Pneumothorax

in itself, i don't think it can.

however, pneumothorax is often caused by some kind of injury, so the patient should always be checked out for damage to other organs/structures.

even so, the abdominal aorta is located pretty deep inside the body... it would be unusual for it to be damaged by trauma in most situations.

why do you ask?

I recently had an aorta bifemoral bypass due to a blockage. I had no other blockages, only the one where the aorta branches out to the legs. I had pneumonia when I was in basic training (Nov 1968), and about a year later, when I got to Germany, I had a spontaneous pneumothorax. I was stationed too far away from a US facility and had to be admitted to a German hospital. It happened on a Saturday evening around 7. I talked a german friend into driving me to the dispensary on post. A medic there phoned the Dr. on call and explained that I was having terrible chest pains.
He thought that I was hyperventilating and needed to breath carbon dioxide. He instructed the medic to have me breathe into a paper bag and inhale from it. I did this and he even put the bag over my head until I couldn't stand it. I Became upset,angry, and scared. The doctor came in and asked me to lie down so he could examine me. I told him the only position I could tolerate was sittng in a bent over positiion. He then listened to each side of my lungs and told the medic to xray me. He then discovered the pnemothorax. Completed collapse. The doctor put me in his POV and took me to the German Hospital in Kassel. When we arrived there I opened the door and got out. I thought for a second I was OK and then I passed out. I awoke the next morning and the Doctors there told me I had a pneumothorax. The tube they had used was being sucked closed by the pump and they were going to have to replace it with one that was thicker. They did and I recovered. I was in the hospital about a week.
The German doctors told me that the extreme pain was because the collapsed left lung was forcing my heart over to the right side of my body.
I am trying to find out if this could have damaged the lining of the abdominal artery that became blocked.
The bypass so far was a success and I have no pain when walking now. It has been about 2 months since I had the surgery. I filed a claim with the VA before I had the surgery. I have not heard any thing back yet. I am trying to get an honest opinion about this.
Thanks.
Jerry Hilton