What can I expect after endovascular stent grafting?
Usually you will spend 2 to 3 days in the hospital. During the first recovery day you will be permitted to eat and encouraged to walk. After you leave the hospital, you should not drive until your physician approves. You may be permitted to sponge bathe around your incisions but you should avoid soaking your groin incisions until they have healed. You may also be advised to avoid lifting more than about 5 to 10 pounds for approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the procedure.
Your physician will instruct you to return for a follow-up visit after about 7 to 10 days. At that visit, your physician will check your incisions and assess your overall condition. Usually you will undergo follow-up imaging tests 1 and 6 months after the procedure to ensure that the stent is still functioning without significant problems and in the proper location. After the first year, you will probably undergo yearly imaging tests if your aneurysm is shrinking and no problems are found. You may require more frequent imaging tests if potential problems require closer monitoring.
Are there any complications?
The potential complications of endovascular stent grafting include:
- Leaking of blood around the graft (“endoleaks”)
- Infection
- Movement of the graft away from the desired location (“migration”)
- Graft fracturing
- Blockage of the blood flow through the graft
Sometimes fever and an increase in white blood cell count can happen shortly after endovascular stent grafting. These symptoms usually last 2 to 10 days and are treated with medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Other complications that are rare but serious include a burst artery, injury to your kidney, paralysis, blocked blood flow to your abdomen or lower body, and delayed rupture of AAA.
Endovascular stent grafts can sometimes leak blood through the areas where the graft components join together, or they can allow blood to leak back into the aneurysm sac through small arteries feeding the aneurysm sac. These leaks are called “endoleaks”. Some of the leaks stop by themselves and are not dangerous, but others need to be treated immediately. These leaks can even occur years after your procedure and can be dangerous if the aneurysm continues to enlarge. Thus, after endovascular aneurysm repair, physicians require their patients to undergo long term surveillance with periodic CT scans for the rest of their life to detect and treat problems before they become threatening. Since problems with the graft or endoleaks can occur even years after successful placement, it is important to comply with the follow-up regimen advised by your vascular surgeon.
If you suspect or experience any complications because of the endovascular stent graft as described above, you should contact your physician immediately.
