Need some information on enlarged aorta.

My Aorta was at 5.6 cm and was replaced. My older brothers is at 4.6 cm and the are monitoring it with yearly CT scans. usually the recommendation is that it should be replaced at 5 cm or larger. If it is below that then a yearly CT scan would seem appropriate. There are many threads on this site which cover aorta replacement. You'll see me in several of them. One question would be is his enlargement the abdominal or thoracic aorta.

Try not to worry - I survived double pnumonia when I was little it caused me to have an enlarged heart which now at 65 has not been to troublesome.   An enlarged aorta maybe associated to the big operation your brother has had.   Now enlarged is a very loose range and monitoring will now be needed, this is normal.  The check ups will involve seeing what if any expansion has happened.  They do have the means to measure this and that is what will dictate if any intervention is required.   The modern operation can introduce a "stent" (an artificial tube to support any weak point of the artery) by doing an angiogram.  A small incision is made in the inner thigh artery through which instruments are passed up the any area of concern.  A stent can be introduced which will support the artery and will last for years.  Blood thining tablets are usual as are controls of blood pressure tablets post any angiogram.   Your brother will be fine it is rare for any intervension to fail so your brother has just got to follow any medical advice and look after himself.   Try to reassure your mum that if there is any repair needed the medical procedures have been sucessful for at least the last 25 years.  It is not unnatural for you and mum to be upset and worry.  Those of us that have had a repair are still here still living normal lives. get together with your mum and brother and have a family hug.  Your brother is in safe hands.  Best regards   

It would be helpful for you to know a little more about his diagnosis so you can have peace of mind. Probably what he has is a spot somewhere along the aorta that is a bit enlarged. The whole thing does not get enlarged. So the first t you need to know is where this enlargement is. The second thing is the size. Mine is in the ascending aorta of my heart, and currently is 3.9 centimeters. I Get it checked via cardiac CT every year. The aorta goes from the heart all the way down to the abdominal. My husband's is down in that area, which is called an AAA (abdominal aortic aneurysm.) His is 3.5 centimeters. If an aneurysm grows more than .5 cm a year, they will watch it closer. The fact that your brothers doc only wants to check it in a year means it is a small aneurysm.