The vascular specialists at UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute offer the latest open and minimally invasive treatment options for aortic and peripheral aneurysms. Our team of vascular interventional cardiologists and vascular surgeons offer you the full range of vascular care.
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An aneurysm occurs when the wall of your artery becomes weak and balloons out. If your artery ruptures, it can cause severe bleeding (hemorrhage) and can sometimes be deadly. Brain aneurysms occur in the arteries that supply blood to your brain and are usually treated by a neurosurgeon, but there are several other types of aneurysms that are treated by cardiovascular specialists, including:
Aortic aneurysm – Your aorta is the major artery that supplies blood to your vital organs. If an aneurysm occurs in the part of your aorta that passes through your chest, it is called a thoracic aortic aneurysm. If an aneurysm occurs in the part of your aorta that passes through your abdomen, it is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
You may be at an increased risk of developing an aortic or peripheral aneurysm if you have a condition that injures or weakens the walls of your arteries, such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), trauma, or infection. Other risk factors include:
You may not be able to control some of your risk factors for aortic or peripheral aneurysms, such as aging, genetic conditions, and family history. However, eating a heart-healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, and controlling chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol may help to lower your risk.
Aneurysms may not cause symptoms until they become very large or rupture, which is a medical emergency. Also, symptoms of your aneurysm will depend on where the aneurysm is located. Common symptoms of aortic or peripheral aneurysms include:
We use the following tests to diagnose aneurysms:
Open surgery repair-If your aneurysm requires open surgery, our surgeons will use the latest techniques to reach your aneurysm directly. Your surgeon may use a vein graft or a prosthetic graft to reroute blood flow around the aneurysm.
Endovascular stent graft aneurysm repair. Our specialists perform minimally invasive endovascular repairs of aortic and peripheral aneurysms. Endovascular techniques allow your cardiovascular specialist to perform your aneurysm repair from inside your blood vessel by threading a special catheter and stent-graft through a small incision in your groin.
Last reviewed by a UPMC medical professional on 2024-10-01.
