heart and blood vessel disorders
Aortic Branch Aneurysms
Treatment of Aortic Branch Aneurysms
Surgical repair of the aneurysm Often endovascular stent graft repair Treatment is surgical repair of the aneurysm in which an artificial artery made of synthetic material (graft) is placed inside the aneurysm. The old arterial wall (aneurysm) is wrapped around the new graft. Often, doctors do endovascular stent graft repair, which does not require surgery on the abdomen. To do an endovascular stent graft repair, doctors thread a long, thin wire through the large artery in the groin (femoral artery) and up to the aneurysm. Then they slide the stent graft, which is a thin tube like a collapsible straw, over the wire and inside the aneurysm. Then the stent graft is opened, forming a stable channel for blood flow. The decision to repair aneurysms that are not causing symptoms is based on the Risk of rupture Extent of the aneurysm Location of the aneurysm Risks caused by other conditions the person may have For splanchnic aneurysms, risk of rupture and death is high, particularly for women of childbearing age. The risk of rupture is also high for people with hepatic aneurysms. Therefore, splanchnic and hepatic aneurysms are usually repaired even if they are not causing symptoms. Surgery for subclavian artery aneurysms may involve removal of a cervical rib (if present) from the upper chest before repair and replacement. Treatment of infected (mycotic) aneurysms is antibiotic therapy appropriate for the specific infectious organism. Generally, these aneurysms must also be surgically repaired once the infection has been treated. 