The aorta is our main artery, carrying blood and oxygen to supply all parts of the body. An aortic aneurysm results from a weakening of the wall of the aorta, causing it to bulge outward. In the worst case scenario, aortic aneurysms can burst, which can be a life-threatening condition.
Options for repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm include traditional surgery and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), a catheter-based approach. One possible complication following EVAR occurs when blood flows backward from branches of the aorta into the sac of the aneurysm, putting pressure on its weakened wall. This is called a “type II endoleak”. Our vascular surgeons can help if you have experienced this complication of EVAR.
Englewood Health is only one of three centers in New Jersey to provide transcaval embolization of abdominal aortic aneurysms to repair type II endoleaks. The procedure can be done on an outpatient basis.
A catheter is advanced through a needle stick in the groin to the site of the aneurysm. With ultrasound guidance, the catheter is advanced into the expanded sac of the aneurysm. Once inside, a special medical coiling substance is used to fill the sac and seal off the vessels that are leaking into it. This stops the endoleak, and eliminates the added pressure on the wall of the aneurysm.