Imaging and management of complications of open surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Abstract

Open repair is still considered the reference standard for long-term repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). In contrast to endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), patients with open surgical repair of AAA are not routinely followed up with imaging. Although complications following EVAR are widely recognized and routinely identified on follow-up imaging, complications also do occur following open surgical repair. With frequent use of multi-slice computed tomography (CT) angiography (CTA) in vascular patients, there is now improved recognition of the potential complications following open surgical repair. Many of these complications are increasingly being managed using endovascular techniques. The aim of this review is to illustrate a variety of potential complications that may occur following open surgical repair and to demonstrate their management using both surgical and endovascular techniques. © 2012 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.