Countrymouse, because aneurysms run in my SIL's family (she, her mother and a sibling had cerebral aneurysms), this is a topic we have researched a bit. Because most aneurysms are only found by direct exposure (during surgery or autopsy) or scans, there's no really concrete data on how many people have them all their lives and just never know it but several studies indicate it may be over 70% of the population have one somewhere in their body. The aneurysm that ruptured and killed my SIL's mother was found during an autopsy to determine cause of death. The aneurysm SIL's brother had was found at 24 in CAT scan taken following a head injury. Because it could not be treated without risking brain damage, her brother chose to ignore it, lived another 47 years and died of totally unrelated cancer. Before the rupture, my SIL had been taking diet pills and she was a smoker. You may remember a time when there was a concern some diet pills were involved in several stokes in young women. Her surgeon believed her aneurysm may have been there all her life and the diet pills caused the ballooning and rupture. Both her sons (my nephews) had full body scans looking for aneurysms and none were found.
Many to most aneurysms when found are treatable, usually by placing a stent into the artery over the weak side much like those used to open clogged arteries. When they rupture without any notice, it is often a quick death as people pass out and then die from the internal blood loss. Those ruptures often occur in old age as the artery walls weaken or when under some additional stress, like pregnancy. Years ago a young man in our community came home from work to find his pregnant wife sitting dead on the kitchen floor with their 2 year old on her lap. She had an aneurysm in an abdominal artery.
In the case of the OP's mother who has an aneurysm in her neck, surgical treatment may be complicated because of the location being packed with so many vital structures. Her age and dementia would be significant factors too, along with other medical conditions. While I might normally think a stent would be a reasonable treatment, I wonder how well her mother could handle the anesthesia or the recovery period where she would need to remain very still. Although my father tolerated surgery well for a coronary stent placement, he had significant post-surgical problems remaining still and calm. Bessofall is facing a very difficult decision.
I'm also wondering if the OP has been advised about whether this aneurysm is operable or not. Her mother is 92 and has Alzheimer's/dementia; so I'm guessing that the surgeons would not like the odds of operating.
I don't know whether it is true that, taken as a whole population, people tend to die with aneurysms and not because of them; does anybody else?
Often with aneurysms it’s a watch and wait situation. Ask your mother’s doctors how often they will scan that aneurysm to determine if it is growing in size. I’ve had two of my very close friends have brain aneurysms & both died from it. 42 yrs old (both of them). Very sad and very sudden. Also, ask your mothers providers what symptoms should mother get to a hospital ASAP. Unlike a clot, an aneurysm is a “split”or “balloon” in the walls of the blood vessel that has become weak. It becomes acute when the vessel bursts.
My SIL had a cerebral aneurysm that ruptured at age 42; she survived with some physical disability from 3 post-surgical strokes. Some people live their whole lives with an aneurysm that never causes them any problems. Some aneurysms start ballooning at some point in their life and can be surgically repaired. Others begin leaking and give a few warning symptoms before rupturing like my SIL's or some rupture without ever giving any warnings and are only found during autopsy.
They are very scary but often treatable when found before a rupture. My SIL had some tingling in one hand and a headache for a couple of days before the major rupture. How was your mother's found?
I can't directly relate, but I can certainly sympathise with how worrying and frightening this must be. How did it come to light? When were you told it was there?
Many to most aneurysms when found are treatable, usually by placing a stent into the artery over the weak side much like those used to open clogged arteries. When they rupture without any notice, it is often a quick death as people pass out and then die from the internal blood loss. Those ruptures often occur in old age as the artery walls weaken or when under some additional stress, like pregnancy. Years ago a young man in our community came home from work to find his pregnant wife sitting dead on the kitchen floor with their 2 year old on her lap. She had an aneurysm in an abdominal artery.
In the case of the OP's mother who has an aneurysm in her neck, surgical treatment may be complicated because of the location being packed with so many vital structures. Her age and dementia would be significant factors too, along with other medical conditions. While I might normally think a stent would be a reasonable treatment, I wonder how well her mother could handle the anesthesia or the recovery period where she would need to remain very still. Although my father tolerated surgery well for a coronary stent placement, he had significant post-surgical problems remaining still and calm. Bessofall is facing a very difficult decision.
I don't know whether it is true that, taken as a whole population, people tend to die with aneurysms and not because of them; does anybody else?
I’ve had two of my very close friends have brain aneurysms & both died from it. 42 yrs old (both of them). Very sad and very sudden.
Also, ask your mothers providers what symptoms should mother get to a hospital ASAP.
Unlike a clot, an aneurysm is a “split”or “balloon” in the walls of the blood vessel that has become weak. It becomes acute when the vessel bursts.
They are very scary but often treatable when found before a rupture. My SIL had some tingling in one hand and a headache for a couple of days before the major rupture. How was your mother's found?