Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

The aorta is the main blood vessel that pumps blood away from the heart. It travels down the body until dividing just above the groin area into two major arteries called the iliac arteries. These become the femoral arteries as they continue into the legs.

An aortic aneurysm occurs when the aorta’s walls weaken and the vessel balloons out. This often occurs just above where the aorta divides into the iliac arteries. If the aneurysm expands too much, this ‘balloon’ can rupture, causing the belly to fill with blood—a life-threatening event.

The walls of the aorta can weaken for many reasons, but high blood pressure and smoking are two major factors that cause aneurysms. It’s possible for an aneurysm to form and stay intact for a long period of time. The bigger the aneurysm is, the greater the risk it poses to the patient.

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