Recovery From Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Abdominal aorta aneurysms, referred to as AAA, are the most common type of aneurysms. An abdominal aorta aneurysm occurs when the large blood vessel that supplies blood to the legs, pelvis, and abdominal area becomes enlarged with a bulge that balloons outward. The treatment and recovery process for an abdominal aorta aneurysm will depend on the size and symptoms of the aneurysm.

Types

• Abdominal aortic aneurysms are classified as either small, being less than 5 cm or large being greater than 5 cm. Most AAA's have no symptoms. A physician may discover the AAA on a physical exam, presenting as a mass or lump in the abdomen that pulsates with your heartbeat. If the AAA is smaller than 5 cm, surgical repair may be deferred. The small AAA will be watched closely and an ultrasound of the aneurysm will be done approximately every six months to monitor the size. If the size extends past 5 cm, repair of the aneurysm should be performed. The type of repair done will directly affect your recovery period.

Open Abdominal Repair

• Open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair is done in an operating room under general anesthesia. You will either be lying on your back or your right side. The surgeon will make a 5 to 6 inch incision in your stomach to repair the aneurysm by replacing it with a fabric type graft material. Open surgery is often done during an emergency when there is bleeding from the aneurysm. This surgery is also done if the aneurysm is approximately 2 inches in size, or is growing quickly.

  Recovery from an open abdominal aneurysm repair will include a hospital stay of five to 10 days. The first few days of your hospital stay will be in the intensive care unit. You may be on a ventilator for the first day after surgery. You will be given medicine to thin the blood and a tube will be placed through your nose to your stomach to help drain fluids for the first few days after the surgery. You will then be encouraged to first sit on the edge of your bed, and then start walking. Pain medication will be necessary. An abdominal aortic aneurysm repair takes approximately two to three months for you to fully recover from.

Endovascular Surgery

• Endovascular surgery is less invasive than open abdominal repair. During endovascular surgery a synthetic graft is attached to the end of a catheter that is passed through your artery in the leg. The graft is expanded once it is in the weakened section of the aorta. This procedure will stop the blood supply to the aneurysm.

  Recovery time for endovascular surgery repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is shorter than open repair, due to no abdominal surgical incision, no general anesthesia in most cases, and less pain. However, this procedure is new and no long-term studies have been conducted. If you have a life expectancy of 20 or more years, the open abdominal repair is recommended in most cases.