Open repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery An aneurysm is a swelling or dilation of a weakened wall in an artery. Arterial aneurysms have a tendency to grow and burst causing life threatening bleeding. Treatment of this disease has been ongoing for many years through open surgical repair of the dilated artery. Using an abdominal incision, open surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms allows complete removal of the aneurysm with replacement using a piece of Teflon tubing. Within the last five years a new approach to treating aortic aneurysms has been developed. This is a minimally endoscopic invasive approach that was pioneered by Surgical Care Associates in this area. Minimally invasive endovascular repair is performed through tiny incisions in the groin using advanced x-ray and catheter technology. Patient’s who have undergone this new mode of treatment spend much less time in the hospital and return to their normal activities much earlier. For more information regarding this endovascular aneurysm repair, please refer to Stent Grafts of Aneurysms. Objective of Procedure – Prevent life threatening ruptured AAA Indications for procedure – Aneurysm size exceeding 5.0 to 5.5 cm Possible adverse complications – Heart attack – Respiratory tract failure – Kidney failure – Deprivation of blood supply to colon – Deprivation of blood supply to spinal cord – Prosthetic graft infection Mortality – 2% to 4% Recovery – Hospital stay 3 to 5 days – Return to full activity 6 to 8 weeks Questions related to this subject: – Is my aneurysm big enough to fix? Depends on size, larger aneurysms have higher rupture rates. All known aneurysms should be followed closely. Questions? Other Frequently Asked Questions