Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm is an enlargement or bulge in the aorta within your abdomen. Aortic aneurysms can be at risk of rupture or bursting. The aorta is the largest blood vessel that delivers blood pumped from the heart and an abdominal aortic aneurysm is life-threatening and often fatal if it bursts.
These types of aneurysms are most common in older men and smokers. They often grow slowly over time without symptoms. A small aneurysm may only need to be monitored by your doctor. A large one or one that increases in size very quickly can be treated by a vascular surgeon, either through surgically replacing the aorta or by using an endovascular stentgraft to exclude flow to the aneurysm and prevent further expansion.
Aneurysms can also occur elsewhere in the body, most commonly in the artery behind the knee.