Overview
There are risks with any type of surgery. The benefits and safety of any surgical procedure must be carefully evaluated. Ask the doctor what the potential benefits and risks are and how they may affect the patient.
Benefits
Endovascular stent graft therapy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure. It is called minimally invasive, because with endovascular stent graft therapy it is not necessary to perform open-chest surgery or remove part of your aorta.
Risks
Endovascular stent grafting is minimally invasive. However, there is a small, but significant, risk of aneurysm rupture with endovascular stent grafting.
Other potential complications with endovascular stent grafting include1:
- Blood leakages around the stent graft
- Blockage of the flow of blood through the stent graft
- Movement of the stent graft from its original site of placement
- Fracture of the stent graft
- Infection
- Rupture of the aneurysm or aorta
To monitor these possible complications, the doctor may ask the patient to schedule periodic visits after the procedure. It is important to keep these appointments to make sure the stent graft is working correctly.
Endovascular Stent Grafting Is Not for Everyone
Your doctor or vascular surgeon will help you decide whether endovascular stent grafting or open surgery is the best treatment option for you.
References
1
Complications of EVAR Is endovascular aneurysm repair still worth the trouble? By Robert S. Dieter, MD,
RVT; Jeffrey Freihage, MD; Pranab Das, MD; Leonardo Clavijo, MD; Sohail Ikram, MD; Krishna Mannava,
MD; John P. Pacanowski Jr, MD; AravinDa Nanjundappa, MD, RVT; and Theodore Ang Tan, MD