The aorta, the largest artery in the body, emanates directly from the heart and transports oxygen-rich arterial blood to all parts of the body. The abdominal aorta supplies blood mainly to the lower half of the body, up to the level of the navel where it divides into the bilateral iliac arteries, which supply blood to both lower limbs and the pelvis, respectively. The normal diameter of the abdominal aorta is about 1.5-1.8 cm. When the arterial blood flow in the aorta is under continuous pressure causing the local weak part of the arterial wall to swell or protrude beyond 50% of the normal value, it is called abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is the most common of all aortic dilatation diseases. It is the most common of all aortic dilatation diseases. The pressure on the weak part of the arterial wall gradually expands to form an aneurysm, just like blowing up a balloon, and once the diameter of the artery widens beyond the safe range, it may cause rupture and directly threaten people’s lives. Once an abdominal aortic aneurysm ruptures, the patient’s mortality rate can be more than 80-90%, so the medical community also calls abdominal aortic aneurysm a “time bomb” in the human body. Fortunately, there are now efficient and safe ways to diagnose, treat and even cure abdominal aortic aneurysms early, before they become symptomatic. Do abdominal aortic aneurysms require surgery? Whether or not an abdominal aortic aneurysm can rupture is directly related to the size of the diameter of the aneurysm. Studies have shown that the incidence of rupture is 10% when the diameter of the aneurysm is less than 4 cm, 30% to 50% when the diameter of the aneurysm is 5-10 cm, and more than 80% once the diameter of the aneurysm exceeds 1O cm. Therefore, 5 cm is currently used as a uniform standard for surgical treatment, and if the diameter of the aneurysm is less than 5 cm and there are no clinical symptoms, the doctor will recommend close observation and imaging at least once every six months, and once the trend of aneurysm increase, surgery should be actively performed to prevent serious consequences. Surgical treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm If the aneurysm is more than 5 cm in diameter, or grows by 1 cm per year, or causes symptoms, it means that you need surgical treatment. The traditional open abdominal aortic aneurysm resection and artificial vessel replacement surgery is a classic procedure with proven efficacy. Through a median abdominal incision, the weak, dilated diseased vessel segment is replaced with a caliber and length-matched artificial vessel under direct vision, thereby restoring normal vessel morphology. The artificial vessel is made of a strong, long-lasting woven material, such as the commonly used polyester vessel (quality and duration of the vessel?). . Post-operative hospitalization is usually required for 7-10 days in order to observe the healing of the incision, the recovery of intestinal function, and any other complications. After discharge from the hospital, it usually takes 6 weeks to 3 months to fully recover, depending on the individual’s physical condition. Satisfactory long-term results are achieved in more than 90% of patients. Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms was first reported by Argentinean vascular surgeon Parodi et al. in 1991, causing a frenzy of interest from interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons and a steep rise in interest in endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms throughout the 1990s. After nearly 20 years of improvements in endoluminal vascular materials, endovascular stent delivery systems After nearly 20 years of improvements in endoluminal vessel materials and endoluminal stent delivery systems, this technique is now commonly used and promoted internationally and nationally. Endoluminal repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms is less traumatic and faster to recover than traditional surgery, significantly reducing the perioperative mortality rate to only 1%-3%, thus expanding the indications and safety compared to traditional open surgery, while the long-term results are consistent and ensure the re-repair of vessels through endoluminal treatment. Prognosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm Abdominal aortic aneurysm is an aneurysmal dilatation occurring in the context of hypertension due to weakness and increased brittleness of the artery, not a true tumor. The danger lies mainly in the rupture of the aneurysm leading to hemorrhagic shock and death, once we remove the danger of its rupture, just like removing the possibility of a time bomb bursting, we are restored to safety and able to enjoy our natural life span. And unlike the recurrence and metastasis that exist in other tumors, with proper treatment, the prognosis is good. However, if we let it develop, it will be like a time bomb, counting down to “detonation”.