An aneurysm is a thin, weakened section of the wall of an artery or a vein that bulges outward, forming a balloon like sac of the blood vessel.
Common cause of aneurysms include atherosclerosis, syphilis, congenital blood vessel defects and trauma. If an aneurysms goes untreated, it grows larger and larger until the blood vessel wall becomes so thin that it bursts.
The result is massive hemorrhage with shock, severe pain, stroke or death, depending on which vessel is involved.
Even an un-ruptured aneurysm can lead to damage by interrupting blood flow or putting pressure on adjacent blood vessels, organs or bones.
Surgical repair consists of temporarily clamping the damaged artery above and below the aneurysm and surgically removing it. A graft, usually of Dacron, is then sutured to healthy segments of the artery to reestablish normal blood flow.
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