So what exactly is abdominal aortic aneurysm and how can it be so scary? How should it be detected early and treated effectively? What is abdominal aortic aneurysm and what are the symptoms? The abdominal aorta is an important blood vessel in the human body located deep in the abdominal cavity and at the anterior edge of the spine. Under normal circumstances, the abdominal aorta is straight and less than 1.8 cm in diameter. Under the effect of atherosclerosis, smoking, inflammation, infection and other factors, the abdominal aorta can undergo aneurysmal expansion, and when the diameter expansion exceeds 50% of the original, it is called abdominal aortic aneurysm. Abdominal aortic aneurysms may be asymptomatic when the diameter of the aneurysm is small, but symptoms gradually appear as the aneurysm increases in size. The most common symptoms are a pulsating mass in the abdomen, consistent with a heartbeat; back pain when the aneurysm compresses the spine; intestinal obstruction when the aneurysm compresses the duodenum; ischemia of the lower extremity arteries due to dislodged thrombus in the aneurysm cavity; and significant abdominal pain when the aneurysm ruptures. The greatest danger of abdominal aortic aneurysm formation is rupture of the aneurysm. Aneurysm rupture is like the breaking of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, and high velocity and high pressure arterial blood instantly gushes out from the rupture, and the patient can die within a short time due to hemorrhage. Abdominal aortic aneurysm is the most common arterial dilatation disease in human beings. The incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysm is about 8.8% among the elderly people over 65 years old, and the mortality rate after aneurysm rupture is over 90%. How can abdominal aortic aneurysms be detected? The easiest way to detect an abdominal aortic aneurysm is to palpate yourself around the navel. Once a pulsating mass that expands with the heartbeat cycle is palpated, the diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm can be made. Tests to diagnose abdominal aortic aneurysm include ultrasound, CT angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, and angiography. Color ultrasound is the most commonly used clinical examination method, which is simple, convenient and reasonably priced, and most hospitals are able to perform vascular ultrasound. CT and magnetic resonance angiography are often used as further examinations after the discovery of abdominal aortic aneurysm, which can clearly show the whole picture and local details of the aneurysm and help in the selection of treatment plan. Angiography is expensive and invasive and is usually used only during surgery. In the elderly population over 65 years of age, one should be concerned about the occurrence of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. How are abdominal aortic aneurysms treated? Abdominal aortic aneurysms are like time bombs in the human body that can explode at any time and endanger lives, and should be consulted and treated by a specialist once diagnosed. Surgery is the only solution to this ticking time bomb and there are no drugs that can reverse an abdominal aortic aneurysm. When the diameter of the aneurysm is small, it is like a bomb in dormancy, so the chance of rupture is not high and surgery is not necessary. When the diameter of aneurysm exceeds 5 cm, the chance of rupture increases sharply, and the patient should receive surgery at this time. In some patients, the aneurysm increases rapidly and the possibility of rupture is also high. Patients whose aneurysm diameter increases more than 0.5 cm within six months also need immediate surgery. In the past, the main surgical method for abdominal aortic aneurysms was aneurysm resection with artificial vessel replacement. The surgery was performed under general anesthesia and required a long longitudinal incision between the subxiphoid process and the pubic bone to reveal the aneurysm and then block the abdominal aorta at the upper and lower healthy sites, remove the aneurysm and suture an artificial vessel in the middle. The traditional surgery is like a permanent time bomb removal from the human body, with precise treatment effect and good long-term efficacy after surgery; the disadvantage is the huge trauma and long recovery time after surgery, which many patients cannot tolerate because they have coronary heart disease, old slow branch and other concomitant diseases. Another treatment method is the minimally invasive endoluminal repair, which is a milestone in the history of abdominal aortic aneurysm treatment. Endoluminal repair uses the force of outward expansion of an artificial endovascular stent (a bare metal stent with a section of artificial vessel sewn to it) within the lumen of the arterial vessel to anchor it to the healthy vessel wall at both ends of the aneurysm, with blood flowing through the endovascular stent to the distal end without acting directly on the aneurysm. The endoluminal repair is like taking away the fuse and explosive inside the bomb, which also achieves the purpose of treatment. No abdominal incision is required, and only the bilateral femoral arteries need to be cut. Endoluminal repair is characterized by less trauma and faster recovery, and is particularly suitable for patients of advanced age, with many comorbidities, and who are afraid of traditional surgery. Although dangerous, abdominal aortic aneurysm is not a terminal disease. As long as it is understood comprehensively and appropriate treatment options are chosen, good treatment results can be obtained. If old man Zhang had known earlier that he had an abdominal aortic aneurysm and operated early, such a tragedy could have been avoided and the family could still enjoy the happiness of having three generations together.