Endovascular Repair

Each year approximately 200,000 new cases of abdominal aortic aneurysms are diagnosed.  Also known as AAA, an abdominal aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the aorta which could rupture with life-threatening results.  If you or a loved one has this disease, you may be seeking information on how it can be treated.  One new treatment option is endovascular repair using an endovascular graft.
 
The size and location of the abdominal aortic aneurysm, and your general health, will determine how your aneurysm should be treated.  When the aneurysm is small, your doctor may only recommend periodic check-ups to monitor the aneurysm.  However, a larger, or rapidly growing (expanding) aneurysm poses more risk of bursting (rupture), and as such, may require treatment.
 
Two procedural options are available if your doctor feels treatment is necessary, open surgical repair or endovascular repair.
 
Endovascular repair is a relatively new procedure for the treatment of abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms.  Less invasive than open surgery, it involves excluding the aneurysm by placing an endovascular graft inside of the diseased aorta, making a new path for the blood to flow.  The endovascular graft remains inside the aorta permanently through the use of metal prongs, or anchors, as well as a tight fit against the wall of the aorta. 

Endovascular repair may be performed under general, regional or local anesthesia while the patient remains conscious (awake) but sedated, and typically takes 1 to 3 hours to complete.  Patients may have a hospital stay of only a few days and can usually return to normal activity within 6 weeks after the procedure.