Treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms has been, for many years, an operative procedure where the dilation (ballooning) of the aorta is resected and a graft is sewn into position. A modern option is to place a graft to line the aneurysm from within the artery (endovascular aneurysm repair). In this technique the surgeon dissects the femoral artery and makes a small hole in it. The graft is compressed within a catheter and the catheter is passed through the femoral artery and the iliac arterial system into the distal abdominal aorta. The graft can then be released inside the aorta, effectively relining it to prevent further expansion of the aneurysm.