Late-detected aortic diseases pose a life-threatening risk, according to Op. Dr. İhsan Alur. He stated that untreated aortic aneurysms are like a ticking time bomb, while a ruptured aortic aneurysm is like a bomb with the pin pulled, and that half of the patients whose aorta ruptures do not make it to the hospital alive.
Providing information about aortic aneurysms, which have become one of the common diseases of our age, Denizli Private Egekent Hospital Cardiovascular Surgery Specialist Op. Dr. İhsan Alur emphasized that this condition is a serious disease that requires attention. Explaining what an aortic aneurysm is, Dr. Alur said, “The aorta is the largest main artery that emerges from the left ventricle of the heart and distributes oxygen-rich blood to the body. An aortic aneurysm occurs when a specific section of the aortic wall dilates or balloons, increasing to one and a half times or more than the normal aortic diameter.” He stressed the vital importance of early intervention in aortic aneurysms and reiterated that an untreated aortic aneurysm is like a ticking bomb, while a ruptured or burst aortic aneurysm is like a bomb with the pin pulled, and that half of the patients whose aorta ruptures or bursts die before reaching the hospital.
“Aortic aneurysm is a silent and insidious disease”
Dr. Alur noted that aortic aneurysms are silent and insidious, and therefore risk factors must be considered. “Aortic aneurysms occur due to deterioration of the middle layer of the artery, called the media, resulting in a tear between the layers of the artery. Risk factors include advanced age, hypertension, smoking, COPD, certain connective tissue disorders (Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome), blunt trauma, inflammatory (rheumatic) or infectious diseases of the aorta (such as Behçet’s disease, Takayasu arteritis, giant cell arteritis, syphilis, tuberculosis), or a combination of one or more of these factors,” he explained.
“Young smokers should take this danger seriously!”
Highlighting that smoking begins in adolescence, Dr. Alur added that young people are at potential risk for this disease. “Young smokers are often unaware of the danger. Smoking creates a potential for this disease and may lead to death from an aortic aneurysm later in life. Therefore, I strongly advise young people and all smokers to avoid smoking in order to protect themselves from aortic aneurysms,” he concluded.