What exactly is an aneurysm? An aneurysm is an enlargement or bulging of an artery. All artery walls are made up of 3 layers – outer, inner, and middle. The enlargement or bulging occurs at a weak area of the middle layer of an artery wall. The aorta is the large blood vessel (artery) that carries blood away from the heart to all parts of the body. An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement or bulging that occurs anywhere along the length of the aorta. An aortic aneurysm can be located in the chest or in the stomach area, since the aorta goes from the heart to about the hips. (Reference 1) Are there any signs and symptoms that you have an aneurysm? Most aortic aneurysms have no symptoms at all, but sometimes pain will occur. Pain is caused by the aneurysm growing or bursting. If pain is present you should go to the emergency room of the hospital IMMEDIATELY. How did I get an aneurysm? The exact cause is not entirely known. Aneurysms can run in the family, but the main factor is atherosclerosis (weakening of the artery wall). The most common location for an aneurysm is below the kidney arteries. (98% of patients) How dangerous are aneurysms? The swelling is very dangerous and it can also burst causing severe life-threatening internal bleeding and death. It can also disturb the blood flow in the aorta and cause particles (emboli) to break off and go to the legs or organs. When is the surgery actually performed? First, Dr. Lossing decides whether or not the aneurysm is large enough to warrant an operation by sending you for a series of x-rays. Usually when the aneurysm reaches 5 cm or above in diameter it is operated on to prevent rupture. After you have seen other specialists such as a cardiologist, and a radiologist, the team of doctors will decide whether or not you can withstand the operation. This is done by looking at your overall health at the time. How is abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery performed? Through an incision (cut) in the abdomen, the blood flow through the abdominal aortic aneurysm is stopped by clamps above and below the aorta. The aneurysm itself is then cut open and a synthetic graft made of Dacron is sewn in, the aneurysm is then closed over the graft.