Existing vascular diseases often lead to pathological vasodilatation in the further course of life. The aorta is one of the most frequently affected regions. If you are affected by an aneurysm of the aorta, it is possible to treat the affected area surgically. An aortic stent prosthesis can be used for this purpose.
Below you will find further information on aortic stents and specialists for the insertion of aortic stents.
The aorta is the body's main artery. It transports oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the organs. A dangerous disease is the aortic aneurysm, a pathological widening of the aorta .
Under certain circumstances, an aortic aneurysm can tear(rupture), which often leads to rapid internal bleeding. The risk of rupture increases as the diameter of the aneurysm increases.
To prevent this, the aneurysm should be cut off from the blood flow once it reaches a certain diameter. This means that no more blood enters the aneurysm.
An aortic aneurysm can be sealed with an aortic stent prosthesis © Henrie | AdobeStock
This can be done by open or endovascular surgery.
The aortic stent prosthesis is a metal mesh tube (stent) covered with plastic. The difference between an aortic stent and an aortic stent prosthesis is the plastic coating. An aortic stent refers only to the metal mesh without plastic.
The aorta is the largest artery in the human body. Over time, many people developarteriosclerosis ( hardening of the arteries ). This also applies to the aorta. In smaller arteries, the damage usually leads to a narrowing of the vessel. In the large aorta, the weakening of the vessel wall mainly manifests itself in the form of dilation.
Arteriosclerosis is the main cause of an aortic aneurysm. A much rarer cause is a hereditary (congenital) weakness of the connective tissue, Marfan syndrome.
The risk of vascular calcification gradually increases with age, as the walls of the blood vessels change over the years. They lose their elasticity and are increasingly less able to absorb the high pressure they are subjected to. High blood pressure is one of the risk factors that place a strain on the blood vessels.
Bacterial infections are also considered to be a cause associated with the development of aneurysms. Infections lead to inflammatory processes, including on the vessel wall. Over time, this develops into a vascular outpouching known as a mycotic aneurysm.
Here too, treatment with an aortic stent prosthesis is necessary if the bulge becomes too large.
The aortic aneurysm does not normally cause any problems. In particular, pain or circulatory problems rarely occur. Patients are often unaware that they have an aortic aneurysm and are surprised when an ultrasound scan reveals the enlargement of the abdominal aorta.
Normally, the abdominal aorta has a diameter of around 2 centimeters. From a diameter of 5 centimeters, the aneurysm should be treated surgically.
There is no general answer to this question. Both procedures have their advantages, disadvantages and limitations in terms of applicability.
The clear advantages of aortic stent prosthesis are
A skin incision is often no longer necessary, namely when the inguinal artery is punctured through the skin. For this reason, the hospital stay is often significantly shorter and the patient can return to normal life after a few days without any problems.
A disadvantage of the aortic stent prosthesis is that the patient is exposed to radiation during the operation. This is particularly important for younger patients.
In addition, regular check-ups must be carried out after the operation. Computed tomography is often used for this purpose, followed later by ultrasound examinations.
The examination intervals are initially relatively short (3-6 months), and then annually if the findings are normal. The reason for the regular examinations is that the prosthesis is not sewn into the vessel, but inserted from the inside. Over time, however, the vessel can widen again - this is part of the underlying aneurysm. The prosthesis can then shift and become leaky.
A displaced or leaking aortic stent prosthesis no longer provides any protection: If the aneurysm ruptures with a leaking aortic stent prosthesis, the risk of bleeding death is again very high.
No or only infrequent check-ups are necessary after open surgery. This means that the radiation exposure is very negligible both during the operation and afterwards. In addition, the probability of necessary follow-up interventions is significantly lower.
As soon as the size of the aneurysm is exceeded, a computer tomography scan is recommended. This allows the doctors to precisely visualize the aneurysm and visualize the neighboring vascular regions.
A careful measurement is then carried out and a decision is made as to whether the use of an aortic stent prosthesis is possible in principle. Ideally, the advantages and disadvantages of both procedures are then explained to the patient in detail and a medical recommendation is made.
The patient can also decide against surgery altogether, but then bears a certain risk of rupture.
The experts for this type of procedure are
There is often close cooperation between these specialties.
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