arterial Aneurysm (Enlarged Arteries)

An arterial aneurysm is an enlargement or ballooning of an artery to a size where it is considered abnormal. Most commonly aneurysms develop over a prolonged period of time, however there are less common instances where aneurysms can develop more rapidly.

Aneurysms can occur in any artery in the body, however the most common sites for aneurysms include the abdominal aorta (abdominal aortic aneurysm or AAA), the artery behind the knee (popliteal aneurysm), the aorta in the chest (thoracic aortic aneurysm TAA), and the arteries in the pelvis and groin (iliac and femoral aneurysms).

Arterial aneurysms can often be associated with older age and high blood pressure. A genetic predisposition to developing arterial aneurysms is not uncommon, and certain genetic abnormalities that cause a ‘weakness of tissues’ have been associated with arterial aneurysms.

Other significant causes of arterial aneurysms include a traumatic injury to the artery or previous operations to an artery.

The major risk of having an aneurysm is that it may burst, causing significant internal bleeding which may be catastrophic and life threatening.

In the majority of cases, aneurysms do not cause any symptoms to the patient and are only discovered incidentally through physical examination or other investigations such as ultrasounds or CT scans.

Aneurysms can also enlarge and cause local symptoms by compressing adjacent organs and tissues.

As most arterial aneurysms do not cause symptoms, aneurysms are generally treated based on their size depending on where the aneurysm is located. Other factors such as age of the patient, rapidity of growth, shape of the aneurysm, and the presence of clot in the aneurysm are also factors that determine when the aneurysm should be surgically treated. If an aneurysm causes symptoms, this is generally a sign that more urgent attention is required and surgical intervention is more likely.

At Yarra Vascular Surgeons, we treat arterial aneurysms via a number of techniques, including minimally invasive endovascular surgery, open surgery and/or medical management. Medical management through risk factor optimisation and modification including treatment of blood pressure and cholesterol levels, diabetes control, and smoking cessation is also an important part of our treatment approach and we regularly involve specialists in these areas to participate in your overall care.

For smaller aneurysms that do not meet the criteria for surgery, we regularly perform surveillance ultrasounds and CT scans with clinical reviews to determine if surgical treatment is required.

After an aneurysm is repaired, we ensure the intervention remains optimised with regular follow up appointments and surveillance ultrasound scans to monitor the repair. We strive to ensure that any procedure we have performed is durable and remains optimised through regular surveillance both clinically and with ultrasound scanning. Once you are a patient with Yarra Vascular Surgeons we develop a lifelong clinical relationship, ensuring that we do our best to ensure that all aspects of your vascular health remains optimised.