On the Edge of Life: Surviving a Ruptured Aortic Aneurysm

In this episode of The Hope Table, host Erin Brinkersits down with Dr. Jeffrey Hsu, vascular surgeon with Kaiser Permanente, and his patient Phil Crawford, a survivor of a ruptured aortic aneurysm—an event that is often fatal. Dr. Hsu explains vascular health in down-to-earth “plumbing” terms, breaks down what aneurysms are, who’s at risk (especially older male smokers), and why screening and early detection matter.Phil then shares his powerful, emotional story: a sudden onset of excruciating abdominal pain, an emergency 911 call, waking up weeks later from a medically induced coma with 111 staples and a new understanding of his own mortality. He talks about quitting tobacco, facing esophageal cancer a year later, and how family, faith, and sheer determination carried him through. Erin closes by reflecting on post-traumatic growth, advances in vascular medicine, and practical steps listeners can take right now to protect their own vascular health and truly “seize the day.”Send us comments and thoughts.