What is an aneurysm and an abdominal aortic aneurysm?
An aneurysm is where a section of an artery widens (balloons out). The wall of an aneurysm is weaker than a normal artery wall. The pressure of the blood inside the artery causes the weaker section of wall to ‘balloon’. Aneurysms can occur in any artery, but they most commonly occur in the aorta. Most aortic aneurysms occur in the section of the aorta that passes through the abdomen. These are known as abdominal aortic aneurysms. Sometimes they occur in the section going through the chest. These are known as thoracic aortic aneurysms. The normal diameter of the aorta in the abdomen is about 20 mm. An abdominal aortic aneurysm is said to be present if a section of the aorta within the abdomen is 30 mm or more in diameter. The rest of this leaflet is only about abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). AAAs vary in size. As a rule, once you develop an AAA, it tends to gradually get larger. The speed at which it gets larger varies from person to person. However, on average, an AAA tends to get l
