What are Aortic Aneurysms?
An aortic aneurysm is an abnormal bulge in the wall of the aorta, the body’s largest artery (the blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood). Roughly the diameter of a garden hose, this artery extends from the heart down through the chest and abdominal region, where it divides into a blood vessel that supplies each leg. Although an aneurysm can develop anywhere along your aorta, most occur in the section running through your abdomen (abdominal aneurysms). The rest occur in the section that runs through your chest (thoracic aneurysms). The weakened artery wall may stretch as blood is pumped through it from the heart. The bulge or ballooning may be symmetrical (fusiform). Occasionally an aneurysm may occur because of a localized weakness of the artery wall (saccular). Enlargement of the aorta may be only mild in degree and termed “ectasia.” In general, if the diameter of the aneurysm is more than 1.5 times the size of the normal aorta, it is called an aneurysm. An aortic aneurysm is ser
