Recognize What is Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Examination

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Abdominal aortic aneurysm is an examination procedure to check for an enlarged abnormal aorta. Examination is recommended from the beginning of the abdominal aortic aneurysm, because if it is too late, the size of the aorta can widen and burst.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an abnormally enlarged aortic condition in the abdomen. The aorta is the main artery that comes out of the heart and feeds the body with blood.

The exact cause of abdominal aortic aneurysm is unknown, but several factors are the origin of this affection. Among smoking habits, arterial hypertension, accidental injury, hereditary disease, infection and thickening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).

Indications for examination of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Symptoms of abdominal aortic aneurysm are quite difficult to know. Even if there are, the first symptoms are not so pronounced. AAA symptoms are marked by quite sharp pain around the stomach, back pain, and contractions around the navel.

The doctor will recommend examining aortic abdominal aneurysm in patients who are at risk of this condition. The main risk of AAA is for men over the age of 65 and smoking. In addition, this test is also recommended for people aged 60 and over with a family history of AAA.

Patients may have undergone the AAA test with negative results. However, this does not rule out re-examination for this patient.

Men are more at risk for AAA than women. However, the risk of aortic rupture is more often felt by patients.
Benefits of checking abdominal aortic aneurysm

The anterior abdominal aorta can be dangerous if not treated immediately. Up to 80% of AAA patients die due to late treatment.

This is where the importance of examining the stomach aortic aneurysm is important. By knowing AAA very early, efforts can be made to prevent the outbreak of a dilated aorta. Abdominal aortic aneurysm examination by ultrasound (USG) is a painless, fast and reliable procedure. Some doctors even claim that early AAA testing can reduce the risk of being fatal.
Before examination of abdominal aortic aneurysm

There is no specific preparation for abdominal aortic aneurysm examination. Because you are about to have an abdominal ultrasound, the preparation is no different from an abdominal ultrasound.

The doctor will recommend emptying the stomach or fasting for 8 to 12 hours before the procedure. The food and drinks consumed can become feces and urine, making ultrasonic images less clear.

Examination of abdominal aortic aneurysm

Please note that examination of abdominal aortic aneurysms can be done using several diagnostic methods.

Ultrasonography (USG). This is the most common AAA diagnostic method. Ultrasound is considered safe, has a precision level of 98% and does not require surgery / incision (non-invasive).
X-ray image. X-rays will show images of calcium deposits around the abdomen due to formation of aneurysm walls. The weakness of this examination method is that it cannot know the size and degree of development of the aneurysm.
Scanner. CT scan is done by injecting a special coloring agent into the vein. It is believed that this method of diagnosis has a high degree of accuracy in determining the size or extent of spread of the aortic aneurysmal. The scanner is also very useful for knowing the location of the aneurysm.
Aortogram, which is an X-ray examination combined with the injection of a special coloring agent into a blood vessel.
MRI is performed on patients who are allergic to special coloring agents used in CT scans and aortograms, or in patients with kidney disease

Before conducting further tests, the doctor will do a physical examination, especially the stomach.
Ultrasound abdominal aortic aneurysm lasts quite short, about 10-15 minutes. The doctor will ask the patient to lie comfortably in his bed before examining his stomach. During the examination, the doctor will press the patient's abdomen with an ultrasonic transducer that has been coated with clear gel. The ultrasound screen will display an image showing the patient's aortic condition.
Results of abdominal aortic aneurysm examination

There are 4 categories of AAA screening results that summarize the aortic diameter, namely:

Normal - the average diameter of the aorta is less than 3 cm. These results indicate that no AAA was found.
Small results show aortic diameter of 3 cm to 4.4 cm, indicating the presence of AAA. Patients will be asked to check the condition at the doctor at least once a year.
Middle diameter - the aorta between 4.5 cm to 5.4 cm.
Large diameter - aortic 5.5 cm or larger, indicating risk of rupture of AAA.

For the normal to moderate aortic category, no special handling is required. Doctors only give advice to prevent worsening of the aortic condition:

Healthy food.
Exercise regularly.
Quit smoking.
Control blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.

If the examination results show that the aortic size is included in the broad category, the doctor will recommend surgery. Surgery is performed to repair damaged aortic tissue. The surgical method will be adjusted to the patient's health condition and to the category of aneurysm obtained from the examination results.

Two surgical methods are used, namely open surgery and endovascular surgery.
Open operation. For AAA conditions that are very large or just broken. This operation is done by making a number of incisions in the stomach lining and requires a long recovery period.
Endovascular surgery. The incisions needed in this operation are less than open surgery. Thin, flexible and long plastic stents will be used to strengthen already weak aortic walls.

Complications of abdominal aortic aneurysm examination

Abdominal aortic aneurysm examination, especially with ultrasound, is considered safe and rarely causes complications. In only a few cases, the gel used during the examination can cause a local allergic reaction to the skin.

Similar to computed tomography, if done according to its benefits, rarely cause complications. However, the use of contrast media on CT scans can cause allergic reactions in some people, as well as the risk of causing kidney failure, especially in people who have experienced kidney failure.