Abdominal Vascular Catastrophe

The Types of Abdominal Vascular Catastrophes

Abdominal vascular catastrophes fall into two categories: hemorrhage (rupture) or occlusion (blockage) of the blood vessels in the abdomen.

• The most common abdominal vascular catastrophe is a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), causing the abdominal cavity to fill with blood.
• Vascular occlusion occurs when a blood clot travels from another part of the body or plaque buildup blocks blood flow in the vessels in the abdomen. There are two types of vascular occlusion:
  • Acute intestinal artery occlusion can result in inflammation and injury of the intestine due to lack of blood flow (ischemia)—which can have life-threatening consequences.
  • Acute aortic occlusion is a condition in which the blood flow to both legs and the pelvis is cut off; while rare, this condition is associated with extremely high morbidity and mortality, and treatment needs to be started as soon as possible.

Why Choose Cooper to Treat Abdominal Vascular Catastrophes?

Cooper’s vascular and endovascular surgeons are South Jersey’s most experienced and respected team for treating abdominal vascular catastrophes.

Equally important, because abdominal vascular catastrophes are such severe medical emergencies, fast diagnosis and treatment are also essential. Our vascular and endovascular surgeons not only are available around the clock, but Cooper is home to the region’s only Level One Vascular Emergency Program, enabling patients with urgent vascular problems to be transferred here quickly by helicopter or ambulance from any hospital within a 100-mile radius.

Treatment for Abdominal Vascular Catastrophes

Because abdominal vascular catastrophes are so life threatening, immediate surgery is almost always necessary. This type of surgery requires a multidisciplinary approach that includes vascular surgeons and critical care specailists with both open and endovascular surgical expertise—for which Cooper is renowned.

Abdominal Vascular Catastrophe Risk Factors

There are a number of risk factors that can contribute to a ruptured abdominal aneurysm or vascular occlusion, including:

• Coronary artery disease.
• Cigarette smoking.
• Diabetes.
• High cholesterol or a high fat diet, or both.
• Hypertension (high blood pressure).
• Age over 60.
• Family history of AAA or vascular occlusive disease.
• Male gender (particularly for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms).

Abdominal Vascular Catastrophe Symptoms

While abdominal vascular catastrophes are relatively uncommon, they can be lethal. That’s why it’s important to know the signs and symptoms of these conditions, and seek medical attention immediately.

The symptoms of abdominal vascular catastrophe depend on the type of rupture or occlusion that has occurred:

• Ruptured aortic aneurysm: The primary symptom is sudden, intense and persistent abdominal or back pain. Other symptoms can include sweatiness, clamminess, dizziness or fainting, nausea and vomiting, and low blood pressure. Without immediate medical treatment, death occurs.
• Acute intestinal artery occlusion: The primary symptom is sudden onset of severe abdominal pain, but it may be less obvious or come on more slowly .
• Acute aortic occlusion: Signs and symptoms of an acute aortic occlusion include sudden inability to feel and move the legs, urinary and fecal incontinence, and loss of pulse in the thighs and legs.

Other symptoms of abdominal aortic aneurysm may include:

• Severe and sudden pain or constant pain in the abdomen or back.
• Pain in the back or abdomen that spreads toward the legs.
• Dizziness or fainting.
• Clammy skin.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Rapid pulse.
• Low blood pressure.
• Shock.

Blood clots can also develop, break off, and travel to other parts of the body, causing pain and other complications. A clot that travels to the brain may cause a stroke. Clots that travel to the heart may cause a heart attack.

Diagnosing Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

A frustrating fact is that most people with an abdominal aortic aneurysm do not have any symptoms. An aneurysm is usually discovered by X-ray during an exam for an unrelated health issue.

If an abdominal aortic aneurysm is suspected, your doctor may use ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) scan to investigate it. If an AAA is confirmed, a vascular specialist will use several imaging tests to gather more information on the aneurysm’s size, shape, and exact location in the abdomen.

The Society for Vascular Surgery and the Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology recommends preventive screening abdominal ultrasounds for:

• Men aged 60 to 85.
• Women aged 60 to 85 who have cardiovascular risk factors.
• Men and women aged 50 and older who have a family history of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Treating Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

The specialists in Cooper’s Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Program are at the forefront of treating AAA with an innovative procedure called endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. Compared to an open surgery to repair an AAA, this minimally invasive procedure offers numerous benefits to patients, including:

• Shorter time for the procedure – the surgery takes one to three hours to complete.
• Shorter hospital stay.
• Smaller scars.
• Faster return to normal activities after the surgery.

Cooper’s vascular surgeons helped pioneer the development of an innovative procedure, which is becoming the preferred surgical approach to treating patients who have an AAA.