What an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Stent Graft Is
An abdominal aortic aneurysm is an abnormal enlargement of the aorta below the level of the diaphragm. When the abdominal aorta expands to 5 centimeters or greater, there is a 20% annual risk of rupture. AAA rupture is often catastrophic, survived by only 10-20% of patients. When an AAA gets this large, repair becomes imperative.
Surgery has traditionally been the method for repairing an AAA; however, in 1999 the FDA approved the use of covered stent grafts for AAA, providing a minimally-invasive alternative with a much shorter recovery period, decreased procedural risk, and comparable long term results.
With an abdominal aortic aneurysm stent graft, an interventional radiologist and team of other doctors advance 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 will eventually shrink and the risk of rupture is greatly reduced.
RIA radiologists perform this minimally-invasive procedure at several Denver area hospitals.