How to treat and prevent aortic aneurysm conditions

An aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of an artery (a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to other parts of the body). This disease is often considered a ticking time bomb because the distention of the enlarged aorta can rupture and cause occasional bleeding and even death. Is there a way to treat or prevent aortic aneurysm from getting worse?

Various aortic aneurysm treatments

When an aortic aneurysm ruptures, it can be considered a fatal emergency if treatment is not taken immediately. People whose aortic aneurysm has ruptured and is treated, has a high risk of dying. Therefore, treating aortic aneurysms is generally aimed at preventing the rupture of blood vessels. The only research-based ways to prevent bursts are by surgery, taking medication, and adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Treating aortic aneurysms by taking medication

Treating aortic aneurysm can be done by controlling high blood pressure. You can regularly take antihypertensive drugs to reduce the risk of ruptured blood vessels. Because high blood pressure can make the aortic aneurysm burst.

Your doctor may prescribe drugs, for example, beta blockers such as atenolol, propranolol, metoprolol. You can also be given calcium channel blocks such as amlodipine, clevidipine, diltiazem, to lower your blood pressure and relax your blood vessels.

These medicines will reduce the chance of your aneurysm bursting.

Treating aortic aneurysms with surgery

Surgery is basically done to prevent the aortic aneurysm from rupturing, not to treat it. There are 2 types of surgery to prevent broken blood vessels.

1. Standard surgery

This surgery is standard surgery to prevent the aortic aneurysm from worsening. Later, the doctor will perform general anesthesia and make a long incision, from the bottom of the breastbone to the pubic area.

After finding an aneurysm or distortion, the doctor will clamp the aorta to shut down blood flow. Later the damaged blood vessels will be removed and transplanted with a synthetic aorta.

After surgery to treat and prevent aorta rupture, you must be hospitalized first, about a week. Complete recovery often takes three to six months, depending on your condition

2. Endograft Repair

An endograft is another way to treat and repair the aorta that is damaged by the distension.

The endograft is a stent covered with a cloth. The endograft will be inserted into the body by a special catheter (tube). It is usually inserted through the femoral artery, the large blood vessel in the groin area.

The endograft will then be transferred to the location where the aneurysm occurred. This endograft functions like a tube that keeps blood flowing in the middle (along the endograft) and does not flow down the aneurysm wall, causing further distention of the aneurysm.

Generally, this endograft is widely recommended as a treatment for people with aortic aneurysms. However, this may not be recommended if you have other medical conditions that pose a risk of causing harm.

Changing lifestyle

In addition to surgery and taking medication, treatment and prevention of aortic aneurysms can be done by changing your lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle can reduce your future aortic rupture.

• Quitting smoking is the first thing you should do when a doctor is diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm. The reason is, smoking can accumulate fat in blood vessels and cause damage, one of which is aortic aneurysm.
• Maintaining a healthy diet such as avoiding fatty foods can maintain healthy blood vessels. This indirectly can treat and prevent damage to blood vessels, including aortic aneurysm conditions.
• Exercising regularly has been shown to lower harmful fats in your body and increase levels of healthy fats. This can reduce your risk of developing vascular disease that makes you susceptible to aortic aneurysms.

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