Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Repair
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Repair
Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is an alternative to open surgery for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs).
What It Is
About Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Repair
Abdominal endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is a minimally invasive alternative to major open surgery for the repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (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. AAAs are often attributed to degeneration caused by atherosclerosis, although there may be other causes, including trauma, cystic medial necrosis, arteritis, syphilis, and inherited connective tissue disorders.
AAAs occur most often in Caucasian males over the age of 65 years; they are less common in women. Smoking is considered the most significant risk factor. The mortality rate is high due to rupture, making timely detection and repair critical.
Detection can be difficult. Most AAAs are asymptomatic. Frequently, they are discovered on x-rays performed for other reasons.
AAA Repair Procedures
Two of the most common methods of repairing AAAs are traditional open surgery and EVAR. In the surgical procedure, the walls of the aneurysm are replaced with a synthetic graft. In the EVAR procedure, a stent graft is inserted into the aneurysm through small incisions in the groin.