Abdominal
Aortic Aneurysm Screening & Treatment Options
Glossary
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA): a bulge
that occurs in the part of the aorta that passes through the
abdomen (stomach area). The bulge (enlarging and thinning)
of the aorta is due to a weakening in the arterial wall.
Aneurysm: a bulge or "ballooning" (enlarging
and thinning) of a weakened area of a blood vessel.
Aneurysm Rupture: a tear in the vessel wall
near or at the location of the bulging or "ballooning" of
the weakened area of the blood vessel.
Angiography/Angiogram: an X-ray method that
uses contrast (dye) injected into the bloodstream to see blood
flow through blood vessels. This type of image is called an "angiogram."
Aorta: the largest artery in the body which
has its origin at the heart. It gives off branches to the extremities,
neck and major organs for the purpose of supplying oxygenated
blood.
Aortic Arch: the curved portion between
the ascending and descending parts of the aorta; it begins
as a continuation of the ascending aorta posterior to the sternal
angle, runs posteriorly and slightly to the left as it passes
over the root of the left lung, and becomes the descending
aorta as it reaches and begins to course along the vertebral
column; it gives rise to the brachiocephalic trunk, the left
common carotid and left subclavian arteries.
Ascending Aorta: the part of the aorta prior
to the aortic arch from which arise the coronary arteries.
Contrast (dye): a liquid dye injected into
the bloodstream to show blood vessels under X-ray or CT scan.
CT Scan: a series of computerized X-rays
that form a picture of an aneurysm. Also known as a "CAT
scan."
Delivery Catheter: a long tube-like device
that assists in the placement of the stent graft within the
blood vessels.
Descending Aorta: a part of the aorta, further
divided into the thoracic aorta and the abdominal aorta.
Edema: a condition in which the body tissues
contain an excessive amount of tissue fluid.
Endoleak: blood flow into the abdominal
aortic aneurysm after placement of an endovascular graft.
Endovascular: inside or within a blood vessel.
Endovascular Graft: a graft placed inside
a diseased vessel without the use of open surgical techniques.
The graft makes a new path through which the blood flows.
Endovascular Repair of an AAA: placement
of an endovascular graft to seal off (exclude) an aneurysm.
Instead of making a large incision in the abdomen, the doctor
makes a small cut near each hip (near the crease between the
abdomen and thigh) to get to the femoral arteries (blood vessels).
Through these small cuts, a graft (woven fabric tube) is inserted
through the femoral arteries. The graft makes a new path through
which the blood flows.
Endovascular Repair of a TAA: placement
of an endovascular graft to seal off (exclude) an aneurysm.
Instead of making a large incision in the chest, the doctor
makes a small cut near each hip (near the crease between the
abdomen and thigh) to get to the femoral arteries (blood vessels).
Through these small cuts, a graft (woven fabric tube) is inserted
through the femoral arteries. The graft makes a new path through
which the blood flows.
Endovascular Treatment: a less invasive
way (compared to traditional open surgery) of treating unhealthy
arteries using catheters, wire guides, stents, stent-grafts,
etc. placed into blood vessels through small holes or incisions
made in the skin.
Excluded/Exclusion: shutting off or removing
from the main part.
Femoral Arteries: two blood vessels (one
in each leg) that carry blood to the thigh region of each leg.
Doctors can use the femoral arteries as a path to reach the
iliac arteries and the aorta.
Fluoroscopy: a real-time X-ray image that
is viewed on a monitor.
Iliac Arteries: the two large blood vessels
that connect the lower end of the aorta to the femoral arteries
in each leg.
Iliac Leg(s): the parts of the graft that
extend from the main body (in the aorta) to the iliac arteries.
Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS): an image
created on a monitor through the use of high-frequency sound
waves from inside the blood vessel.
IVUS (Intravascular Ultrasound) Catheter:
an ultrasound probe on a delivery catheter placed inside your
arteries to see the vessel walls and measure diameters and
lengths of your arteries.
