Treatment for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

The Institute’s endovascular team has performed endovascular repair as treatment for nearly 1,000 abdominal aortic and thoracic aneurysms with excellent results.  An aortic aneurysm is a weakened and bulging area in the major vessel that supplies blood to the body.

In 1994,  Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute was one of the first five medical centers in the United States to participate in research trials to use stent-grafts as treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysms.  Institute physicians continue to participate in the latest trials for abdominal aortic and thoracic aneurysms treatment.  For more information on research studies conducted by the Institute, click here.

Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute’s endovascular team of highly qualified interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons performed a dissecting abdominal aortic aneurysm treatment and repair during a live webcast. 

To view the webcast, click here.

About Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA)

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) is caused by a weakened area in the main vessel that supplies blood from the heart to the rest of the body.  As blood flows through the aorta, the weak area bulges like a balloon and can burst if it gets too big.  AAA is often called a “silent” disease because many individuals don’t know they have an aneurysm until it ruptures.

• AAA affects as many as 5-7% of people over the age of 60, with males four times more likely to have AAA than females.  It is the 13th leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for approximately 15,000 deaths each year.

• Those at highest risk for AAA are:
 Males over the age of 60 who have a history of tobacco use.
 Males who have a history of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
 Males and females with a family history of AAA.

• Usually there are no obvious symptoms of the disease.  When symptoms are present, they may include:
 Severe abdominal pain (that may be constant or come and go).
 Pain in the lower back that may radiate to the buttocks, groin or legs.
 The feeling of a “heartbeat” or pulse in the abdomen.

• The best way to know if you have the disease is to see your doctor for an evaluation.  Often, the doctor can hear an abnormal sound with a stethoscope placed on the abdomen or can feel the AAA by pressing gently on the abdomen.  Other tests that are used to diagnose AAA include ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT) or other X-ray exams.

• Small AAAs rarely rupture and often require no treatment other than “watchful waiting” under the guidance of a vascular disease specialist.  Large, unruptured aneurysms require open surgical repair by a vascular surgeon or other vascular specialist.  In some cases, a minimally invasive technique called endovascular repair may be used as treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysms.  In this technique, a device called a stent-graft is threaded through a blood vessel in the groin and into the aorta to block the flow of blood into the aneurysm.  Endovascular repair is typically performed by an interventional radiologist, a medical specialist who uses minimally invasive procedures to treat cardiovascular disease.

For more information, or for a referral to a Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute physician, click here.