The goal of aneurysm repair surgery is to prevent aortic rupture. If the size of the aneurysm is small, your doctor may ask you to come in for regular visits to monitor the aneurysm size for growth. If the aneurysm becomes fairly large, there are two treatment options to consider.
Open Surgical Repair
| In an open surgical repair, the procedure is performed under general anesthesia and can take 4-5 hours to complete. The doctor will make a cut in the abdomen or side of the patient and replace the diseased section of the aorta with a synthetic graft. Blood flow is stopped during the procedure. The graft is sewn into place with sutures and blood can then flow through the graft. Patients may stay in the hospital up to 7 days and recovery time often takes at least 3 months. While open surgical repair is a common procedure for AAA repair, it is a major surgery and may not be suitable for all patients. |
Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR)
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Endovascular repair is less invasive than open surgical repair since it does not require making a large cut in the abdomen. The procedure is done under local anesthesia and can take 1-3 hours to complete. The doctor will make a small cut in the groin of each leg to get to the femoral arteries. The Fortevo™ endograft is inserted through the femoral artery and placed inside the aneurysm. The endograft is secured to the aorta with helical EndoAnchors™. Blood then flows through the graft, bypassing the weakened section of the aorta. Eventually the bulge should decrease in size. The Fortevo endograft remains in the aorta permanently. Patients usually stay in the hospital for 1-2 days and full recovery may take up to 6 weeks.
Talk to your doctor regarding the risks associated with either procedure and which one may be most suitable for you. |
Fortevo AAA Endograft System
The Fortevo AAA Endograft System consists of three parts, the main body and two iliac lumens. The main body is placed in the aorta, and the limbs are then extended from the main body to the iliac arteries.
Healing progression of Fortevo in abdominal aortic aneursym over 24 months
Fortevo AAA Endograft System Procedure
Your doctor will administer local anesthesia to your groin area on both legs and make an incision in those areas. The doctor uses fluoroscopy (real time x-ray images using a contrast dye) to view the area they will place the endograft. A wire is inserted into the femoral artery and brought to the diseased area of the aorta. The main body graft is brought to the aorta through a thin plastic tube (delivery catheter) and put into position. The graft comes out of the delivery catheter and expands so it presses against the aortic wall.
The other femoral artery is then accessed and a series of HeliFX™ EndoAnchors are placed around the inside of the endograft to secure it to the aortic wall. The Securement System is then removed and one Iliac Lumen of the endograft is connected to the main body and delivered into the iliac artery. Similarly, an Iliac Lumen is accessed through the first incision point, deployed, and connected to the main body and delivered to the other iliac artery.
The wires and delivery catheters are removed from the body and the incisions are closed, thus completing the procedure.
The Fortevo AAA Endograft System and the HeliFX Aortic Securement System bear the CE Mark for distribution in the European Union. The HeliFX Aortic Securement System is cleared by the FDA for distribution in the United States. The Fortevo AAA Endograft System is Investigational Use Only in the United States. |
