Management of a small diameter abdominal aortic aneurysm, surgical repair vs. ultrasound surveillance

The information provided in this handout does not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Minnesota Medical School physicians and faculty. These materials are provided for informational purposes only and are in no way intended to take the place of the advice and recommendations of your personal health care provider. You use the information provided in these handouts at your own risk.Current research says that for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm of 4.0-5.5 cm in size (which is considered a small size) either surgical repair or frequent ultrasound of their aorta is acceptable. Patient should be the one to make this choice. However, if AAA starts to expand >1 cm/year or causes patient to have symptoms, surgical repair should be considered