Dr. Robert Crawford is a vascular surgeon in piedmont clinic Boston. While a co-director in the Center for Aortic Disease, Dr. Robert Crawford also serves as an associate professor for vascular surgery and Anesthesiology in the University of Maryland School. He has published multiple articles in both clinical outcomes and basic science, relevant to vascular surgery.

An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a deteriorating area in the main artery that carries blood to the lower body, resulting in a protrusion. Aortic aneurysms can burst and cause critical internal bleeding if not treated promptly.

The majority of people with abdominal aortic aneurysms do not experience symptoms until the aneurysm ruptures. However, symptoms may occur if the aneurysm grows in size and places strain on surrounding body parts. The most common symptom is stomach pain, which can last for days.

Other symptoms include chest, abdomen, and lower back pain. It has the potential to spread to the lower body; groin, buttocks, or legs. The pain can be very severe, although movement does not affect it, some positions may cause more pain than others.

Patients may also experience a throbbing sensation in the abdomen, increased heart rate, shock, dry mouth, and dizziness as a result of internal bleeding caused by a rupture. Other symptoms may include toe embolic phenomena, fever, and weight loss.