Win Social Security Disability & SSI Benefits With An Aneursym

Winning Your Case

Social Security's View Of Your Aneursym Medical Evidence

What Is An Aneurysm? Social Security regularly reviews aneursym disability & SSI cases. An aneurysm is a bulge in an artery caused when the inner lining of the artery separates from the outer wall of artery (dissection) causing the artery to weaken and bulge. The bulge itself can cause reduced blood flow. If the bulge ruptures, it can cause reduced blood flow and internal bleeding. Damage to the body can occur at the site of the bleed and where the blood flow is intended.

Aneurysms are most common in the aorta. The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body. It beings at the heart (ascending and descending aorta) and goes down through the abdomen (abdominal aorta) and then divides into two arteries and goes down each leg (left and right iliac arteries). Aneurysms are common in the spleen, intestine, and legs - areas where the aorta supplies blood. Aneurysms are also common in the brain.

Diagnosis. Your medical evidence will be gathered in your Social Security disability and SSI case, and Social Security will review that evidence to determine the basis of your diagnosis. An aneurysm is diagnosed with an MRI, CT scan, or ultrasound depending on the location of the aneurysm. If you lack this medical imaging, you will not be able to establish you have an aneurysm.

Symptoms. When Social Security reviews your medical evidence, it will look for notations by your doctor of your symptoms - symptoms you report and symptoms your doctor obeserves. Symptoms vary mainly depending on the location of the aneurysm and whether it has ruptured. It is common that a person suffers no symptoms until an aneurysm ruptures. In some cases before an aortic aneurysm rupture, symptoms can include pain, numbness in a particular body part or area, bruising, fatigue, and muscle aches. In some cases before a brain aneurysm rupture, symptoms can include headaches, dizzyness, blurred vision, seizures, lightheadedness, and fatigue.

After an aneurysm rupture, the symptoms will be much more severe and even deadly. Organ damage and failure and tissue damage often result with an aneurysm rupture.

Treatment. Social Security will also review your medical evidence to determine your treatment which usually consists of -

1. Medications,
• Pain relievers,
• High blood pressure,
• Low blood pressure,
• Calcium channel blockers, and
• Anti-seizure medications;
2. Surgery to repair the unruptured artery,
• Clipping to seal off an aneurysm (a clip is placed on the aneurysm),
• Coiling to seal off an aneurysm (a wire is placed in the aneurysm); and
3. Surgery to repair the unruptured artery,
• Grafts to replace or repair the damaged artery,
• Stents to repair the ruptured artery,
• Flow diverter to divert the blood around the damaged artery,
4. Shunts to relieve pressure on the brain in the case of the a brain aneurysm; and
5. Physical, vocational, speech, cognitive therapy.

Aneurysm Social Security & SSI Listings

All Aneurysms Except Brain Aneurysms

A heart, intestine, spleen, knee or any other aneursym (other a brain aneursym) is evaluated under Adult Listing 4.10. The listing is met if you have -

1. Medical imaging showing an aneursym,
2. Dissection, and
3. Your dissection is not controlled by treatment.

Social Security defines "not controlled" as follows - despite treatment, your aneurysm causes ongoing symptoms, increases in size, or causes compression of an artery supplying a major organ. "Ongoing symptoms" is quite broad, so meeting this requirement of the listing is easy to meet. Also, it is presumed that any worsening of the aneurysm is considered "not controlled."

Brain Aneurysm

A brain aneurysm is evaluated under Adult Listing 11.04 or Child Listing 111.04 - vascular insult to the brain. An adult must satisfy points 1, 2, or 3. A child must satisfy point 2. The listing requires that for three months or longer after the brain aneurysm -

1. One is unable to clearly speak or communicate;
2. One has an extreme limitation in standing, walking, or using their arms; or
3. On has a marked limitation in both physical and mental health functioning.

Other Related Social Security Listings

An aneurysm commonly causes a Heart Attack (myocardial infarction), Chronic Heart Failure, Stroke, Mental Retardation or Intellectual Disorders, and many other medical conditions. If you are diagnosed with one of these additional medical conditions, you may have additional ways to prove disability either with a listing or your functional limitations.

TERI Case

Social Security can consider your aneursym case a TERI case (a case that is determined by Social Security to cause death). Social Security often identifies an aneursym case as a TERI case if you are receiving hospice case, you require a life-sustaining device, you are awaiting a heart transplant, you have heart failure with the need for home oxygen and you cannot care for yourself, or you are in a coma for more than 29 days. A TERI case will be expedited - Expedited Cases.