Living with an aortic aneurysm can feel like you're waiting for an alarm to go off. You may have felt relief that you didn't need surgery right away. But as you've felt more chest pain and trouble breathing over time, you're likely worried about an aneurysm rupture. That can kill you.
You may be visiting your doctor for mild chest pain. Or, you're seeing them for a routine visit. When they check your chest with an x-ray, the doctor finds an aortic root aneurysm. Although you may be feeling fine, this aneurysm can lead to an emergency.
A valve-sparing aortic root replacement, also called the David procedure, repairs aneurysms at the aortic root. We replace your aorta at the aortic root. But we keep your natural heart valve in place. That prevents you from needing a valve replacement procedure later on.
Aneurysms are bulges that weaken the walls of your aorta, your largest blood vessel. If you have an aneurysm, they’re sometimes treated using a stent-graft. A stent-graft is a special tube that supports the inside wall of your aorta. Stent-grafts reduce pressure on the aneurysm.
An endoleak happens when blood finds a way around the stent graft and into the aneurysm. An endoleak can be life-threatening without treatment. You won't know you have an endoleak unless it's found during one of your checkups. But if it causes your aneurysm to tear, it's an emergency.