Living Well After Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA): Recovery & Outlook

Life after abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) depends somewhat on the treatment utilized. Some AAAs may be cured with medication, while others require surgery. The type of surgery also plays a role.

Identification

• Size will initially determine the impact of an aneurysm. "If you have a small aneurysm, your doctor will ask you to come back every six to 12 months for a CT or ultrasound to measure the size of your aneurysm," says the Cleveland Clinic.

Prevention/Solution

• Doctors will order a patient to cease contributing to conditions, like smoking and poor diet, that can lead to development of an aneurysm . Medications to control hypertension and cholesterol will be prescribed.

Surgery

• The two common types of surgery are open abdominal repair (OR) or endovascular repair (EVAR). Recovery time for OR varies. "Most people need at least a month or six weeks to recover from aneurysm surgery," according to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The hospital stay is typically a week.

EVAR

• EVAR is a non-invasive technique that drastically reduces recovery time. Patients will be required to undergo examination every six months for monitoring of potential complications.

Considerations

• A 2006 study published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery indicated that many patients who underwent open repair enjoyed a higher quality of life. "EVAR patients had lower quality of life scores six months after surgery than OR patients," the publication reported.