New member Dilated Aortic root at 45mm

[Dimi83]

Hey guys,
38 year old guy from Melbourne, Australia here and this year I was diagnosed with a dilated Aortic root with sinuses at 45mm via Contrast CT. Cardiologist casually told me to get another scane in a year. I wasn't satisfied with this so got another opinion, this time from a cardiac surgeon who suggested a repeat echo on 6 mths time and that surgery was inevitable. It was just a question of when. He also said that in the interim there was a 5% chance of Dissection/Rupture which I found a little overwhelming.
Thankfully I came across this forum which has given me more insight and certainly more hope.
Can anyone share some stories of not only successful surgeries and returning to normality but some stories where the Aortic root has stayed dilated at the same measurement for an extended period of time without complication?
Thanks in advance and thanks for having me here x

 

[pellicle]

Can anyone share some stories of not only successful surgeries and returning to normality but some stories where the Aortic root has stayed dilated at the same measurement for an extended period of time without complication?

well on my last surgery (which was my 3rd) I got a mech and a bental graft to replace a 5.4cm aneurysm. Has been working fine.

On the previous surgery (in about 1992) I had an aortic root replacement and a homograft valve.

I've lived probably more than normally.

In the main (like over 97%) surgeries are exactly successful, those that aren't are commonly because you're old, frail or otherwise buggered up. So you can (and should) expect this to all be good afterwards.

Here is a blog post from when I was back in Finland (in Qld again now) and doing XC Skiing quite a bit; this is between surgery #2 and #3

https://cjeastwd.blogspot.com/2010/02/bad-skiing.html
this one is from 7 years or so after #3

https://cjeastwd.blogspot.com/2018/02/why-i-like-cross-country-skiing.html
Lastly this video is just back in 2020 ...


I'll leave it to you to decide if that's normality.

 

[ValveAdmin]

Hello and welcome. Enjoy the forum.

 

[Dano64]

Almost 4 years ago, I learned of a 4.9 cm ascending aneurysm and I was referred to a cardiac surgeon who had great success with these surgeries. He suggested to wait and watch it and I remained at 4.9 cm for 3 years. He had said it could 2 years or it could be 5 years. It ended up being 3.5 for me and I had the repair in February this year after it grew to 5.2 cm. He did a great job and I am currently feeling pretty good right now.

 

[Dimi83]

Thank you for the replies so far.

 

[Gordo60]

Now 62 but my 46mm root aneurysm was discovered at 49. Has remained stable this entire time. It could increase in size at any time but I take it year by year not thinking about it until my annual scans etc fall due.

 

[Dimi83]

Now 62 but my 46mm root aneurysm was discovered at 49. Has remained stable this entire time. It could increase in size at any time but I take it year by year not thinking about it until my annual scans etc fall due.

Thank you for sharing! Certainly helps hearing that surgery isn't neccesarily imminent. Do you mind if I ask if your Bp is well controlled?

 

[Gordo60]

Thank you for sharing! Certainly helps hearing that surgery isn't neccesarily imminent. Do you mind if I ask if your Bp is well controlled?

Yes, BP is good.

 

[skeptic49]

Here is what my cardiologist wrote to me in regard to my dilated aorta:

"After much population-based research, it has been determined that an aortic root or proximal ascending aortic diameter of ≥4.5 cm portends elevated risk of further dilatation and aneurysm formation over the long term. Thus, it is recommended that in bicuspid aortic valve patients whose aortas are larger than that, the proximal aortic root be replaced as well. It’s more of a gray zone below 4.5, but I’ve cared for patients who’d had smaller aortas at the time of bicuspid aortic valve replacement, and then a few years later, needed to go BACK to the OR for replacement of an ascending aortic aneurysm. That is clearly a sub-optimal situation."

So when I had my surgery to replace my diseased bicuspid valve, my surgeon performed a Bentall and replace my aorta up to hemiarch. BTW, the surgeon told me later that my aortic tissue was flimsy.