Step 1: The risk of rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm rises sharply once the diameter exceeds a threshold, and elective repair is offered when the rupture risk outweighs the operative risk.
Step 2: For an asymptomatic aneurysm, repair (open prosthetic graft or endovascular aortic stent graft) is indicated when the maximum diameter is greater than 5.5 cm. Repair is also indicated, irrespective of size, if the aneurysm is symptomatic or is expanding rapidly (more than about 0.5 cm in a year). Hence the cut-off here is 5.5 cm.
Step 3: Why the larger numbers are wrong. Waiting until 6.5, 7.5 or 8.5 cm exposes the patient to a far higher and unacceptable rupture risk; below 5.5 cm an asymptomatic aneurysm is usually managed by surveillance imaging and cardiovascular risk control.