A aortic aneurysm, an abnormal bulge in a weakened wall of the aorta, can cause a variety of symptoms and often life-threatening complications upon rupture. Due to the serious risks it presents, timely diagnosis and treatment of aortic aneurysm are critical.
The standard surgical treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysms is open aneurysm repair, but McAllen Heart Surgeons is now able to treat many abdominal aneurysms with a minimally invasive procedure called an endovascular stent graft.
What is an endovascular stent graft?
Endovascular means that surgery is performed inside your aorta
using thin, long tubes called catheters. Through small incisions
in the groin, the catheters are used to guide and deliver a
stent-graft through the blood vessels to the site of the
aneurysm. The stent graft is then deployed in the diseased
segment of the aorta and "relines" the aorta like a sleeve to
divert blood flow away from the aneurysm.
An endovascular stent graft is a fabric tube supported by metal
wire stents (also called a scaffold) that reinforces the weak
spot in the aorta. By sealing the area tightly with your artery
above and below the aortic aneurysm, the graft allows blood to
pass through it without pushing on the aneurysm.
What are the benefits of endovascular repair?
Endovascular repair of thoracic aneurysms is generally less
painful and has a lower risk of complications than traditional
surgery because the incisions are smaller. Endovascular aorta
aneurysm procedures also allow you to leave the hospital sooner
and recover more quickly after your
aorta repair.
Who is a candidate for endovascular repair of a thoracic
aneurysm?
You may be eligible for endovascular stent grafting if your
abdominal aneurysm has not ruptured and the aneurysm is 5
centimeters or more in size.
Your physician can determine if aortic aneurysm repair is the
best treatment by performing one or a combination of imaging
studies, which may include:
-
High
resolution, computed tomography (CT) scan
-
Angiography (an x-ray of the blood vessels)
Physical characteristics of the aorta and the aortic aneurysm
itself are very important in determining if endovascular
aorta repair is the best treatment.
What happens during endovascular stent grafting?
Your surgeon will make small incisions in the skin above the
femoral artery (the large artery that supplies blood to each
leg) in the groin. A guide wire is threaded through the artery
beyond the area of the thoracic aneurysm.
By using x-ray guidance, your surgeon inserts the device over
the guide wire. The stent-graft device is constrained within a
catheter to make it easier to deliver the stent-graft through
your blood vessels. Once the graft is guided to the
aneurysm site, the catheter is withdrawn, exposing the
stent-graft in place. The stent-graft then expands like a spring
to fit against the walls of the aorta on either side of the
aneurysm, and delivers blood flow through the weakened section.
|
Once the stent-graft is in place, the blood flows
through the graft, avoiding the aneurysm. Over time, the
aneurysm typically shrinks due to the blood pressure
being diverted away from the aneurysm
|
