According to my Dad (always a dodgy source of info) My mu is having her aorta replaced - can anyone throw any light on this surgery?

[KatyMac]

She is having her aorta replaced (or lined with teflon) from in her chest through her stomach to where it splits in to each leg, then all the way down one leg

Does this make any sense or has he finally flipped

She will be in hospital about 10 days - 2 weeks then incapacitated for about 6 weeks....apparently

& I am feeling a little stressed about it

Does she have an abdominal aortic aneurysm?
An aneurysm is a bulge or swelling in the artery
Is she having it done soon or at the moment?

Sounds like she has an aortic aneursym, and is having a graft fitted to sort it out. It's usually a lining if they can, rather than a replacement

Don't blame you for feeling stressed

Or does she have vascular disease and have narrower arteries?

Katy I'm sorry. What a worry.

How was Ofsted?

tmorrow morning

She has a kink in the artery in her groin and n that side there is a loop which is interfering with her hip joint....again this is unreliable evidense

AAA repair is a pretty major operation so the stress is very understandable

A stent does he mean?
The aorta's the largest vessel in the body, there's loads of others that branch of it so there's no way they can replace it. It's technically impossible.

Oh & a blockage around where it splits and another quite a way down her leg

No they were talking about a stent on Friday but they changed their mind

Katy, it sounds plausible, and it sounds pretty extensive, because they are having to replace/graft quite a long section by the sounds of it.
Did this all get picked up as an emergency??
My vascular surgery experience was only as a med student so is limited but will try to get to bottom of it as much as poss

I agree, it sounds like an aortic aneuryism. The artery starts bulging out and they reinforce the sides by putting a kind of band round it (I think).

So sorry you're having this stress, but this surgery is carried out frequently and the outcomes are generally good (so I'm told - I'm NOT a doctor). And the consequences of not having it done can be dire - I had a friend who died at 40 with a sudden unexpected abdominal aortic aneuryism. So it's great that your mum has had this detected and is having appropriate treatment.

Hope all goes really well for her.

My Mum had Open Heart Surgery (CABG) so I know how you feel.

Thinking of you and your Mum.

Perhaps she has both aneurysms and blockages in various sections of her aorta and the various branches

She was having leg pain which increased to the point of struggling to walk in September

She then had Xrays to rule out bone issues, followed by scans to rule out muscular stuff

She was referred to a vascular lady who couldn't find a pulse in her leg and said it was urgent

Then she got lost in the system & 4 weeks later (last Thursday) she had an angiogram & was anticipating an angioplas(y?)

Then they found the blockages and the loop and the kink

Katy it sounds pretty extensive surgery.

The fact is that it sounds as if they aren't just repairing one area but 3 areas and all slightly different so a blockage/narrowing, a kink and a loop.
I wonder if the kink or the loop is an aneurysm, but I can't work out what they are doing, whether it is grafting sections or stenting.
And they are getting on and doing it fairly speedily which suggests they are more worried that the risks of the condition are worse than the risks of the operation

this might be helpful if a little technical about AAA

My dad described the loop as in an extra bit that shouldn't be there that sort of meanders round her hips and get caught when she walks

& the kink like a kink in a hose or a fold

I think it sounds quite extensive as well

My Mum is 63 - smokes & drinks loads...so surgery is fairly dodgy - well at least I assume they have an effect

some stuff about peripheral arterial surgery for the treatment of the peripheral artery disease which will be the narrowing and the kink perhaps

Yes the smoking would go along with all of this
All the best to your mum and dad, and to you, stressful times indeed.
Will be thinking about you all tomorrow morning
Are you going to the hospital as well?

That makes kind of sense

I don't think I can go as I am a childminder & I have too many children to let down tomorrow

It is very major surgery,so if you can possibly go I would.

My Mum had hers done at Barts,and she lives in Essex,my Dad couldn't get there as she was scheduled to go to Theatre at 7.30am!

I couldn't bear the thought of her being on her own,so I took DS(10) and DD1(1) with me,we went by train and left home at 5.00am!

She was so relieved to see me though,so it made it all worthwhile.

Your circumstances are probably different though,and your dad will be with her,and you can visit asap.

My Mum was in ITU overnight,and we were allowed to see her at 6pm that night.Within 6 days she was home.

My Dad had a surgical repair to an AAA 6 years ago. Basically they cut you open, lift your organs and replace your aorta with some sort of teflon tube. The recovery period is long, I have to tell you that he has never really been the same since. He now gets DLA - apparently surviving this procesure automatically qualifies you for it. The thing to remember if that if she doesn't have it done and her aorta ruptures she would die. He also had a stent on a thoracic AA two years later. The stent was a peice of cake, but apparently the surgical repair has better long term results. Sorry, don't want to worry you, but it is a big deal.

I really can't go

I have 8 children with me today & I can't let DD see me worry - her great-nana died in 'hospital' less than a year ago

We went to see her last night & dd (11) won't be visiting again for about a week or so, because we don't want her to worry too much

I am a little weepy but I have had a busy few days

Thinking of you and your mum this morning

Thank you

I am quite shakey