The survival rate of aortic aneurysm is relatively high. According to the American Heart Association, 40 to 50% of aortic aneurysms will rupture and end with major life-long disabilities. The average survival time for ruptured aneurysms is between 2 and 5 years.
That’s a pretty high survival rate and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that ruptured aortic aneurysms happen more often than in the general population. While the reasons for this aren’t completely clear, it’s possible that the increased use of coronary artery bypass surgery and the rise in obesity may play a role. Unfortunately, the only treatment for a ruptured aneurysm is the open-heart surgery to repair a leaking aneurysm.
The fact is that once the aneurysm ruptures, the patient will be in terrible pain, and have a very long recovery. Most people who experience an aneurysm rupture die within a few days of the rupture, with only a very few surviving the hospitalization. Although the survival rate is higher than the general population for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms, the mortality rate is still very high.
I think that the problem is that people don’t really know how to assess risks, or to take appropriate action. There are a lot of statistics that go into this. One study showed that 40% of people died within the first three hours of the rupture, and the survivors were likely to die within a week of the rupture. Another study showed that 80% of people who died within the first three days had a risk of dying within a week of the rupture of over 40%.
The actual mortality rate for ruptured aneurysms is somewhere around 2%, meaning that the vast majority of people who rupture have a low chance of dying from it. The actual risk of rupture is lower than that, because aneurysms are often found in the aortic arch, which is where the aorta runs into the heart.
Aneurysms are typically found in the aortic arch, but they can also occur in arteries that run along the side of the body. Aneurysms are the most common type of heart disease and the most common cause of death for people over 65.
Aneurysms are not the only cause of rupturing the aorta. The most common causes of ruptured aneurysms are blood clots (from a clot in the heart or other blood vessel), trauma (in the brain, neck, spine, or chest region), and a blood vessel that has been weakened by a disease (e.g., atherosclerosis).
Aneurysms do not cause long-term disability, though this condition is often associated with some long-term disability. Aneurysms generally can be cured with medication, but the long-term prognosis for people whose aneurysm ruptures is poor.
The best way to prevent a rupture is to watch closely for signs of aneurysms and perform a full physical exam to rule out other possibilities before you schedule surgery. Because ruptured aneurysms are so widespread, it’s really challenging to be sure. The most common type of aneurysm is an abdominal aneurysm, which can be easily found on an ultrasound, but ruptured abdominal aneurysms are rare.
I’m not much of a doctor, so I don’t know if there’s a link between the two, but the best way to check for anything suspicious in a ruptured aneurysm is to visit your doctor. Some folks don’t get sick from ruptured aneurysms, so they don’t need to see a doctor. Others, however, get sick from ruptured aneurysms and need to see a doctor.