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CHAPTER 8
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery
The open-abdominal synthetic graft is the traditional surgery for an aortic aneurysm and has been performed for about 50 years. It has proven to be reliable, but it is a highly invasive treatment and requires open-abdominal or open-chest surgery. In it, an incision is made from below the breastbone to just below the navel. The damaged portion of the artery is removed and the graft, a synthetic tube, is stitched into place. The incision is then closed. The surgery itself takes 3-6 hours, and the hospital stay is normally about 7-10 days. Risks of this surgery may include heart attack, irregular heartbeats, bleeding, stroke, paralysis due to injury of the spinal cord, graft infection, and kidney damage.
Endovascular Stent Graft
A newer, less-invasive approach uses an endovascular stent graft. The stent graft, a synthetic tube with a metal mesh support, is attached to the end of a catheter (a long, thin hose), inserted into an artery in the leg, and threaded up into the aorta. The graft is then fastened inside the aorta at the site of the aneurysm, without removing a section of the aorta. No incision is made in the abdomen or chest. Much less time is needed to recover from this treatment, but at this point the long-term benefits of this type of surgery are unknown. The risks include leaking of blood around the graft, movement of the graft away from its initial placement, and stent fracturing. Rare but serious complications may include paralysis, delayed rupture of the aneurysm, and infection.
What is an Aneurysm? (VIDEO)
Aneurysms Explained
Where Aneurysms Happen
Head & Neck Aneurysms
Risk Factors
Symptoms, Tests, and Diagnosis
Aneurysm Complications
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery
Cerebral Aneurysm Surgery
Prevention
Related Health Centers:
Aneurysm and Stent, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Cardiovascular Continuum, Cholesterol and Atherosclerosis, Coronary Bypass Surgery, Heart Attack and Angina, Hypertension, Stroke, Thrombosis and Embolism, Women and Cardiovascular Health