Heart and Vascular Institute

Overview         

Aortic Aneurysm

An aortic aneurysm is a bulge in a section of the aorta, the body’s main artery.

Aneurysms happen if the wall of the aorta becomes weakened by build-ups of fatty deposits, called plaque. This is also known as atherosclerosis.

Aortic aneurysms are dangerous because they may overstretch the aorta, causing it to burst and spill blood outside of the aorta.

Because the aorta is the body’s main supplier of blood, a ruptured aneurysm can cause life-threatening bleeding.

There are different types of aneurysms. They are named for the area in which they occur. Treatment may differ depending on the type of aneurysm.

• abdominal aneurysm (belly, or adbominal, area)
• thoracic aneurysm (chest area)
  • ascending or aortic arch aneurysm (in the chest, in the part of the aorta closest to the heart) 
  • descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (in the chest, in the part of the aorta that runs from the heart downward through the chest)
• thoracoabdominal aneurysm (area where the aorta crosses from the chest to the belly)

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