When an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) expands the aorta to 5 centimeters or greater, there is a 20% chance it could rupture. This is a life-threatening situation that only 10-20% of people survive. If an AAA gets this large, it’s imperative that it be repaired.
Surgery has traditionally been the method for repairing an AAA. However, in 1999 the FDA approved the use of covered stent grafts for AAAs, providing a minimally-invasive alternative with a much shorter recovery period.
With an abdominal aortic aneurysm stent graft, an interventional radiologist and team of other doctors thread a catheter through a small incision in the groin to the site of the aneurysm. Through the catheter, the radiologist places a fabric tube (graft) that is long enough to span the bulging area. The tube is held in place by a stent, which is a metal mesh tube. The stent exerts outward pressure against the graft and artery to keep the graft snuggly in position. The blood then flows through the graft and bypasses the aneurysm. Without the pressure of flowing blood, the aneurysm is no longer at risk of rupturing and will eventually shrink.
This page contains the following information about abdominal aortic aneurysm stent grafts:
