The walls of the blood vessels are weakened for various reasons, the fibers lose their elasticity, which eventually leads to an aneurysm. Without treatment, this disease ends first by exfoliation, and then by a complete rupture of the artery with subsequent internal bleeding. As medical practice shows, the most common aneurysm of the abdominal aorta is about 75% of all cases of blood flow disturbance.
Aneurysm of the abdominal aorta - causes
Damage and weakening of the walls of blood vessels causes:
- arterial hypertension;
- diseases of infectious nature, detrimental to arteries and veins, for example, syphilis ;
- atherosclerosis , since this disease promotes the deposition of cholesterol (lipid plaques) on the walls of the vessels, which leads to a narrowing of the lumen and an increase in pressure during the blood flow;
- aortitis;
- genetic diseases associated with changes in connective tissue.
Aneurysm of the abdominal aorta - symptoms
The most palpable and frequently occurring sign of artery damage is pain syndrome. He appears on the left side of the abdomen and in the area near the navel, can irradiate in the back, especially in the lower back. In addition, the pain sometimes gives in the groin, lower limbs and buttocks. The nature of discomfort is usually paroxysmal, although some patients complain of a persistent aching pain syndrome. This symptom arises because of the pressure exerted by the bulging aortic wall, on the roots of the nerves of the spinal cord, as well as the nerve plexuses in the retroperitoneal space.
Additional features:
- a feeling of strong pulsation in the abdomen;
- bloating;
- sensation of heaviness above the navel;
- decreased appetite;
- vomiting and nausea;
- chronic constipation;
- decrease in body weight.
Both the usual and exfoliating aneurysm of the abdominal aorta can progress asymptomatically, occasionally accompanied by a mild pain in the abdomen and in the intestinal region. Therefore, patients often do not go to hospital for help, explaining the symptom with standard indigestion.
Aneurysm rupture of the abdominal aorta
As a rule, during an absolute rupture of the artery, intense internal bleeding occurs, which is accompanied by a hemorrhagic shock state of the patient. Almost all cases end in a fatal outcome due to a significant loss of blood. According to medical studies, if the diameter of the aneurysm of the abdominal aorta is 5 cm or more, the risk of its rupture increases to 70%. The main danger is that it is impossible to predict the moment of rupture for any symptoms or objective signs.
Aneurysm of the aorta of the abdominal cavity - treatment
Given that the disease in question is rarely diagnosed at an early stage, there is no medication or other conservative therapy. The treatment of an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta is performed exclusively by the surgical method.
Aneurysm of the aorta of the abdominal cavity - operation
The essence of surgical intervention is to remove the dilated inelastic part of the damaged aorta from the total blood flow. The missing lumen is replaced by a special prosthesis made of synthetic material, which is implanted between the healthy walls of the blood vessel. In cases where the enlargement of the iliac arteries occurs and the stretching of the aortic wall continues, a bifurcation bifurcated at the ends of the prosthesis is used.
The operation is performed under general anesthesia and is relatively safe, since the established aortic substitute is completely harmless to the body and rejection does not occur.