Last-minute rescue: life-threatening aneurysm discovered!

Last-minute rescue: life-threatening aneurysm discovered!

Another success of modern medicine was celebrated at the Ottakring Clinic: 54-year-old Maria R. from Klein Pöchlarn regained her health after a challenging procedure that became necessary when a potentially fatal aneurysm was discovered. It was a fateful routine check-up with her family doctor that saved the patient's life. This examination revealed an abdominal aneurysm caused by Sutton-Kadir syndrome, an exceptionally rare vascular disease.

Maria R. suffered from occasional feelings of pressure in her stomach for years, but painful symptoms never occurred. This inconspicuousness made it all the more difficult to diagnose the insidious disease early on. Sutton-Kadir syndrome (SKS), which is associated with celiac artery stenosis in approximately 28.6% of cases, is particularly rare and can occur in both men and women. According to pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, such aneurysms, often located in the inferior pancreatoduodenal artery, can rupture and pose significant health risks.

Complex treatment and surgery

After the diagnosis, Maria R. was initially treated by experts such as Dr. Afshin Assadian and Dr. Thomas Starkl treated. The operation, a highly complex procedure, required skillful exposure of the blocked main vessel and the treatment of the fragile replacement vessel. This serious pathology often requires two coordinated interventions, experts report on the requirements for such complex treatments.

Thanks to the extraordinary skills of the medical team, the operation ended with a positive result: Maria R. is now symptom-free and can finally go through life carefree. The cure for this particular disease illustrates how important it is to seek medical advice even if symptoms are subtle.

Medical backgrounds and future perspectives

Sutton-Kadir syndrome is often associated with the median arcuate ligament, which can cause compression of the celiac artery, according to research at pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. This compression can lead to dangerous aneurysms, the treatment of which is not only challenging but is also currently poorly covered by controlled data, which poses major challenges for the field.

A retrospective cohort study conducted at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital from January 2014 to 2021 examined emergency and elective treatment approaches for SKS aneurysms. The results show that endovascular embolization without treatment of median arcuate ligament compression is suitable in both emergency and elective situations. Such insights are crucial to further develop future treatment protocols and ensure patient safety.

Maria R.'s story is not only inspiring, but also another example of the progressive possibilities of modern medicine, which proves again and again that good prevention and the right medical knowledge can save lives. Therefore, everyone should listen to their body and not ignore any symptoms. Her life has brought the light of hope to other patients beyond the dark side of health.