Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair - open

Definition

Open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair is surgery to fix a widened part in your aorta. This is called an aneurysm. The aorta is the large artery that carries blood from your heart to your belly (abdomen), pelvis, and legs.

An aortic aneurysm is when part of this artery becomes too large or balloons outward.

Alternative Names

AAA - open; Repair - aortic aneurysm - open

Description

The surgery will take place in an operating room. You will be given general anesthesia (you will be asleep and pain-free).

Your surgeon opens up your belly and replaces the aortic aneurysm with a man-made, cloth-like material.

Here is how it can be done:

Surgery for aortic aneurysm replacement may take 2 to 4 hours. Most people recover in the intensive care unit (ICU) after the surgery.

Why the Procedure Is Performed

Open surgery to repair an AAA is sometimes done as an emergency procedure when there is bleeding inside your body from the aneurysm.

You may have an AAA that is not causing any symptoms or problems. Your health care provider may have found the problem after you had an ultrasound or CT scan done for another reason. There is a risk that this aneurysm may suddenly break open (rupture) if you do not have surgery to repair it. However, surgery to repair the aneurysm may also be risky, depending on your overall health.

You and your provider must decide whether the risk of having this surgery is smaller than the risk for rupture. Surgery is more likely to be suggested if the aneurysm is:

Risks

The risks for this surgery are higher if you have:

Complications are also higher for older people.

Risks for any surgery are:

Risks for this surgery are:

Before the Procedure

Your will have a physical exam and get tests before you have surgery.

Always tell your provider what medicines you are taking, even drugs, supplements, or herbs you bought without a prescription.

If you are a smoker, you should stop smoking at least 4 weeks before your surgery. Your provider can help.

During the 2 weeks before your surgery:

You will have visits with your provider to make sure medical problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart or lung problems are well treated.

DO NOT drink anything after midnight the day before your surgery, including water.

On the day of your surgery:

After the Procedure

Most people stay in the hospital for 5 to 10 days. During a hospital stay, you will:

Outlook (Prognosis)

Full recovery for open surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm may take 2 or 3 months. Most people make a full recovery from this surgery.

Most people who have an aneurysm repaired before it breaks open (ruptures) have a good outlook.

References

Cameron J. Vascular surgery. In: Cameron J, ed. Current Surgical Therapy. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:993-1214.

Sharafuddin MJ. Abdominal aortic aneurysms: open surgical treatment. In: Sidawy AN, Perler BA, eds. Rutherford's Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 73.


Review Date: 10/18/2022
Reviewed By: Deepak Sudheendra, MD, MHCI, RPVI, FSIR, Founder and CEO, 360 Vascular Institute, with an expertise in Vascular Interventional Radiology & Surgical Critical Care, Columbus, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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