Abdominal aortic aneurysm refers to a critical disease condition caused in the lower aortic area. Typically enlargement of this major aortic segment is observed in such condition. Due to the importance of this aorta as a premier source of blood supply medium any rupture can become life threatening.
Close and cautious medical observation of the size and growth rate towards the threatening level remains the key factor for abdominal aortic aneurysm. At each step the treatment contains medication and proper monitoring of the situation and surgery is generally delayed till the condition becomes worst for the patient or any life risk circumstances arises. Emergency surgery in this regard always remains chancy.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is rare in people aged less than 50 years, but prevalence then rises sharply with increasing age. Abdominal aortic aneurysm affects approximately 4–7% of men and 1–2% of women over the age of 65 years.2–5 Established risk factors for AAA include advancing age, male gender, smoking and family history.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm represents a sluggish growth, which is often ignored by the patients due to lack of proper and specific symptoms. Moreover, in certain cases the developed aneurysm never ruptures, therefore, decision making for surgery becomes cumbersome for the patient as well as for the responsible medical practitioner. Any kind of further prediction on the growth rate and the situation is not possible as there is varied evidence of cases which never followed any particular pattern.