Guide To Preventing And Treating Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Open Abdominal Surgery

Some individuals who have an abdominal aortic aneurysm that requires surgical treatment cannot undergo an endovascular repair and require open abdominal surgery to treat it. During open abdominal surgery, a vertical incision is made from the bottom of the breastbone to just underneath the patient's navel. Alternatively, an incision from underneath their left arm to the center of their abdomen to underneath their navel may be used. The patient's aorta will be clamped with special equipment above and below the section containing the aneurysm to stop blood flow. The physician makes an incision in the aneurysm to place a graft or long tube inside of it. The tube is sutured to both ends of the aorta, and the clamps are removed. The physician takes the aneurysm wall and wraps it around the installed graft. The aorta is then sutured up, and the incision in the patient's abdomen is closed. Open abdominal surgery is sometimes the only option for individuals affected by an abdominal aortic aneurysm, and recovery from this procedure can take over a full month.