Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair –EVAR(Endovascular aneurysm repair)-

 

What is an abdominal aneurysm?

The abdominal aorta is the main bloody vessel in the abdominal cavity that transmits oxygenated blood from the thoracic cavity to the organs within the abdomen and to the lower limbs.

 

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is dilation or bulging of that aorta. The most common cause of aortic aneurysms is ``hardening of the arteries`` called arteriosclerosis.

 

Most AAAs produce no symptoms (asymptomatic) and are discovered incidentally when an imaging test of the abdomen (CT scan or ultrasound) is performed at medical check or other purpose. However, as AAAs expand, they may become painful lead to pulsating sensations in the abdomen. The risk of rupture is high in a symptomatic aneurysm.

 

If the diagnosis is missed or if the patient does not present for care, the aneurysm can burst or rupture causing potential catastrophe and death. The most important thing is to treat aneurysms before rupture. AAA that size is more than 4-4.5cm is recommended to repair to prevent rupture.

 

There are two approaches for repair. The first is the traditional surgical approach. A large incision is made in the abdomen, the AAA is identified and cut out or resected. The missing piece replace with a synthetic graft.

 

The second approach is placing an endovascular graft. A catheter or tube is threaded into the femoral artery in the groin and the graft is positioned so that it spans and sits inside the aneurysm and protects it from expanding. That approach is called as EVAR (endovascular aneurysm repair).

 

The approach to treatment needs to be tailored to the individual patient and very much depends on the location, size, and shape of the aneurysm.

 

Please don`t hesitate to contact to us if any query about AAA and endvascular graft.