Q: My father had a swelling and pain in his lower back a month ago and was suspected of having an abdominal aortic aneurysm on ultrasound, is there any danger? A: Yes! Abdominal aortic aneurysm is caused by atherosclerosis, in which the wall of the artery becomes less elastic and expands outward. As the pressure of arterial blood keeps hitting the weak aneurysm wall, the aneurysm is likely to rupture, resulting in life-threatening hemorrhage in the abdominal cavity. Therefore, abdominal aortic aneurysm is figuratively called an “ticking time bomb” in the abdominal cavity. Q: How can the diagnosis be confirmed? A: If abdominal aortic aneurysm is suspected by ultrasound, CT abdominal aortography can be performed to confirm the diagnosis. If your father is allergic to iodine-containing contrast media, a magnetic resonance imaging of the abdominal aorta can be used to confirm the diagnosis. Q: Once diagnosed, how should an abdominal aortic aneurysm be treated? A: Once the diagnosis is clear, surgery should be performed. Medications are not effective for abdominal aortic aneurysms. So far, there is no drug to treat abdominal aortic aneurysm in the world. Clinically, antihypertensive drugs can be used to reduce the impact pressure of blood flow on the arterial wall, but they cannot prevent the rupture of the aneurysm. Q: Are there any risks associated with surgery? A: Traditional surgery has some risks. However, in recent years, the advent of minimally invasive endoluminal stents with membranes has allowed many patients to avoid the risks of traditional complex surgery. Through a small incision at the base of the thigh, a catheter is placed from the femoral artery, travels upward to the abdominal aorta, and a membranous stent is delivered to isolate the aneurysm for the purpose of treatment, which makes the risk of the surgery greatly reduced. Q: Can abdominal aortic aneurysm metastasize? A: Abdominal aortic aneurysm is actually not a tumor in the true sense of the word, it is just an aneurysmal expansion of the arterial lumen. Therefore, it is also impossible for it to metastasize everywhere like malignant tumors.