sorry your dad is in this posistion at all. i went thru alot of stuff with my dad too. while my surgerys done on my spine were cervical not lower stuff, you will get some really great people giving you good info on what type of surgery your dad is going to having. the folks here really are knowledgeable and experienced on that end of the spine.
what i wanted to address was the aneurysm itself? when they stated 'small' ? how big are we actually talking here? size does make a difference, but moreso within the brain than with the aortic. the one HUGE thing he really neeRAB to have before going ahead with this surgery at all would be at minimum, a consult with what is called an "interventional radiologist". just to get that very highly knowledgeable opionon of that anuerysm and what the overall risks are with "his' particular anuerysm and where it is exactly and how it is presenting? there are just a few different ways that any given aneurysm can present or look like which would kind of dictate what is a treatment opition for them.
while that US really is a good idea(it can show blood flow velocity very well using doppler, among other things), actually obtaining the best test for really 'seeing' the full aneurysm in kind of a "3D" way would be with an actual angiogram done on it before the surgery is done. this is what that interventional radiologist would do. i had my own aneurysm within my left cerebellar artery inside my brain. believe me, the things that the interventional raRAB can do for aneurysm with only going in at the femoral artery at the groin area are truely amazing and downright miraculous. mine was totally unclippable or inoperable only becasue of its very deep location within my brain. if it were not for the neurointerventiaonl rad who coiled it for me shortly after it was Dxed back in 05 and still 'small', i probably would not be here right now. i just have a kidney disease that made me born with weaker vessel walls for some insane reason. i do think it could have very easily blown, just with my huge pain fluctuations which do affect BPs.
but just getting that opinion/consult with that type of specialist really should be done before going ahead with any type of in depth and lengthy type of surgery here. its one of those better safe than sorry types of situations? simply a huge precaution knowing what they know from the MRI. and who knows really, depending upon the actual location of the abdominal part of his surgery, along with just where that aneurysm is actually located, they could possibly take care of that anuerysm while they are already in there? it may be too much tho depending upon just how all things turn out to realistically be upon further testing. but ya never know, ya know? but just based upon what i know(and had to quickly learn) about anuerysm and the truely best way to actually view it to just "know it" at all? that would be with that angiogram. i seriously wouldf ask his docs about that referral to the IR once you get the results of the US. its just needed.
i do hope all goes well for him with everything. luckily they found this sucker well BEFORE it decided to actually bleed if it was left to really become very overly enlarged over time(most AAAs don't actually "show" real symptoms til they just GET to that stage or rupture). its amazing really in just what people find out with those 'incidental findings" that just pop in on a scan for something else. been there done that one quite a few times with some rather insane findings. please do keep me posted on things. good luck, Marcia
