|
|
|
Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (EVAR)
What is EVAR? EVAR is the name for a new technique to repair aortic aneurysms (AAA). It stands for endovascular aneurysm repair. Who does EVAR? There are several hospitals in the United Kingdom that perform EVAR. Mr Braithwaite is based in Nottingham where a great deal of work has been done on the development of EVAR. The Vascular Surgeons in Nottingham have one of the largest series of endovascular repairs in the world. How is EVAR different when compared with the traditional open technique? Open repair of an AAA involves a general anaesthetic and a large cut in the tummy (abdomen). EVAR involves small cuts in the groin and can be done with an epidural anaesthetic or general anaesthetic. It seems that EVAR causes less of a problem to the body than open surgery. An analogy would be that open repair of the damaged aorta is like workmen digging up the road to replace a water main with the accompanied disruption and damage. EVAR is like repairing the pipe by opening a man hole cover and threading a new pipe inside the old one, thus causing a lot less of a problem! Can I have an EVAR of my AAA? About 70% of people referred to Mr Braithwaite can have EVAR. EVAR has been shown to work as well as open repair for at least 4 years. People who have an EVAR are less likely to die because of the operation when compared with the traditional open repair.
What happens if I have an appointment about an AAA? Mr Braithwaite may arrange a series of investigations, including a CT scan to determine the size and shape of your aortic aneurysm. If the dimensions of you aorta are suitable for treatment with one of the devices available then Mr Braithwaite may be able to offer you endovascular aneurysm repair of your abdominal aortic aneurysm. How experienced is Mr Braithwaite at EVAR? Mr Braithwaite first performed an endovascular repair of an aortic aneurysm in 1996. Since then he has performed over 100 procedures. Now that the National EVAR studies have shown the EVAR appears to be as good, if not better, than open surgery, Mr Braithwaite does between 4 and 6 EVAR operations per month. What happens if my aorta is not suitable for EVAR? If you are fit enough, Mr Braithwaite may offer to repair your aneurysm using the standard open technique. If Mr Braithwaite is concerned about your fitness then he may ask one of his colleagues in anaesthesia to help assess the risks of an open operation. If, between them, they feel that an open repair would be unwise, Mr Braithwaite may offer to enter you into the Nottingham Frontier study. Can I find out more about EVAR and REVAR? Mr Braithwaite is happy to receive e-mail correspondence about EVAR. Please send emails to EVAR@bdb.org.uk
|