Life-Saving Treatment

Open surgery and TEVAR are both available today to save lives of those with TAD. Visit the Treatment Section to learn more.

Thoracic Aortic Disease (TAD) - What is an Aortic Aneurysm? Aortic Aneurysm Definition In general, an aneurysm is a permanent enlargement or bulging of a blood vessel. This bulging or ballooning happens at a place where the walls of the vessel have become weak and thin. The Society for Vascular Surgery has stated that an aneurysm exists when a blood vessel has enlarged to at least 1.5 times its normal diameter. It is reasonable that larger people will normally also have a larger aorta, and smaller people a smaller aorta. Therefore, the body size, as well as the gender and age of a person, help determine how big their aorta would normally be. If the normal size of the ascending aorta was 2.5 cm, enlargement to a diameter of 3.75 cm would be an aneurysm in that person. For an aortic aneurysm, another definition is an enlargement of at least 4.0 cm in diameter in an average-sized adult. If the aorta has begun to enlarge, before it is considered big enough to be an aneurysm, it is called dilated. The phrase aortic dilatation is used to describe this also. Whether aortic dilatation or an aneurysm is present, it is important to concentrate on getting an accurate measurement of the aorta. Enlargement of the aorta is considered a sign of aortic disease. It should be treated by medically addressing blood pressure and by checking aortic size periodically. Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm The medical terms used to describe an aortic aneurysm in the chest tell three things: • the shape of the aneurysm • where it is located • how big it is There are two types of aortic aneurysm shapes: • saccular, where the enlargement is on one side of the aorta, like a sack or a pouch • fusiform, which means the enlargement is equal in all directions Following are sample diagnoses of thoracic aortic aneurysms: • 5.1 cm fusiform ascending aortic aneurysm • 6.0 cm fusiform thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm • 4.0 cm saccular arch aortic aneurysm