Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair (AAA) is a highly specialized surgery for addressing a bulge that develops in a weakened portion of the aortic artery located below the stomach. It is performed to avoid the possibility of the aneurysm rupturing, which could have life-threatening consequences. While not all abdominal aortic aneurysms will require surgery, those that grow to a certain size or become symptomatic may need such intervention. The procedure to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm involves replacing the bulging section of the artery with a grafted tube made of fabric. This is done by clamping off the artery above and below the bulge, cutting out the problematic area, attaching the graft and then removing the clamps to restore blood flow through the vessel. The entire procedure may take anywhere from two to four hours to perform.