What Does My Ultrasound Scan Report Indicate?

Posted on Sun, 18 Dec 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 18 Dec 2016 Answered on

Tue, 3 Jan 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : I have AAA that measures 5.1 and my Vascular Surgeon at Toronto General Hospital in Toronto says they do not operate until it is 5.5. I just had an ultra scan last week and he said to comeback in 3 months for another one. My question is can I travel with this medical situation - he says Yes and that I have a one percent chance of it rupturing or bursting and that the odds for the surgery itself are actually worse than that and that is why they do not operate until 5.5 cm. I am supposed to leave for Aruba with my family this Wednesday and am wondering if travelling is safe as he suggested. I guess I am looking for assurance that I will be OK and hopefully not require surgery for this down there as they do have someone to do it in an emergency situation but normally send people there requiring this surgery to XXXXXXX and there is no way I want to go there.

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (41 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Yes travel is safe.

Detailed Answer:
Hello.

Thank you for the query.

Everything you were told by a vascular surgeon is completely true. Generaly we operate aneurysms much earlier than they can rupture. 5.5 cm aneurysm gives only few percents of rupture risk. We assume few percents is high enough to do not wait and as reassurance we decide to operate it.
Yours is even smaller. So the chance it will rupture is minimal. That is why you can safely travel and no need to do the surgery at this point.

Hope this helps.
Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (24 minutes later)

What size do you aneurysms normally rupture at? Higher than 5.5? What can that blood vessel tolerate size wise? I am asking this as I am going away for 6 weeks until Feb 01 but my next scan is not scheduled until first week of March. I called the hospital in Aruba and spoke to a Doctor there who is not a surgeon and he just said that he wouldn;t advise anyone with AAA to travel so this created some doubt in mind and to go I need to know that I will be OK. My Doctor at Toronto General said at 5.5 he would operate but not before that. would you concur with that opinion?
One other question does air travel have any negative implications on AAA to bring it on or it has nothing to do with it. Really appreciate your input and thank you. The Aruba guy created a little last minute fear there and I do not want that.

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (23 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
You should not be worried.

Detailed Answer:
Aneurysm can rupture at any size. But with aneurysm smaller than 6cm the risk of it is minimal. You may assume that you have grater chance to die in a plane crash than to die from its rupture. I hope you get the point.
This aneurysm is with you for many many years. With the day of diagnosis nothing really has not changed with the aneurysm. Its just a knowledge you have.
Guidelines say that 5.5 cm aneurysm is the right one to be operated. So its not your surgeon private opinion and either mine. This is a knowledge we have.
High blood pressure can have great impact to the aneurysm. Plane travel does not increase the nlood pressure so it does not have any impact to it.

Note: For further inquiries on surgery procedure and its risks or complications book an appointment now

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar