Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm is often called a "silent killer" because there are usually no obvious symptoms of the disease. Three out of four aneurysms show no symptoms at the time they are diagnosed. This talk will focus on the importance of knowing who is most at risk, and how AAA is diagnosed and treated before it becomes a fatal condition.
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Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair
(Abdominal Aneurysm - Open Repair, AAA Repair, Triple A Repair, Abdominal Aneurysmectomy, Endovascular Aneurysm Repair, EVAR)
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a relatively common, potentially life-threatening condition. Most cases are asymptomatic and are often detected as an incidental finding using diagnostic imaging obtained for other reasons.
AAA is the 13th-leading cause of death in the United States, causing an estimated 15,000 deaths per year. The incidence of AAA is 2-4% in the adult population, and 11% of cases in that subset occur in males older than 65 years. Despite increased survival following diagnosis, incidence and mortality seem to be increasing.
What is an abdominal aortic aneurysm cure?
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair is a process used to take care of an aneurysm (abnormal enhancement) of the abdominal aorta. Repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm could be carried out surgically through an open incision or even in a minimally-invasive procedure identified as endovascular aneurysm restoration (EVAR).
What exactly is an abdominal aortic aneurysm?
An abdominal aortic aneurysm, also called AAA or triple A, is a bulging, weakened area in the wall structure of the aorta producing an abnormal widening or ballooning a lot more than one half of the regular size (width).
Mainly because an aneurysm will continue to raise in size, together with progressive weakening of the artery wall structure, surgery intervention may be required. Avoiding crack of an aneurysm is among the goals of remedy.
Varieties of abdominal aneurysm fix:
The two main approaches to abdominal aortic aneurysm restoration. The regular medical procedure for AAA repair is recognized as the open fix. A newer treatment is the endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).
• abdominal aortic aneurysm open repair:
Open repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm involves a cut of the abdomen to directly visualize the aortic aneurysm. The operation is performed inside an operational place under common anesthesia. The surgeon will make a cut in the abdomen either lengthwise from below the breastbone to just below the navel or across the abdomen and down the center. As soon as the abdomen is opened, the aneurysm will be remedied through an extended cylinder-like pipe called a graft.
• endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR)
EVAR is often a minimally-invasive (without a large abdominal incision) treatment performed to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm. EVAR may be performed in the operational place, radiology department, or perhaps a catheterization lab. Your doctor will use common anesthesia or even local anesthesia (epidural or spinal anesthesia). With the use of special endovascular tools, along with x-ray images for guidance, a stent-graft is going to be injected through the femoral artery and advanced up into the aorta to the site of the aneurysm.
Motives an abdominal aortic aneurysm repair may be performed include, but aren't limited by, the subsequent:
• to prevent the threat of rupture
• to relieve symptoms
• to restore a good blood flow
• size of aneurysm greater than 5 centimeters in diameter (about two inches)
• growth rate of aneurysm of more than 0.5 centimeter (about 0.2 inch) over one year
• when probability of rupture outweighs the risk of surgical procedure
• emergency life-threatening hemorrhage (out of control bleeding)
Just like any surgery treatment, problems may appear. A few possible difficulties may include, but aren't restricted to, the subsequent:
• open repair:
o myocardial infarction (heart attack)
o irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
o bleeding during or after surgery
o injury to the bowel (intestines)
o limb ischemia (loss of blood flow to legs/ feet)
o embolus (clot) to other parts of the body
o infection of the graft
o lung problems
o kidney damage
o spinal cord injury
• EVAR:
o damage to surrounding blood vessels, organs, or other structures by instruments
o kidney damage
o limb ischemia (loss of blood flow to leg/feet) from clots
o groin wound infection
o groin hematoma (large blood-filled bruise)
o bleeding
o endoleak (continual leaking of blood out of the graft and into the aneurysm sac with potential rupture)
o spinal cord injury
The morbidity of stent-graft procedures reported in the literature is significantly lower than that of conventional surgery, with fewer major complications, less need for recovery in intensive care units and lower overall blood loss. The average hospital stay is from two to three days. The long-term outcomes of stent-grafts for AAA are not yet known and delayed rupture of AAA following stent-graft repair has been reported in initial clinical trials. It is also important to note that not all patients are suitable candidates for stent-grafts, primarily due to anatomic features that cannot be accommodated by current stent-graft designs.
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