None — BACKGROUND: According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, an aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge in an artery. The force of blood pushing against the weakened or injured artery walls can cause an aneurysm. The aneurysm can grow large and burst or cause a dissection. A rupture causes dangerous bleeding inside the body and a dissection is a split in one or more layers of the artery wall. The split causes bleeding into and along the layers of the artery wall and both conditions are often fatal.
AAA: An aneurysm that occurs in the part of the aorta that's located in the abdomen is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm. AAAs account for 3 in 4 aortic aneurysms. They're found more often now than in the past because of computed tomography, or CT, scans done for other medical problems. Small AAAs rarely ruptures. However, an AAA can grow very large without causing symptoms, thus, routine checkups and treatment for an AAA are important to prevent growth and rupture. (Source: the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute)
TRADITIONAL TREATMENT: A large incision in the abdomen is made while the patient is under general anesthesia. The surgeon then opens the aneurysm and sews a graft to the healthy part of the aorta. The graft is a tube like device that is typically made of a woven or knitted polyester material that creates a new channel of blood flow. (Source: A clinical Study for treatment of AAA)
THE ANACONDA SNAKE: Vascular surgeon Dr. Robert Winter at Florida Hospital is one of the doctors in the U.S. evaluating a device called Vascutek Anaconda. This device is part of an FDA IDE study for minimally invasive treatment of AAA. The Anaconda is intended for treatment of infra-renal aortic aneurysms with or without the presence of iliac artery aneurysms. It includes a flexible delivery system, which has been designed for ease of insertion and passage in the vessel for device deployment. (Source: A clinical Study for treatment of AAA)
HOW DOES IT WORK? The Anaconda stent graft is a woven polyester tube supported by metal rigns, which is designed to treat AAA. One small incision in the groin area to reach the iliac arteries is made. The surgeon slides the delivery system through on of the iliac arteries to the aneurysms. When the stent graft is in the correct position, the surgeon releases it from the delivery system and expands it in the aorta. Traditional surgery means a six to ten inch incision, a week in the hospital and two to three months recovering. The anaconda, two inches or smaller, you're home in one to two days, and back to normal in just a few weeks. (Source: A clinical Study for treatment of AAA)