TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — When he heard he had a clean bill of health, Louis D’Amico tended to believe his doctors and not investigate his test results.

Four years ago, Louis had a stent placed in his abdomen to control two aortic aneurysms. He said he would go in for an annual CAT scan. After his March 2023 scan, the Venice resident said his doctor told him he was fine. But he said there was a line in his test results he didn’t read — there was leakage, causing his aneurysms to grow. He said his doctor never said anything.

“You don’t know anything about this,” Louis said. “There’s no pain, there’s no nothing. You just wander around, and then, one day, you wake up gone.”

It wasn’t until a different doctor visit months later that Louis realized the diagnosis and was referred to Tampa General Hospital and Dr. Dean Arnaoutakis.

“The estimated risk of that rupturing or popping, I would say, is at least 25 to 35 percent risk per year,” said Dr. Arnaoutakis. “If that were to have happened, it’s almost always a life-ending event.”

Now, Louis and his wife Denise are urging anyone and everyone to take control of their health by asking questions and understanding their tests.

“You should request every single test that anyone ever takes of you,” said Denise. “Bring it home, read it, understand it.”

Thankfully, Louis was referred to a place and person that could help him — Dr. Arnaoutakis is a USF Associate Professor of Surgery at TGH’s Heart & Vascular Institute and the Director of the Aortic Disease Program at TGH.

“We’re one of the only sites in the state of Florida that has access to clinical trials where patients can get custom-made stents to fix complex aortic problems,” said Dr. Arnaoutakis.

After checking out Louis, Dr. Arnaoutakis scheduled him for surgery two weeks later.

“I was waiting for that aneurysm to potentially break,” said Denise. “An aneurysm breaks, you’re gone. There’s no saving.”

But the operation went as planned, and on Monday, the couple came in for a six-month check-up. They said they want others to understand their health, too.

“You need an advocate,” said Louis. “You need an advocate like her or me. You have to watch out for each other.”