Endovascular treatment of an aneurysm, also known as vascular ballooning, is a minimally invasive procedure performed by interventional radiologists or vascular surgeons to treat an abnormal bulging or ballooning of a blood vessel, known as an aneurysm. Aneurysms can occur in various arteries in the body, but they are most commonly found in the brain (cerebral aneurysms) and in the aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body (aortic aneurysms).
During the procedure, the patient is usually given local anesthesia, and sometimes mild sedation may be used. Instead of open surgery, which involves making a large incision to directly access the affected blood vessel, endovascular treatment is performed using catheters and small instruments that are threaded through the blood vessels to reach the site of the aneurysm
Endovascular treatment of aneurysms offers several advantages over open surgical repair, including:
It's important to note that not all aneurysms are suitable for endovascular treatment. The decision to pursue endovascular treatment or open surgery depends on various factors, such as the size and location of the aneurysm, the patient's overall health, and the expertise of the medical team. The choice of treatment is made after a thorough evaluation by a team of specialists, including interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons, and neurosurgeons, to ensure the best possible outcome for the patient.