Is interventional treatment for splenic artery aneurysm effective and how much does it cost?

Is interventional treatment for splenic artery aneurysm effective? How much does it cost?

1. Splenic artery aneurysm is an aneurysm formed by the expansion of the splenic artery. It can be divided into three types according to the location of the aneurysm: the aneurysm is located in the main trunk of the splenic artery and is more than 5 cm away from the spleen, which is the distal type; the aneurysm is located at the splenic hilum, which is the proximal type; and the type between the two is the intermediate type. Most of them are single, and the onset is hidden, making them difficult to diagnose.

2. It is generally believed to be related to abnormal arterial wall structure and changes in endocrine levels. The main causes include atherosclerosis, splenic artery fibromuscular dysplasia, multiple pregnancies, portal hypertension, acute and chronic pancreatitis, etc. Other rare causes include iatrogenic injury, trauma, infection, etc.

3. There are usually no obvious symptoms before rupture of splenic artery aneurysm, and occasionally there is discomfort in the left upper abdomen. Once obvious symptoms such as pain in the left upper abdomen or left hypochondrium, nausea, vomiting, etc. appear, it often indicates that the aneurysm is ruptured. After rupture, there are symptoms such as severe pain in the upper abdomen and radiating pain in the left shoulder, tenderness under the left rib margin, hypotension, shock, etc. Some splenic artery aneurysms have rupture and bleeding as the first symptom, and shock or even death will soon occur; if it ruptures into the lesser omental sac, it can temporarily stop bleeding due to blood clot packing and compression, but it can rupture again through the Winslow foramen into the abdominal cavity. In rare cases, the tumor can also form an arteriovenous fistula with the portal vein system, causing portal hypertension.

4. In recent years, with the advancement of interventional technology, splenic artery embolization, splenic artery endovascular isolation, and bare stent-assisted spring embolization have achieved good results in the treatment of splenic artery aneurysms. At present, endovascular interventional treatment has become the first choice for splenic artery aneurysms.

5. For tumors that cannot be removed surgically, interventional therapy can be used to achieve palliative treatment; anti-cancer drugs can also be infused to shrink the tumor before surgical removal; it can also be used for intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy to prevent recurrence in patients after tumor resection.