Definition of Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair - open:

Open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair is surgery to fix a widened part (aneurysm) in your aorta, the large artery that carries blood to your belly (abdomen), pelvis, and legs.

An aortic aneurysm is when part of this artery becomes too large or balloons outward.

Your surgeon opens up your belly and replaces the aortic aneurysm with a man-made, cloth-like material.

Description:

The surgery will take place in an operating room. You will be given general anesthesia (you will be asleep and pain-free).

• In one approach, you will lie on your back. The surgeon will make a cut in the middle of your belly, from just below the breastbone to below the navel. Rarely, the cut goes across the belly.
• In another approach, you will lie slightly tilted on your right side. The surgeon will make a 5- to 6-inch cut from the left side of your belly, ending a little below your belly button.
• Your surgeon will then replace the part of the aorta that has the aneurysm with a long tube graft. This tube graft is made from man-made (synthetic) cloth and is sewn in with sutures.
• In some cases, the ends of the tube graft will be tunneled through each groin and attached to the leg vessels.
• Once the surgery is done, your legs will be examined to make sure that there is a pulse.
• The cut is closed with sutures or staples.

Surgery for aortic aneurysm replacement may take 2 to 4 hours. Most patients recover in the intensive care unit (ICU) after the surgery.

See also: Aortic aneurysm repair - endovascular

Why the Procedure Is Performed:

Open surgery to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm is sometimes done as an emergency procedure when there is any bleeding inside your body from the aneurysm.

You may also have an abdominal aortic aneurysm that is not causing any symptoms or problems. Your doctor may have found out about this problem from tests called ultrasound or CT scan. There is a risk that this aneurysm may suddenly break open (rupture) if you do not have surgery to repair it. However, surgery to repair the aneurysm may also be risky, depending on your overall health.

You and your doctor must decide whether the risk of having this surgery is smaller than the risk of rupture if you do not have the surgery. The doctor is more likely to recommend surgery if the aneurysm is:

• Larger (about 2 inches or 5 cm)
• Growing more quickly (a little less than 1/4 inch over the last 6 to 12 months)