Symptoms

• Symptoms of an abdominal aortic aneurysm include sudden, severe pain in the stomach or lower back and a pulsing feeling in the abdomen. If the aneurysm bursts, symptoms may include dizziness and loss of consciousness.
  
  

Causes

• The causes of abdominal aortic aneurysm are unknown, but certain factors increase its risk, including atherosclerosis, being male and over the age of 60, high blood pressure, smoking and a family history of the disease.
  
  

Treatment

• Once diagnosed, small abdominal aortic aneurysms are monitored every six to 12 months. For aneurysms larger than 2 inches, treatment includes surgery to repair damaged blood vessels.
  
  

Procedures

• In open aneurysm repair surgery, the weakened part of the aorta is replaced with a plastic aortic graft. An endovascular stent graft is another surgical option in which the stent graft replaces the damaged area.
  
  

Prognosis

• Recovery from open aneurysm repair is typically three months, with more than 90 percent of patients recovering fully. Endovascular stent grafts have a shorter recovery but may not work for some aneurysm patients.