At age 27, Edward began noticing a loss of feeling in his leg while walking. As an avid golfer, he recognized this while on the course.
“When I would golf, I could only make it through three holes until I would need to take a break because my leg was asleep. After five or 10 minutes, I would be back up, but after a few more holes, the same thing would happen. My leg would fall asleep again,” says Edward.
This symptom, coupled with bad back pain, led Edward to seek care from an orthopaedic doctor. Edward was told that his back pain and loss of feeling in his leg were being caused by a pinched nerve.
With the diagnosis of a pinched nerve, Edward’s symptoms continued to worsen over the next 20 years. It wasn’t until one day when Edward’s leg became discolored that he knew he had to seek additional care.
“My foot and leg went black. It was such awful pain, it felt like a knife was sticking straight into my leg. The only way I could soothe it was by soaking my leg in hot water,” says Edward.
In 2009, vascular experts discovered Edward had a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA). This type of aortic aneurysm is located where the aorta crosses between the chest and abdomen. Edward’s aneurysm had blocked blood flow to his leg and foot, causing severe pain and discoloration.
Doctors recommended Edward undergo open thoracoabdominal repair. The goal of this procedure is to replace the diseased part of the aorta to prevent potentially fatal events, such as an aortic rupture or dissection.
Edward’s procedure was successful. Following the repair, Edward recovered and was soon up on his feet walking again.
“Before the surgery, I always had to take a cart to get around. I couldn’t walk. After the surgery, I could walk anywhere,” says Edward.
While Edward’s condition was temporarily stable, doctors discovered his aneurysm was recurrent, leading him to require careful, lifelong surveillance by an aortic expert.
In 2020, Edward was referred to Michael Singh, MD, vascular surgeon and co-director of the UPMC Center for Aortic Disease, for his thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm.
Over the next three years, Edward’s aneurysm grew to 67 mm. Dr. Singh recommended that Edward undergo endovascular repair to fix his recurrent aortic aneurysm. During this procedure, a catheter is inserted into an artery and a stent is placed into the aorta to seal off the aneurysm and prevent further growth.
Following this minimally invasive procedure, Edward recovered quickly.
“I went right back to work, and I golfed almost every day as soon as I got out of the hospital!” says Edward. “Dr. Singh and the team at UPMC did great. I’m better now.”
Now, Edward is back on the green and feeling stronger every day. He travels into Pittsburgh regularly to see Dr. Singh and monitor his cardiovascular health.
