EVAR: Repairing an Aortic Aneurysm from Within

Today we're talking about EVAR for aortic aneurysms. EVAR is endovascular aortic repair. The aorta, you will remember, is the biggest blood vessel in the body. Sometimes, when it's weakened, it grows like a balloon, and when it gets to double its normal size, it's called an aneurysm. The risk is that it can burst. The problem is that they often don't have any symptoms and are silent. They're often found incidentally.

In the beginning, we only had open repair, which involved a big cut in the tummy and sometimes into the chest. These days we have endovascular aortic repair, or EVAR, which is normally done percutaneously, meaning just through the skin, sometimes through two small incisions. Now, importantly, EVAR isn't for everyone […] In another video, I'll compare EVAR and open repair directly and talk about the pros and cons of both.

In the meantime, if you've got a family history, or if you're a man who's 55 and over, particularly if you've had a history of smoking or high blood pressure or both, go and see a vascular surgeon and get yourself screened. It's a simple, non-invasive ultrasound scan and it could make a world of difference to you.