Open or endovascular repair?
Open surgery carries about a 5 – 6% risk of dying within 30 days. In addition some patients may suffer heart attacks, or strokes and survive. The risk of surgery is determined mainly by your fitness prior to surgery, but also by the skill and resources of the surgical team. Impotence may occur in up to 1 in 10 men following surgery. Deep vein thrombosis is a recognized risk and most patients will have treatment to prevent this. Endovascular repair carries a lower risk of dying at about 2% within 30 days. EVAR has a quicker recovery time because it does not involve making large surgical incisions (cuts) into the body. Complications are fewer as the operation does not interfere with the circulation as much as open surgery. However, the graft attachment is not as secure as in the open operation. As a result, you will need lifelong follow up with scans to ensure that the graft has not slipped. Open repair is not usually recommended for people who are in a poor state of health and endovascu
