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Endovascular Management of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: the Year in Review

  • Vascular Disease (I Weinberg, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Opinion statement

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) has become the predominant method of treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). The use of conscious sedation with local anesthesia and percutaneous femoral access has further decreased the morbidity of the procedure. Current devices can more effectively manage increasingly “hostile” aneurysm necks, while chimney grafts or dedicated fenestrated stent-grafts can be used for juxta-renal disease with favorable results. However, endovascular repair does present a new set of challenges, and endoleaks remain an area of concern. While there is general consensus that type I and type III endoleaks require treatment, type II endoleaks are the topic of ongoing research and debate. Development of devices and techniques to prevent and treat endoleak continues to progress. Advances in contrast-enhanced ultrasound are reducing reliance on computed tomography for post-operative monitoring. This is an important step in this population at high risk for the development of kidney failure. Despite these many innovations, further research is needed to optimize the care of patients with AAA.

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References and Recommended Reading

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance

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  1. Swedish Medical Center, Heart and Vascular Institute, Suite 680, 550 17th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98122, USA

    John E. O’Mara MD & Robert M. Bersin MD, MPH

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  1. John E. O’Mara MD
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Correspondence to John E. O’Mara MD.

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John E. O’Mara has no potential conflict of interest. Robert M. Bersin is a consultant to Cook, Endologix, Gore, and Medtronic.

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O’Mara, J.E., Bersin, R.M. Endovascular Management of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: the Year in Review. Curr Treat Options Cardio Med 18, 54 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11936-016-0470-x

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