Endovascular Stent Graft Placement For Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

WHAT IS IT?
We are pleased to announce that Boston Medical Center now offers repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms with a stent graft approach. We offer this new approach in selected patients who are felt to represent a high risk, due to medical comorbidities, for conventional open surgical repair. Because small groin incisions, instead of the usual large midline or flank incision are used, patients experience less pain and are hospitalized for two to three days rather than seven days. The technique that we have been approved to use is the AneuRx Stent Graft made by the Medtronic Company.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
A vascular graft is loaded into a small carrier device. An incision is made in the groin and the femoral artery is opened and the new device placed into the artery and is threaded up into the abdominal aorta under x-ray control. Once it is in the right position, the graft is pushed out of the carrier device and released into the normal aorta above the aneurysm and below the aneurysm, thus excluding the aneurysm from any flowing blood. The carrier is then removed from the femoral artery and the artery is sewn closed. Some sutures are then placed in the groin. Patient recovery is much quicker due to the small groin incision.

OUTCOMES
Although this is a relatively new device, good results have been achieved in many patients throughout the world. The decision to use this newer device is made after consultation with the primary care physician and our team of experts.

SUITABLE PATIENTS FOR ENDOVASCULAR STENT GRAFT PLACEMENT
Not all patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms are suitable for this new device. Patient selection is very important and depends on many factors, including the aneurysm location, the size of the aneurysm, the amount of calcium in the arterial wall, and many coexistent patient factors. Patients who have an abdominal aortic aneurysm of 5.0 cm or greater, who have co-existent medical problems such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, or severe COPD in whom it is felt that conventional surgical repair is contraindicated should be considered for this new technique.