Aneurysm: Treatments

How is an aneurysm treated?

Treatment for aneurysms begins with seeking medical care from your health care provider. To determine if you have an aneurysm, your health care provider will ask you to undergo several diagnostic tests.

Treatment of an aneurysm depends on the size, location, and type of aneurysm. An expanding or enlarging aneurysm in the aorta often requires emergency treatment, and surgery is generally recommended. Which type of surgery and when it is needed it will depend on the symptoms and the size and type of aneurysm. Some people may have endovascular stent repair. A stent is a tiny tube placed within a blood vessel to keep the vessel open or reinforce its wall.

Some types of aneurysms that are small or not life threatening may be carefully watched by a doctor or health care provider. Such observation requires regular medical care and testing. Ultrasound imaging is used to monitor potential growth of the aneurysm. The decision of whether to perform surgery requires balancing the risk of surgical complications against the risk of complications from the aneurysm itself.

Treatments for aneurysm

Common treatments of aneurysm include:

• Blood pressure management
• Control of risk factors
• Observation and monitoring
• Surgical repair of the aneurysm

What you can do to improve your aneurysm

In addition to following your health care provider’s instructions and taking all medications as prescribed, you can reduce your risk by:

• Eating a heart-healthy diet that includes potassium and fiber and drinking plenty of water
• Exercising at least 30 minutes a day
• Limiting alcohol consumption to 1 drink a day for women, 2 a day for men
• Limiting the amount of sodium (salt) you eat (less than 1,500 mg per day)
• Maintaining a healthy body weight
• Quitting smoking
• Reducing stress

What are the potential complications of an aneurysm?

You can help minimize your risk of serious complications by following the treatment plan you and your health care professional design specifically for you. Complications of aneurysm include:

• Blood clots
• Compression of nerves or other adjacent structures, causing weakness and numbness (occurs most commonly with aneurysms that develop in the artery behind the knee)
• Hypovolemic shock (a state of low blood pressure caused by bleeding or other fluid loss)
• Organ failure
• Rupture of the aneurysm
• Severe internal bleeding
• Stroke