AFX® Endovascular AAA System
16Pages

A Patient’s Guide to Minimally Invasive Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Table of Contents The AFX® Endovascular AAA System* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 What is an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What Causes an AAA?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What are the Symptoms of AAA?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Is This a Serious Condition?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AAA Diagnosis...

The AFX® Endovascular AAA System This Patient’s Guide has been provided to you on behalf of Endologix, Incorporated. The goal of this Guide is to help you learn more about your abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). You will learn about the symptoms of abdominal aortic aneurysms, how they are diagnosed, how they are treated with the AFX System, and what to expect after your surgery. As with any surgery, the best source of information and advice is your doctor. After reading this Guide, you may have questions to ask your doctor – page 13 provides space for you to write your questions. This Guide...

What is an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)? The aorta is the largest blood vessel in your body. It carries blood from your heart to the rest of your body. The aorta extends from the chest to the abdomen, where it branches into the iliac arteries. The iliac arteries carry blood to the lower parts of the body and to the legs. An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) occurs when the portion of the aorta passing through the abdomen bulges because of a weakening of the vessel wall. The walls become thin and lose their ability to stretch. The weakened sections of the wall may become unable to support...

Is This a Serious Condition? In the early stages, when the AAA is small in size, it may not be an immediate health risk to you. However, your doctor will want to check your condition on a regular basis to see if your AAA is growing. In later stages, if the AAA continues to grow, it needs to be treated in order to prevent it from bursting and causing serious internal bleeding. The risk of an aneurysm bursting increases as the aneurysm grows in size, and with high blood pressure. Aneurysms that burst are very serious and may be fatal. AAA Diagnosis and Screening If you have been diagnosed in...

Medical Management If your aneurysm is small, your doctor may only recommend regular examinations to monitor the size of the aneurysm. A large aneurysm, or one . that is rapidly growing, poses a risk of bursting . and requires treatment. There are two options available for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms: Open Surgical Repair and Endovascular Repair (EVAR), which includes traditional EVAR and Percutaneous Endovascular Repair (PEVAR) Open Surgical Repair In Open Surgical Repair, the doctor makes . a cut in the abdomen or side of the patient and repairs the section of the aorta...

Open Surgical Repair has a risk for complications. Ask your doctor about the risks of Open Surgical Repair as they relate to your own health conditions. Endovascular Repair: Traditional EVAR and PEVAR A minimally invasive alternative to Open Surgical Repair, Endovascular Repair (EVAR) includes traditional EVAR and Percutaneous Endovascular Repair (PEVAR). With traditional EVAR, instead of making a large cut in the abdomen, the doctor makes a small cut in each groin to gain access to the femoral arteries (blood vessels). An endovascular stent graft is inserted through the small cut in the...

EVAR and PEVAR Advantages • Minimally invasive procedure • Local anesthesia may be used • Small cut in one groin, small puncture in the other groin for EVAR, or two small punctures in groin for PEVAR • Lower surgical complication rate than Open Surgical Repair • Shorter hospital stay and shorter recovery than Open Surgical Repair EVAR and PEVAR Disadvantages • Higher potential for endoleak or aneurysm bursting than with Open Surgical Repair • Long-term follow-up examinations are required • Possibility of additional endovascular or surgical procedures. The AFX® Endovascular AAA System Your...

stent portion of the stent graft is allowed to expand (see Figure C). This expansion of the stent graft holds it in place within your aorta. The wire and delivery catheter are then withdrawn from the body. The stent graft reinforces the aorta that is weakened by the aneurysm and blood flows through the device to the arteries that go to the legs. The doctor uses a visualization method during this process known as fluoroscopy (real time X-ray images) viewed on a monitor in order to place the stent graft in the proper position within your body. Before the Endovascular Repair procedure, your...

What Should I Expect After the Endovascular Procedure? Endovascular Repair may result in less discomfort, shorter procedure times and hospital stays and faster recovery in comparison to Open Surgical Repair. Your hospital stay may be only a few days. You may be able to return to your normal activities within 4 to 6 weeks after the procedure and Endovascular Repair requires regular follow-up examinations by your doctor. The PEVAR option of the Endovascular Repair is even less invasive than traditional EVAR. Why is Follow-up Important? There are some problems associated with Endovascular...

Graft movement - this is when the position of the stent graft after placement in your body shifts over time. You cannot feel when the graft moves, however it can be seen with a CT scan. Your doctor will order regular follow-up examinations with medical tests such as a physical exam, CT scan, angiography, and/or ultrasound to view the results of your treatment and any changes that may occur over time. It is important that you go to all of the follow-up examinations recommended by your doctor. These examinations are generally required at one month, six months, one year, and yearly thereafter...