Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm: an alternative to conventional surgery

The majority of aortic aneurysms occur in the abdominal segment. Aneurysms above 5 cm are at higher risk for rupture, and have traditionally been treated with surgical intervention. Conventional surgical treatment involves major abdominal surgery with associated complications. The endovascular prosthesis is a newly developed vascular graft which is inserted into the abdominal aortic aneurysm sac via a femoral arteriotomy. The procedure is less invasive for the patient, which is a significant benefit considering many patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm are medically compromised. Thorough preoperative planning by the surgical and radiological teams is critical to ensure a successful patient outcome.