Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

For open surgery repair, the doctor cuts open your belly and replaces the bulging part of the aorta with a tube called a "graft." This tube is made from man-made materials. It is sewn into place. Blood can flow normally through it.

To repair the aorta with an endovascular stent graft, the doctor cuts into a blood vessel in your thigh (at the spot where your thigh meets the rest of your body) and inserts a folded graft. Then, the doctor threads the graft up to the bulging part of the aorta and unfolds it. This type of graft is not sewn into place. Blood flows through the graft.