What exactly is an abdominal aortic aneurysm? The abdominal aorta is the continuation of the aorta in the abdomen and is the largest artery in the body, responsible for the blood supply to the abdominal viscera and the abdominal jaws. An abdominal aortic aneurysm is actually a dilated arterial disease caused by degeneration of the arterial vessel wall, rather than a “tumor” in the usual sense. When an abdominal aortic aneurysm ruptures, there is severe abdominal pain, blood loss and shock. According to statistics, more than 90% of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms result in sudden death due to hemorrhage. Among patients diagnosed with symptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms, the rate of natural rupture of the aneurysm within two years is as high as 50%, while the success rate of resuscitation of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms is less than 30%. What are the risks of abdominal aortic aneurysm? Once an abdominal aortic aneurysm ruptures, the patient loses thousands of milliliters of blood in just a few minutes, followed by shock, hemorrhage and death. The mortality rate is as high as 80-90%, and the great scientist Albert Einstein also died from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. What are the clinical manifestations of abdominal aortic aneurysm? The abdominal aortic aneurysm is often manifested as a pulsating abdominal mass, which may compress the surrounding organs and cause abdominal symptoms, or thrombosis and dislodgement, leading to ischemic necrosis of the lower limbs. What are the treatment options for abdominal aortic aneurysm? Abdominal aortic aneurysms cannot heal themselves or be reduced by medication. Early detection and treatment are recommended, and blood pressure should be strictly controlled; if the diameter is too large or growing too fast, surgical treatment should be considered; surgery or endoluminal repair is an effective treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysms. Open surgery requires open abdomen, aneurysm removal and artificial vessel replacement, which is more traumatic, but the long-term efficacy is definite and is the classical surgical treatment. Endoluminal repair does not require opening the abdomen, but a small inguinal incision is made and a vascular stent graft is implanted from the lumen to isolate the aneurysm, which has the advantage of being less invasive and is especially suitable for high-risk elderly patients. What should I expect after abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery? Patients should be followed up regularly after endoluminal repair to assess the degree and location of graft patency. In addition, the presence or absence of endoleaks is an important indicator of whether the aneurysm has been completely repaired after surgery, usually at 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and annually. A CTA is usually done to know the intermediate and long-term outcome of endoluminal repair. After endoluminal repair, patients can continue to exercise as before, including walking, riding in a car, swimming and cycling.