What is an aneurysm?
An aneurysm is the stretching of a weakened artery which balloons out rather like a worn out tyre. The wall of the artery becomes thinned and the artery expands making it likely to burst. The most common artery to be affected is the aorta which is the main artery in the tummy (abdomen). In England and Wales, between 6,000 and 10,000 people per year suffer from rupture of an abdominal aneurysm which is usually fatal. Most of these patients are men over the age of 60 years. Smoking and high blood pressure are known to increase the risk.
For further information on the two surgical options please use the patient information leaflet links below:
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What is an Aortobifemoral Bypass Graft?
This is the insertion of a synthetic graft from the Aorta, the main artery in your, to the femoral arteries in both groins, these are the arteries that supply the legs with blood.
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What is Axillobifemoral Bypass?
This is the insertion of a synthetic graft beneath the skin at your shoulder from the main artery in your arm (axillary artery) to the femoral arteries in both legs. It can be done on either side.
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What is carotid endarterectomy?
The operation is undertaken on the side of the neck opposite to the side of the body which symptoms of stroke/ TIA have been on.
A cut is made on the neck to expose the carotid artery, which is temporarily clamped off and opened. A plastic tube (shunt) can be inserted to allow blood to flow to the brain whilst the diseased lining of the artery is removed. The shunt is then removed and the artery is stitched closed, incorporating a special fabric patch made of Dacron to discourage future narrowing. The wound is usually closed with a dissolvable buried suture that does not need to be removed.
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What is an aneurysm?
An aneurysm is the stretching of a weakened artery which balloons out rather like a worn out tyre. The wall of the artery becomes thinned and the artery expands making it likely to burst. The most common artery to be affected is the aorta which is the main artery in the tummy (abdomen). In England and Wales, between 6,000 and 10,000 people per year suffer from rupture of an abdominal aneurysm which is usually fatal. Most of these patients are men over the age of 60 years. Smoking and high blood pressure are known to increase the risk.
For further information on the two surgical options please use the patient information leaflet links below:
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What is Femoral Distal Bypass Graft?
This is the bypassing of a diseased artery in your leg. The bypass is performed either using a long vein from your leg or using a synthetic graft. Incisions are made in the groin of the infected leg, inside the thigh region and in the calf, ankle or foot. The graft is joined from the femoral artery in the upper leg to one of the arteries in the lower calf below the knee by means of a tunnel through the muscle layer or under the skin.
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What is Femoropopliteal Bypass Graft?
This is the bypassing of a diseased artery in your leg. The bypass is performed either using a long vein from your leg or using a synthetic graft. Incisions are made in the groin of the infected leg, inside the thigh and just above the knee on the affected leg. The graft is joined from the femoral artery in the upper leg to the popliteal artery near the knee by means of a tunnel through the muscle layer or under the skin.
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What is Femorofemoral Crossover graft?
This is the insertion of a synthetic graft between the femoral arteries in both groins. The graft is put through incisions in each groin and is buried beneath the skin in the lower abdomen (tummy).
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What is sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy involves injecting a chemical solution, commonly Fibrovein®, into your varicose veins. Usually, this is mixed in a syringe with air to create foam which allows just a little of the chemical to go much further. Helpfully, this foam is visible on ultrasound which is used in some patients to guide the injection treatment. The chemical damages the injected veins much as heat from a laser would, leading to inflammation and then to their obliteration.
- Injection Sclerotherapy for Varicose Veins patient information leaflet
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What is the aorta?
The aorta is the large artery which carries blood from the heart to all of the major organs (for example the brain, limbs, liver, and kidneys). Within the abdomen, the aorta divides into separate arteries which supply each leg with blood; these are called the iliac arteries.
What is an aneurysm?
An aneurysm is a weakened artery that has stretched and ballooned out, this can occur either in the main artery called the aorta or can occur in the iliac arteries also.
The wall of the artery becomes thinned by the loss of elastic tissue and the artery expands making it likely to burst (ruptured aneurysm). Rupture is commonly fatal, so surgery to repair the aneurysm before it bursts is normally recommended for patients fit enough for the operation.
- Open Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair patient information leaflet
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What are varicose veins?
Varicose veins are abnormally swollen veins visible just below the surface of the skin. Smaller veins in the skin itself are sometimes called thread veins or spider veins. Although these may be unsightly, they are not the same as varicose veins and do not affect your physical health.
- Varicose Veins patient information leaflet
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