Main Body: the part of the graft that is
placed in the aorta.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): a way
of creating detailed pictures of the body. The MRI scanner
uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create the pictures.
Occlusion: blockage of a blood vessel.
Open Surgical Repair of an AAA: a type of
surgery performed to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm. To
reach the aneurysm, a doctor makes a cut through the abdomen
or the side of the patient. The doctor repairs the aorta by
replacing the aneurysm section with a fabric tube called a "graft." The "graft" is
sewn into place and acts as a replacement blood vessel.
Open Surgical Repair of a TAA: a type of
surgery performed to repair a thoracic aortic aneurysm. To
reach the aneurysm, a doctor makes a cut through the patient’s
breastbone or side of the chest. The doctor repairs the aorta
by replacing the aneurysm section with a fabric tube called
a "graft." The "graft" is sewn into place
and acts as a replacement blood vessel.
Radiation: a form of energy that allows
your doctor to see blood vessel structures and other anatomy
inside your body; X-rays and CT scans use radiation to "take
pictures" of the inside of your body.
Renal Arteries: two blood vessels attached
to the aorta that carry blood to the kidneys.
Rupture: a tear in the blood vessel wall
that causes serious internal bleeding.
Perigraft Flow: blood flow around the woven
graft material of the tube-shaped device.
Sheath: a long plastic tube that contains
the endovascular graft. The sheath is advanced inside the blood
vessel to the aneurysm site, and the graft is positioned in
place.
Stents: metal parts of the endovascular
graft that provide support and hold it in place.
Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm: an aneurysm in
the part of the aorta that runs through a person's chest.
Thrombotic: related to, caused by or of
the nature of a blood clot that obstructs a blood vessel or
a cavity of the heart.
Thrombus: a blood clot that obstructs a
blood vessel or a cavity of the heart.
Ultrasound: a way to create pictures of
parts of the body using high frequency sound waves.
Wire Guide: long, flexible wire that is
placed in an artery to track a delivery catheter and other
endovascular accessories to implant an endovascular graft.
Bibliography
- Kichikawa K, Department of Radiology, Nara Medical University,
Kashihara, Nara, Japan. SIR Annual Meeting Plenary Session, "Comparative
Study with Home-Made Stent Graft vs. Zenith Stent Graft for
AAA".
- Texas Heart Insitute Journal - Endovascular
Exclusion of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysism: Initial Experience
with Stent-Grafts in Cardiology Practice … those source
documents include:
- Ernst CB. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.
N Engl J Med 1993, 328:1167-72
- Parodi JC, Palmaz JC, Barone
HD. Transfemoral Intraluminal Greaft Implantation for Abdominal
Aortic Aneurysms. Ann Vasc Surg 1991;5:491-9.
- Zarins CK,Harris
EJ Jr. Operative Repair for Aortic Aneurysms: The Gold Standard.
J Endovasc Surg 1997;4:232-41.
- Zarins CK, White RA, Schwarten
D, Kinney E, Diethrich EB, Hodgson KJ, et al. AneuRx Stent
Graft Versus Open Surgical Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms:
Multicenter Prospective Clinical Trial. J Vascular Surg 1999;29:292-308.
- Blum U, Voshage G, Lammer J, Beyersdorf F, Tollner D, Kretschmer
G, et al Endoluminal Stent-Grafts for Infrarenal Abdominal
Aortic Aneurysms. N Engl J Med 1997; 336:13-20.
- White
GH, Yu, W, May J, Waugh R, Chaufour X, Harris JP, et al.
Three-year Experience with the White-Yu Endo-vascular GAD Graft
for Transluminal Repair of Aorticand Iliac Aneurysms. J Endovasc
Surg 1997;4:124-36.
- Sparks A, Johnson P, Meyer M. Imaging
of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms. Amer Family Physician April
15, 2002
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