Minimally Invasive Treatment for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
Surgeons use stent grafts - tiny mesh tubes that are expandable - to repair aneurysms or bulges in the wall of the abdominal aorta. Guided by X-ray, surgeons insert a small catheter through a tiny incision in the groin, depositing stents to strengthen the weakened aortic wall. The aorta is the major blood vessel that ferries oxygen-laden blood from the heart to the body. Many patients too ill to undergo major surgery are candidates for this laparoscopic procedure with good outcome.
Vascular surgeons at Beth Israel Deaconess can often use balloon angioplasty (a balloon-tipped catheter) and stent placement, instead of major surgery, to treat other blockages in major blood vessels in the legs, kidneys and other organs. Some patients, and certain types of blockages, are better treated through major surgery. But a vast majority of patients benefit today from minimally invasive vascular surgery.
