Our main artery, which carries the clean blood sent by our heart, is called the aorta.
The nutrition of all of our tissues and organs in our body is provided by the arteries coming from the aorta. Therefore, all our organs, that is, our lives, are endangered in the problems that develop in the aorta. Autopsies of patients who were thought to have died from a heart attack showed that they were caused by aortic ruptures, not heart attacks. Ballooning in the aorta, which is described as aortic aneurysm, is a very common health problem in the community. The most important feature of this problem is that it is not noticed by the patients. In these people, 90% of the patients die with the sudden rupture of the ballooned vessel. It is rarely saved with emergency surgical treatment. In some lucky patients, the disease is detected by chance during the examinations and almost all of these people recover with surgical treatment.
High blood pressure is one of the most important factors in both vascular dilation and rupture. Patients with blood pressure should be followed up for aortic dilatation. Hypertension is one of the most important health problems all over the world and in our country. In general, hypertension affects approximately 40-50% of the adult population, but half of the patients are unaware of their high blood pressure. However, nearly half of the informed patients do not use drugs. The drug treatment used in nearly half of the patients who use drugs is insufficient. Therefore, blood pressure and aortic blood pressure of patients with hypertension should be monitored.
If the enlargement of the aorta is detected but has not reached the limit to require surgical treatment, certain periodic follow-up is taken. Depending on the patient's condition, sometimes 3, sometimes 6 and sometimes annual tomographies are taken. If a follow-up patient smokes at the same time, the rate of enlargement increases 6-8 times compared to non-smokers. In a short time, it reaches the size that requires surgery. If the diameter increase reaches the surgical limit, the ballooned part is removed and replaced with an artificial vein.
Aneurysms in the abdominal part of the aorta are seen quite frequently in hypertensive patients over the age of 60 who smoke. Periodic screening should be performed in this group of patients.
Aortic ballooning resembles a ticking time bomb. Just as stopping the bomb by noticing the time setting prevents it from bursting, if aortic ballooning is noticed beforehand, it is prevented from bursting with treatments. Otherwise, any excitement or tension will explode and a life will be blown up. For this reason, people who have high blood pressure, have smoked for many years over the age of 60, and people with vascular enlargement in their family should be evaluated in terms of vascular enlargement. In patients with enlargement and follow-up, the blood pressure should be taken care of in order to stop the time bomb, and if he smokes, he should definitely stop.