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Center for Vascular Disease

Abdominal Aortic Surgery
An aneurysm is a swelling or weakened area in a blood vessel. Aneurysms can affect virtually any artery in the body but most frequently occur in the abdominal aorta (AAA). Ruptured aortic aneurysm is the 10th leading cause of death in adults in the United States. Approximately 15,000 Americans die each year from this disease. It is estimated that 2.7 million Americans over 60 have abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Vascular Health and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

As aneurysms grow, they carry increasing risk for rupture. Aortic aneurysms develop slowly and are typically without symptoms. This leaves the problem largely undetected and untreated until it is too late. It is estimated that 95 percent of aortic aneurysms could be successfully treated before they rupture if they are detected early. According to published studies, thousands of lives could be saved each year with regular screening programs. In fact, the United States Preventive Task Force recommendation for reimbursement for aneurysm screening was recently passed on Capitol Hill which will cover AAA screening at the Welcome to Medicare physical for every male - ever smokers and men and women with a family history. The effective date for the screening is January 1, 2007.

The decision to treat an unruptured aortic aneurysm depends on its size. Surgical approach to repair an aortic aneurysm is either via traditional open surgery or by using minimally invasive techniques that involve endovascular stent grafts. Each patient is evaluated on an individual basis and the decision regarding approach is generally based upon the patient's anatomy.

Jon Matsumura, MD, director of the Endovascular Surgery Program, is a leading expert on the endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Mark Morasch, MD, co-director of the Complex Aortic Surgery Program, is the course director for regional training programs using a percutaneous approach (no incision is made) to endovascular repair of aneurysms. A third member of the team, Mark Eskandari, MD, is focusing on stent graft repair for aortic emergencies including ruptured aortic aneurysms, aortic dissection, and traumatic aortic injuries.

Under the leadership of William Pearce, MD, the Center for Vascular Disease is performing genetic screening studies to look for genetic changes associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm disease.

Contact
For more information regarding abdominal aortic surgery and the treatments available through the Center for Vascular Disease, call the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at (866) 662-8467, or request an appointment online.