On examination, your doctor may feel a pulsating mass in your abdomen which may be tender if an abdominal aortic aneurysm is large. If your doctor suspects an aneurysm, he or she will probably request that an ultrasound scan is carried out. Dissecting aneurysms are diagnosed initially from their symptoms and physical examination of the pulses in the arms and legs. The treatment of an aortic aneurysm depends on the symptoms that it causes. If it is asymptomatic, your doctor will advise you on the best course of treatment, as surgery carries a risk.
Symptomatic aneurysms require early or urgent treatment.
The surgical procedure involves replacing the part of the aorta affected by the aneurysm with a synthetic graft a tube made out of an elastic material with properties very similar to that of a normal healthy aorta. This very major operation is usually quite successful with a mortality of between five and two per cent. The risk of death from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm is about 50 per cent, even during operation. However, there is no other treatment and an untreated ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm is always fatal. A thoracic aortic aneurysm is repaired using a synthetic graft usually if it is wider than three inches.