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About an Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR)

EVAR may be performed in an operating room, radiology department, or a catheterization laboratory. The physician may use general anesthesia or regional anesthesia (epidural or spinal anesthesia). The physician will make a small incision in each groin to visualize the femoral arteries in each leg.

With the use of special endovascular instruments, along with x-ray images for guidance, a stent-graft will be inserted through the femoral artery and advanced up into the aorta to the site of the aneurysm. A stent-graft is a long cylinder-like tube made of a thin metal framework (stent), while the graft portion is made of various materials such as Dacron or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and may cover the stent. The stent helps to hold the graft in place.

The stent-graft is inserted into the aorta in a collapsed position and placed at the aneurysm site. Once in place, the stent-graft will be expanded (in a spring-like fashion), attaching to the wall of the aorta to support the wall of the aorta. The aneurysm will eventually shrink down onto the stent-graft.

Before the procedure

During the procedure

After the procedure