Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Abdominal aortic aneurysms increasingly are being repaired with an endovascular procedure, which is less invasive compared to traditional approaches. Decreased hospitalization is one of several advantages of the endovascular approach; however, there also are significant disadvantages that the patient should consider carefully. Complications of the endovascular approach are the some as with open procedures, and there is added potential for endoleaks (ie, leakage of the graft). The patient must be involved in an imaging surveillance program for life to continually assess the grafts durability. Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms is a rapidly developing technology. Research is ongoing and emphasizes smaller deployment devices and stronger graft materials.