Vice President Cheney's surgery successful, goes home

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Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 26 Sep 2005 - 17:00 PDT

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Vice President Dick Cheney's aneurysm surgery was successful, a spokesperson at the George Washington University Hospital said. The operation lasted six hours. He had surgery for aneurysms behind both knees (it was thought the aneyrysm was just behind one knee).

Dick Chenney is 64 years old. He suffered his first heart attack in 1978 when he was 37, and his fourth heart attack in 2000.

Yesterday (Sunday) morning he left hospital and managed to walk slowly, but unaided, with his wife by his side.

What is an Aneurysm?

It is a bulging of an artery. This can be caused by uncontrolled hypertension. Also, if the artery is weak or injured an aneurysm can appear.

Pressure from the flow of blood against the wall of the artery can cause the aneurysm to gradually grow into a prominent bulge. It is common to find plaque build-up with the arterial wall (atherosclerotic disease).

Aneurysms most commonly appear in the aorta, the largest artery (abdominal aortic aneurysm, or AAA). However, they can appear in any blood vessel. About 200,000 people in America are affected by AAA.

Left untreated, an aneurysm can cause the artery to rupture or leak - the patient can go into shock and die as a result of massive internal bleeding.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor - Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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