Aortic aneurysm repair - endovascular
Definition
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Endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair is surgery to fix a widened part (or aneurysm) in your aorta, 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.
Alternative Names
EVAR; Endovascular aneurysm repair; AAA repair - endovascular; Repair - aortic aneurysm - endovascular
Description
You will lie down 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 (asleep and pain-free) or epidural or spinal anesthesia.
- Your doctor will make a small incision (cut) near the groin, to find the femoral artery. Then your doctor will insert a stent (a metal coil) and a manmade (synthetic) graft through the cut into the artery.
- The doctor uses x-rays to guide the stent graft up into your aorta, to where the aneurysm is located. The doctor will open the stent using a spring-like mechanism and attach it to the walls of the aorta. Your aneurysm 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.
Risks
Risks for any surgery are:
- Reactions to medicines
- Breathing problems
- Blood clots in the legs that may travel to the lungs
- Heart attack or stroke
- Infection, including in the lungs, urinary tract, and belly
Risks for this surgery are:
- Bleeding before or after procedure
- Poor blood supply to your legs, your kidneys, or other organs
- Damage to a nerve, causing pain or numbness in the leg
- Bleeding around the graft requiring more surgery
Review Date: 3/5/2009
Reviewed By: Robert A. Cowles, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Reviewed By: Robert A. Cowles, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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