Again, because we know how aneurysms grow and behave, a great deal of work has studied the optimal timing of fixing them. In the past, all aneurysms were fixed as soon as they were discovered; we have changed that attitude for two reasons: 1) small AAA’s very rarely ruptured, and 2) the risk of surgery to fix AAA itself carried a definite risk of complications.

Based on these facts most surgeons agree that AAA’s less than 5 cm in diameter have a low risk of rupture – low enough that it does not justify the risk of surgery. Greater than 5cm AAA’s begin to carry higher risk of rupture over time, and therefore do warrant fixing the aneurysm for the prevention of a future rupture.