Aortic aneurysm repair - endovascular

Alternative Names: EVAR; Endovascular aneurysm repair - aorta; AAA repair - endovascular; Repair - aortic aneurysm - endovascular

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.

Unlike standard surgery, in which a surgical cut is made in the abdomen, endovascular aortic repair is done without any major surgical cut.

Description of Procedure

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 make a small surgical 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 of Aortic aneurysm repair - endovascular

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 this surgery are:

• Bleeding around the graft that needs more surgery
• Bleeding before or after procedure
• Blockage of the stent
• Damage to a nerve, causing weakness, pain, or numbness in the leg
• Kidney failure
• Poor blood supply to your legs, your kidneys, or other organs
• Problems getting or keeping an erection
• Surgery is not successful and you need open surgery
• The stent slips

Review Date: 11/18/2010
Reviewed By: Shabir Bhimji, MD, PhD, Specializing in General Surgery, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Midland, TX. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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