Minimally invasive alternative for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair

Abdominal endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is a minimally invasive alternative to major open surgery for the repair of AAAs that results in reduced recovery times and potentially improved survival rates.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a localized bulging or abnormal enlargement of the abdominal aorta, most often the infrarenal and aorto-iliac arteries.

  • 2.4 million global AAA prevalence1
  • 308,000 patients with AAA that is treatable1
  • AAAs cause over 175,000 deaths globally, accounting for 1% of deaths in men over 65 years.2,3
  • At least 65% of patients with a ruptured AAA die of sudden cardiovascular collapse before arriving at a hospital.4

Causes

  • Degeneration caused by atherosclerosis
  • Trauma
  • Cystic medial necrosis
  • Arteritis
  • Syphilis
  • Inherited connective tissue disorders

Risk factors

  • Over 65 years old
  • Smoker (or former smoker)
  • Family history of AAA
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Poor leg circulation or COPD
  • Had heart bypass surgery
  • Obesity

Detection challenges 

Detection can be difficult. Most AAAs are asymptomatic. Frequently, they are discovered on X-rays performed for other reasons.

The mortality rate is high2 due to rupture,3 making timely detection and repair critical.

Screening recommendations 

U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends:

One-time screening for men 65 or older, particularly if the patient is an ever-smoker or has a family history.

 

Patient education video

Use this three-minute video to explain AAAs, risk factors, and treatment options.

AAA repair procedures

Two of the most common methods of repairing AAAs are traditional open surgery and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). 

Open surgery 

In the surgical procedure, the walls of the aneurysm are replaced with a synthetic graft.

EVAR procedure

In the EVAR procedure, a stent graft is inserted into the aneurysm through small incisions in the groin.

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) 

EVAR of the abdominal aorta is performed using an AAA stent graft. The AAA stent is placed within the aneurysm to provide a permanent, alternative conduit for blood flow within the patient’s vasculature, thereby excluding the aneurysmal sac from blood flow and pressure and preventing the walls of the aneurysm from rupturing.

The AAA stent graft is inserted into the aneurysm through small incisions in the groin, and without surgically opening or removing part of the aorta, thereby offering an alternative treatment choice to open surgery.

The Endurant™ II-IIs system family of products 

For over a decade, the Endurant™ stent graft system has been chosen by physicians to treat more than half a million patients worldwide.5 The Endurant™ system was designed with key features6 to address sac regression and ensure durability.7-9

  • Accurate placement and controlled deployment7
  • Continuous seal8
  • Resistance against type II endoleaks9
  • Decade of durability data10

 

As the first and only EVAR system with a decade of global registry outcomes, Endurant™ sytstems continue to prove durability and strength in evidence with consistently high sac regression and low aneurysm-related morality (ARM).10

 

Deployment of the Endurant™ IIs stent graft system

View an animation of an Endurant™ IIs stent graft system deployment.