Aortic Aneurysm Repair
Endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair is surgery to repair a widened area in your aorta, called an aneurysm. The aorta is the large artery that carries blood to your belly, pelvis, and legs. An aortic aneurysm is when a part of this artery becomes too large or balloons outward due to weakness in the wall of the artery.
Aortic Aneurysm Repair
You will lie on a padded table in an operating room, in the radiology department of the hospital, or in a catheterization lab. You may receive general anesthesia (you are asleep and pain-free) or epidural or spinal anesthesia.
- Your doctor will use ultrasound to place needle into your groin artery . Then your doctor will insert a stent (a metal coil) and a man made (synthetic) graft through the opening into the artery.
- The doctor uses x-rays to guide the stent graft up into your aorta, to where the aneurysm is located. Thedoctor will open the stent using a spring-like mechanism and attach it to the walls of the aorta. You raneurysm will eventually shrink around it.
- The doctor will then use x-rays again to make sure the stent is in the right place and your aneurysm is not bleeding inside your body.
Why the Procedure is Performed
Endovascular aortic repair is done because your aneurysm is very large, growing quickly, or is leaking or bleeding.
You may have an abdominal aortic aneurysm that is not causing any symptoms or problems. Your doctor may have found out about this problem when you had an ultrasound or CT scan for another reason. There is a risk that this aneurysm may open up (rupture) if you do not have surgery to repair it. However, surgery to repair the aneurysm may also be risky. In such cases, endovascular repair is an option.
You and your doctor must decide whether the risk of having this surgery is smaller than the risk of rupture if you don’t have surgery to repair the problem. The doctor is more likely to recommend that you have surgery if the aneurysm is:
- Larger (about 2 inches or 5 cm)
- Growing more quickly (a little less than 1/4 inch over the last 6 to 12 months)
Endovascular repair has a lower risk of complications compared to open surgery. Your doctor is more likely to suggest this type of repair if you have other, more serious medical problems or are elderly.
Risks for any surgery are:
- Blood clots in the legs that may travel to the lungs
- Breathing problems
- Infection, including in the lungs, urinary tract, and belly
- Heart attack or stroke
- Reactions to medicines
Risks for any of anesthesia are:
- Allergic reactions to medicines
- Breathing problems
Risks of carotid surgery are:
- Heart Attack
- Stroke (this is rare)
- Infection