Step 1: An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a focal dilatation of the abdominal aorta. The risk of rupture rises sharply with increasing diameter, so size guides the decision to operate.
Step 2: For asymptomatic aneurysms, elective repair (open prosthetic graft or endovascular stent graft) is indicated once the maximum diameter exceeds \(5.5\,\text{cm}\), because beyond this point the annual rupture risk outweighs the operative risk.
Step 3: Repair is also indicated regardless of size when the aneurysm is symptomatic or is expanding rapidly (for example, more than about 0.5 cm in 6 months).
Step 4: The larger cutoffs (6.5, 7.5, 8.5 cm) are incorrect because waiting that long greatly increases the chance of fatal rupture before repair. Hence option A (5.5 cm) is correct.