4.5 CM Dialated Aortic Root

I have a 4.5 cm dialated aortic root and all my doc's seem to contridict each other on when to have surgery to repair it. Some doc's say I should see a thoracic surgeon, and some say I should just wait and see since it hasnt grown in the last several months. Besides the dialated aneurysm, I have left ventricle hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, several lung nodules, COPD, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Severe Idiopathic Peripheral Neuropathy in all limbs, and Lyphedema in my lower extremities and chest. I am aslo a large man fighting obesity, and no matter what diet I attempt, I just dont lose weight. My siblings and cousins have the same problem.

I find walking to be very difficult and the most I can do is 3 minutes of brisk walking before I experiance severe shortness of breath. Also, I have foot drop in one leg/foot. Besides the weight issue causing shortness of breath, I understand that the LVH,Dystolic Dysfunction,  and COPD are also contributing to my shortness of breath.

Is anyone experiancing the same problem with being short of breath? Does a 4.5 aortic root aneurysm justify the surgery?

[nickppatel]

Yikes, that's a lot of crap to deal with.  Sorry.  I'd go consult with the best cardiothoracic surgeon I can find.  I'm guessing he'll want you to lose weight before surgery, though, but I don't know that for a fact.  What kinds of diets have you tried?  What's tripping you up?  The inability to exercise is an obvious factor... but what else?

I mention this to everyone with aortic root dilatation ... drugs called ARBs (like telmisartan) have been shown to slow down aortic root growth, stop it, and in some cases even reverse it.  Because you are an obese man, you'd need to take a very high dose (above FDA recommendations), since you don't get full effect even in regular-sized people unless you take the maximum FDA approved dose.  Also, I'm not sure how safe it is to take these drugs given your other health issues -- I don't know enough about medicine to comment.  But it's something worth discussing w/ a cardiologist who knows about these treatments.  Dr Hal Dietz at Johns Hopkins is one person you might contact for a consultation.

It's hard to say if 4.5cm justifies surgery.  Depends if the cause is something like Marfan Syndrome or some other connective tissue disorder.  Do you have Marfan or some of its symptoms/signs?

Nick

[Kevin309]

Thanks for the reply and advice. I have done the Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and then a personal plan developed by a professional at my medical center.

My problem is not getting enough excercise. I can stick to a 2,000 calorie per day plan with no problem. I just need to burn calories and that is very hard to do with the lung problems and the neuropathy.

No I don't have Marfan. I meet with a thoracic surgeon, my cardiologist next week. Also, I'm having a PET test beofre the meetings. If I can get the lung issues under control then hopefully I can get some weight off. I just went on Lyrica and that seems to do a better job with pain management than Gabapentin.

thanks again for your reply. I wil ask about the meds you described when I meet with my doc's.

Kevin

[nickppatel]

Hope it works out.  Consider a primal diet.  Works wonders for many people who can't seem to shed weight.