To treat an aortic aneurysm your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes, medications and/or surgery. Your doctor will work with you to determine which approach will yield the best results for you.
Lifestyle
Your doctor may suggest lifestyle changes to manage risk factors for atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. These include changes in your diet, exercise, quitting smoking and losing weight. Your doctor will also monitor the progression of these contributing conditions.
Medications
Medications can be used to reduce blood pressure (eg, diuretic, beta blocker); to lower clotting risk (eg, aspirin) and to reduce cholesterol (eg, statin). Medications can also be prescribed to aid in smoking cessation.
Procedures & Surgery
Sometimes surgical intervention is a necessary treatment for aortic aneurysm. Examples of surgical therapies include:
- Open surgical repair, which involves the surgeon making an incision to access the abdominal aortic aneurysm. The diseased portion of the aorta is replaced with a graft that acts as a replacement blood vessel.
- Endovascular repair is a minimally invasive (endovascular) technique to guide and place a mesh tube (stent) inside the vessel for reinforcement with no or small incisions in the groin.