What is an aneurysm? It’s a balloon-like bubble that appears on the side of a blood vessel. The wall of the blood vessel becomes weakened. If it gets too weak, the blood vessel will rupture and you can bleed to death rapidly.

There are different types of aneurysms: Abdominal aortic aneurysm; cerebral aneurysm and many others. An aneurysm is often diagnosed by angiogram, where a dye is injected and is visible on x-ray, CAT scan or MRI. Many aneurysms do not require intervention. Only where it may be life-threatening or is already leaking does immediate treatment become necessary.

A leaking abdominal aortic aneurysm is often mistaken for cardiac symptoms. Such a mistake has deadly consequences. Likewise, a blood vessel in the brain that leaks often has devastating results.

The failure to recognize a dissecting or rupturing aneurysm can prove fatal. The key is understanding what the standard of care was at the time. In New York, a physician must confirm that there was a deviation from the standard of care, and that departure from good care caused injury, in order to start a medical malpractice lawsuit here in New York.