Aneurysm is the name given to the bubbling of an artery or a region of the wall of the heart by losing its elasticity. As a result of high blood pressure, the artery or heart wall, whose vascular wall structure is weakened, expands outward and appears as a bubble when viewed from the outside. If this bubbling tissue is stretched too much due to the pressure, the aneurysm sac ruptures and life-threatening bleeding occurs. Among the causes of aneurysms, many factors such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), smoking, hypertension, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases), various connective tissue diseases, genetic factors, traumas can be counted.
Aneurysm can develop in any region of the arteries. Aneurysms that start from the point where the aorta immediately exits the heart and end without separating the vessels going to the brain are called ascending aortic aneurysms (ascending aorta). If the aneurysm is only in the region where the brain vessels come out, it is called an “arch aneurysm”, if it is in the chest cavity, it is called a “thoracic” aneurysm, if it is in the abdomen, it is called an “abdominal” aneurysm. Aneurysms are often silent. The diagnosis is usually made during an investigation for another reason. In these patients, sometimes the first symptom may be rupture of the aneurysm. The risk of rupture is particularly closely related to the diameter. The risk of rupture is very high in an aortic aneurysm reaching 5 cm or more in diameter. For this reason, surgery can be considered without waiting for aortic aneurysms with a diameter of 5 cm or more. If there is an aneurysm in the ascending aorta, there are findings such as hoarseness and chest pain, while in abdominal aortic aneurysms that occur in the abdomen, complaints related to the kidneys, stomach, intestines and abdominal pain can be observed depending on the findings of compression on other organs. Today, "endovascular stent-graft procedures, which are closed methods as well as open surgery, are frequently applied in aortic aneurysms. Endovascular procedures are procedures based on placing stent grafts into the vein by entering the inguinal artery, just like in angio. In open surgery, the part with aneurysm is removed and replaced with artificial vessels. peripheral vascular aneurysms may develop. Peripheral vascular aneurysms can cause swelling, pain and compression findings in the area where they occur. If these aneurysms are not detected and treated in time, they may burst and cause death by causing gangrene and blood loss in the relevant organ or limbs fed by the vessel. The most common aneurysms in the legs are popliteal artery aneurysms at the level of the kneecap. This is followed by femoral artery aneurysms in the inguinal region. The importance of these aneurysms is that they pose life-threatening risks, especially those that end in amputation. Open surgery and stents can be used in the treatment of these aneurysms.
Although we cannot always prevent the development of aneurysm, we can stay away from risk factors such as smoking and atherosclerosis that allow it to develop. It is important for people with risk factors to be more careful in this regard and for patients with the above-mentioned complaints to have a specialist examination. Best regards, I wish you a healthy day...
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