In 1999, Roseanne, a 60-year-old emergency medical technician (EMT), was driving an ambulance, delivering a patient to the local emergency room, when she developed shortness of breath. Thinking she had an upper respiratory infection, Roseanne asked the ER physician to prescribe an antibiotic for her. The doctor instead ordered a chest X-ray and found an ascending thoracic aneurysm, a dangerous ballooning of part of the abdominal aorta, the body's central blood pathway. She had no other warning signs and no family history of aneurysms.

Roseanne still remembers receiving the news. "I was in shock. When I heard the diagnosis, all I could say was, what's an aneurysm? I have heard a lot of medical terms, but I just couldn't process the word ‘aneurysm.'

To prevent a life-threatening rupture, the aneurysm was treated with an "open" surgical procedure. In open repair, a surgeon carefully removes the weakened, balloon-like aneurysm and sews a synthetic (man-made) graft in its place. This major surgical procedure involves a large incision and an extended recovery time.

Roseanne became depressed after the procedure. "I lost my smile. Everything was serious in my life. I had been a happy person before the surgery; I laughed all of the time. It took me a year to get my smile back."

History Repeats Itself
In 2003, Roseanne was diagnosed with an aneurysm located in a lower section of her abdominal aorta. Again, she had not experienced any symptoms; this lack of warning signs is exactly what makes aneurysms so dangerous. Roseanne underwent open surgery once more.

A friend suggested that Roseanne listen to relaxing music in order to help prevent the depression she experienced after the first procedure. Roseanne said the music got her through the surgery and helped her recovery process, which was much quicker and free of depression.

Life-saving Treatment
In 2004, Roseanne suffered a major health crisis. She had finished her shift in the ER and was ready to go home. "I got into my car, and all of a sudden I developed chest pain and couldn't move my arms," she said. "People were walking by my car but I couldn't get their attention. I don't know how I got the car door opened, but I did. I yelled for help and a woman who worked for the hospital heard me and got me back to the ER."

Roseanne had an aneurysm rupture, a life-threatening emergency. Open surgical repair was no longer an option, so she was taken by ambulance to Albany Medical Center Hospital. There, Dr. Manish Mehta of The Vascular Group performed a minimally invasive endovascular procedure to repair the aneurysm and save her life. Endovascular aneurysm repair is done without a major surgical incision; the treatment is done through a narrow tube inserted in an artery in the groin area. Success rates are high and recovery is much faster than traditional open surgery.