Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)

AAA is an atypical expansion, a bulge, in the largest blood vessel in the body, the aorta. AAA is present in approximately 2% of the population age 60 or above. AAAs grow over time, and they have a risk of rupture – a catastrophic bleeding emergency associated with a 90% risk of death. The corrective surgery for AAA can also pose risks in this elderly population, and thus the decision of when to operate is a complex one. The AAA group looks at mechanical tissue properties of the aneurysmal vessels in an effort to investigate and predict the growth pattern and rupture risk of AAAs.