Abdominal aortic aneurysm

An abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs when there is a weakening in the main vessel that supplies blood from the heart to the rest of the body. As blood flows through the aorta, putting pressure on the weakened wall, it bulges like a balloon. There is a danger that the balloon will burst if it gets too big. When an aneurysm reaches 5 cm in diameter, treatment is usually necessary to prevent rupture. Aneurysms can be treated with a minimally invasive procedure in which an incision is made at the groin and a catheter is passed into the femoral artery to the aortic aneurysm. Dr. Light then passes a stent graft through the catheter. When the stent graft reaches the aneurysm, it is opened, creating new walls in the blood vessel through which blood flows.