Pictures Can Be Worth More Than Words

And they stick in the mind much longer.   This elderly patient was sent to the ED after an ultrasound for a pulsatile mass. The CT tells the story better than words can. What’s the diagnosis?             The CT showed an 8.6 cm AAA, and the patient underwent endovascular aortic repair (EVAR).   EVAR is performed by deploying a stent across the aneurysm site. The site is usually accessed through the femoral artery. EVAR has significantly decreased peri-operative mortality and morbidity because the patient is not subjected to open repair with clamping of the aorta. In fact, it has been reported that more than half of AAA repairs in the United States are not done via EVAR.   Tip to Remember: Patients who might not be surgical candidates for an extensive procedure such as open repair of aortic aneurysms may be able to have EVAR.   When was the last time you saw a patient eligible for EVAR in your ED?   Tags: emergency medicine, emergency department, ultrasound, mass, CT, EVARPublished: 2/2/2015 11:20:00 AM
Source: Lions and Tigers and Bears - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs