Traditional (open) treatment of an aneurysm or arterial dissection
Traditional open treatment requires cutting open the abdominal wall, exposing the aneurysm or dissection, clamping off this important artery and its side branches, and then suturing a synthetic woven prosthesis into place to restore continuity.
This is an invasive procedure resulting in large scars and a large amount of blood loss. Complications may occur and extend your stay in hospital (7 to 14 days).
Although this traditional procedure is classified as high risk, the result is very durable. The follow-up is therefore less strict than in the case of endovascular treatment.
Fortunately this rather outdated technique is becoming rarer: in UZ Brussel approximately 75% of all abdominal aneurysms are treated by the endovascular method.