Few weeks ago, I bumped into my colleague in the hospital
where I’m currently assigned at. He told me that his father was diagnosed with
aortic aneurysm. Sad to say, the doctors said that it was too risky to operate
on him because he’s already old and the operation might just cause more
problems. Given those pieces of information, the family decided to just bring
their father home so they could atleast spend some quality time with him. They
already accepted that God may take their father’s life anytime. Unfortunately, the
worst thing came too soon.
Aneurysms, which are localized sacs or dilation in the wall of an artery, are really fatal if left untreated. According to studies (Rutherford, 2005), one third of patients diagnosed with the said disease die of rupture of the aneurysm. Dilation in the artery, particularly in our largest artery called the aorta, may burst anytime and cause hemorrhage that could eventually lead to death.
It is very important that we know the symptoms of an aneurysm so that we could determine early whether someone we love, or know, might have it. We should also be extra cautious if we have a relative who was diagnosed to have this condition. The most prominent symptom is constant pain that occurs when the person is lying on his back. Some people also experience difficulty of breathing, loss of voice and/or difficulty in swallowing. For people with abdominal aortic aneurysm, they may feel as if something is beating on their abdomen. However, some people doesn't feel any of the above symptoms so it is always better to consult a doctor and have an ultrasound or CT scan done.
If diagnosed with aneurysm, though medicines can be taken to slow down its growth, surgery is still the treatment of choice. There are different surgeries that can be done depending on the type of the aneurysm. The goal of going on a surgery is not only to repair the aneurysm but also to restore blood flow to the parts of your body that were deprived of adequate blood when the aneurysm was still there. Studies say there is only 1% to 4% recorded cases of deaths of patients who had an elective repair of their aneurysm. However, the doctors still have to weigh the pros and cons of getting the surgery. Like my colleague's father, surgery was no longer given as an option.
How about you? Have you ever met a person who had this kind of disease? Did he/she have a surgery? How's he/she doing these days? :)
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This is a sponsored post; however, all the points and views are my own. Some parts were based on existing books/studies of professionals.
Kakatakot naman pala ang disease na yan. Thanks for sharing this ifo . Now I know the symptoms na.
ReplyDeleteMy lolo did have this kind of ailment too. Sadly, he died due to fatal hemorrhage in the aorta a year after he was diagnosed of it.
ReplyDeleteI have little to no knowledge of aneurysm thanks for this helpful and informative post now I know some of its symptoms and how it can be resolved.
ReplyDelete- Wanderer Juan
My grandmother died of Aortic Aneurism after taking a cold shower on a hot afternoon. It scares me sh**less sometimes because I've always thought that it's not impossible to happen to me. Thank you for this post. A lot of people need this information, especially the elders. Will be sharing this out :D
ReplyDeleteI knew some friends who had aneurysm and survived it after they went through operation. But sadly, there are also those who didn't make it after the first hit.
ReplyDeleteI know somebody who survived from Aneurysm, one blogger and now she is healthy but it cost them as lot of money for the treatment and operation.
ReplyDelete