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During the Procedure

Procedures may vary depending on your condition and your physician's practices.

1. You will be placed in a supine (on your back) position on the operating table or on a procedure table in a radiology suite.
2. The anesthesiologist will continuously monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and blood oxygen level during the surgery. Once you are sedated, a breathing tube may be inserted through your throat into your lungs and you will be connected to a ventilator, which will breathe for you during the surgery.
3. The physician may choose regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia. Regional anesthesia is medication delivered through an epidural (in the back) to numb the area to be operated on. You will receive medication to help you relax and analgesic medication for pain relief. The physician will be able to talk to you during the procedure. The physician will determine which type of anesthesia is appropriate.
4. The physician will make an incision in each groin to expose the femoral arteries. Using fluoroscopy (a type of x-ray "movie" that transmits images to a TV-like monitor), the physician will insert a needle into the femoral artery through which a guidewire will be passed and advanced to the aneurysm site. The needle will be removed and a sheath slid over the guidewire.
5. An aortogram (injection of contrast dye to visualize the position of the aneurysm and adjacent blood vessels) will be performed.
6. The physician will use special endovascular instruments and 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.
7. The stent-graft, in a collapsed position until after it is inserted, will be advanced up into the aorta and situated at the aneurysm site. The stent graft will be expanded (in a spring-like fashion) and attached to the wall of the aorta.
8. An aortogram will be repeated to check for an endoleak (blood leaking out into the aneurysm sac) of the stent-graft.
9. Once no leak has been determined, the instruments will be removed.
10. Once no leak has been determined, the instruments will be removed.
11. The incisions will be sutured back together.
12. A sterile bandage/dressing will be applied.
13. After an open procedure, a tube may be inserted through your mouth or nose into your stomach to drain stomach fluids. You will be transferred from the operating table to a bed, then taken to the intensive care unit (ICU) or the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU).