| WHAT IS AN AORTIC ANEURYSM?
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| | to do a screening or testing in these
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| The term, aneurysm actually means the
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| | patients.
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| dilation of a segment of an artery. It is
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| | HOW DO YOU TREAT AN AORTIC ANEURYSM?
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| a gradual process that occurs primarily
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| | The treatment is to take the weak part
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| in elderly people. It doesn't really
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| | out and replace it with a synthetic tube.
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| occur in young people. It's primarily an
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| | That is the conventional treatment and
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| aspect of aging as well as something else
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| | has been done for 50 or 60 years.
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| that makes our arteries weak. Essentially
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| | Certainly is its a big operation. It is
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| our arteries are tube-like structures.
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| | one of the biggest operations we do. The
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| Arteries are like pipes that carry blood
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| | operation takes 4 to 5 hours or longer.
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| to various parts of the body. The pipe
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| | Hospital stay is about 7 to 10 days. And
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| becomes like a balloon because the artery
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| | the patient's convalescence is long.
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| weakens. This is an aneurysm .Naturally
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| | Going from the hospital to their home
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| when something becomes like a balloon
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| | they are still very weak. The full
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| over the years, it becomes weaker and
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| | recovery takes from 4 to 6 weeks. Now we
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| weaker. Eventually it can rupture. If it
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| | have a new treatment. Like everything
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| ruptures it is fatal. There is no chance
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| | else in medicine with the impact of
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| of survival. So that is the reason why an
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| | technology %u2013 we have minimally
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| aneurysm should be detected before the
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| | invasive treatments. So we can now use
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| catastrophe happens. So that we can treat
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| | these minimally invasive treatments for
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| it.
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| | aneurysms. It's called endovascular
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| HOW DO YOU DIAGNOSE AN AORTIC ANEURYSM?
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| | treatment. Without opening the abdomen,
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| Diagnosis is really simple. If it is a
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| | we can actually put a graft inside the
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| large aneurysm one can feel it when one
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| | aneurysm. And this is called stent
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| examines the belly of a person. The most
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| | grafting. This can be done under spinal
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| common aneurysm is a abdominal aorta.
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| | anesthesia. Patients can go home in 24
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| Also, these should not be be mistaken for
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| | hours, It is a phenomenal change in the
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| a brain aneurysm which has no relation to
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| | degree to the stress of a patient. It is
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| this. If they are of a big size one can
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| | amazing what we can offer a patient who
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| diagnose it by examining the patient.
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| | is very sick and otherwise could not be
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| Otherwise in most people the best way to
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| | operated upon.
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| diagnose is by a simple ultrasound of the
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| | HOW LONG WILL THE STENT LAST?
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| abdomen, also called a sonogram. It takes
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| | This is suppose to be permanent.
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| about 5 to 7 minutes to do the test. It
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| | Obviously this is a new treatment where
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| is non-invasive and very simple.
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| | we have to monitor every patient. Every 6
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| WHO SHOULD BE TESTED FOR AN AORTIC
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| | months we do a CAT scan and follow them
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| ANEURYSM?
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| | lifelong. The procedure was only approved
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| Anyone who is about the age of 65 or 70
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| | in the United States by FDA in 2000. So
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| should have it done. In fact Medicaid
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| | this is only 7 years old. But worldwide,
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| pays for the screening of an aneurysm.
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| | in Europe and the rest of the world, I
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| Someone who is 70 who has a history of
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| | would say they having been doing it for
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| smoking should be tested. Another
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| | 10 to 12 years now. They are a little bit
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| important indicator are people whose
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| | ahead because the FDA does not approve
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| family has aneurysms -- anyone whose
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| | any treatment unless it is well-tested.
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| brother, sister or parents have had
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| | So in the United States it has been
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| aneurysms. We see that there is a
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| | approves since the year 2000 so for 7
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| tendency in families to develop
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| | years now. The experience shows that it
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| aneurysms. Thus there is a strong reason
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| | is a very good treatment.
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