Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Specialist

Vascular and Vein Institute of the South

Vascular Surgery located in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) statistics are alarming. Each year, 200,000 Americans receive a diagnosis, and almost 10,000 deaths occur from an AAA rupturing. The providers at Vascular and Vein Institute of the South are vascular surgeons, skilled in treating AAAs. Call today or schedule a consultation through the website at one of their five office locations. They have appointments available in Germantown, North Millington, and Memphis in Tennessee, Oxford, and Senatobia in Mississippi, and West Memphis and Forrest City in Arkansas.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Q & A

What is an abdominal aortic aneurysm?

The aorta is the main artery and the largest blood vessel in the body. It runs from the heart and through the center of the abdomen. An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is when the artery wall weakens and bulges. A ruptured abdominal aneurysm causes significant problems – the greatest being a stroke.

The Vascular and Vein Institute of the South has a team of expert vascular surgeons trained to recognize and diagnose abdominal aortic aneurysms. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Call or book your appointment online today.

Who is most at risk of having an abdominal aortic aneurysm?

Some people are more prone to developing an AAA than others. Risk factors include:

Smoking
Family history of aneurysms
Age
Ethnicity
Gender

Vascular and Vein Institute of the South uses state-of-the-art technologies and laboratory services to determine whether you have an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

How do you treat an abdominal aortic aneurysm?

Vascular surgeons have one goal when treating an abdominal aortic aneurysm – to prevent it from rupturing. Treatment depends on how big it is and how fast it’s growing.

Monitoring

If an AAA is small and growing slowly, a physician will watch its rate of growth with six monthly checks. In the meantime, they’ll treat anything that aggravates an aneurysm, such as high blood pressure. Once they know how much of a threat it is, they’ll take appropriate next steps.

Lifestyle changes

Stress and high blood pressure can put pressure on an aneurysm, so some practitioners recommend meditation, changing diet, and avoiding stressful situations. Avoid heavy lifting and high-intensity activity to keep blood pressure levels low.

Surgery

The doctor will operate if the aneurysm is large or growing quickly. Open abdominal surgery involves removing the damaged section of the aorta and replacing it with a graft tube. Endovascular repair uses just the graft to reinforce the sides of the aorta walls without removing anything.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms need careful handling, but when you partner with Vascular and Vein Institute of the South, the chances of catching one and treating it in time increase significantly. Call the practice or book an appointment online to find out more about how they can help you.

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