Fenestrated Endovascular Repair

Fenestrated Endovascular Aortic Repair, also known as FEVAR, is a minimally invasive procedure that allows surgeons to repair the aorta through small incisions in your groin and or arms while still preserving blood flow to the critical branch arteries to your kidneys and other organs.

 Experts in Fenestrated Endovascular Repair at UCLA Aortic Center

As leaders in aortic aneurysm repair, the UCLA Aortic Center is constantly striving to provide our patients with the latest minimally invasive options. We are one of only a few specialized centers in the country that offers fenestrated endovascular for patients with aortic aneurysms near the kidneys. This procedure offers hope for patients with aortic damage near the critical intersection of the aorta and the kidneys when open surgery is not an option.

Benefits of Fenestrated Endovascular Repair

Fenestrated endovascular repair is a minimally invasive approach that provides patients with many benefits, including:

• Shorter hospital stay (one to two days)
• Smaller incisions
• Less scarring
• Rapid return to normal physical activity
• Fewer complications traditionally associated with open surgery

Is Fenestrated Endovascular Repair Right for Me?

Fenestrated endovascular repair is a relatively new procedure that helps repair damage in segments of the aorta where it branches into the blood vessels to your kidneys, small bowel and liver. During the procedure, surgeons prepare an endograft with openings called fenestrations. When the endograft is positioned in the aorta the fenestrations allow blood to flow to the kidneys and other organs by the use of smaller covered stents.

You may be a candidate for this procedure if you have an  aortic aneurysms, aortic dissections, or traumatic aortic injury that is located near or around the branch arteries to your kidneys.

Some people may require a more traditional open surgery using prosthetic grafts to treat their condition. Learn more about open surgery at the UCLA Aortic Center.

What to Expect During Fenestrated Endovascular Repair

In a fenestrated endovascular repair, surgeons create holes called fenestrations in the endograft to accommodate blood flow to the branch vessels of the kidneys, small bowel and liver. The surgeon customizes the holes in the endograft for each patient based on their individual anatomy.

Here’s what to expect:

1. You will have general, regional or local anesthesia with sedation. That means you will not feel any pain or remember the procedure. General anesthesia is not required.
2. Your surgeon will make a small incision in the femoral arteries located in the inner part of both legs and insert thin tubes called catheters into both arteries.
3. With the help of a special type of X-ray imaging called fluoroscopy, your surgeon will guide one of the catheters to the damaged section of your aorta.
4. The catheter contains the compressed fenestrated endograft for the aorta. When the catheter is in place, your surgeon can slide it out, position it and fasten it to your aorta.
5. When the fenestrated endograft is correctly positioned in the aorta, the surgeon guides catheters with smaller endografts through your femoral arteries and through the holes in the endograft into the branch vessels of the kidneys.
6. Your surgeon removes the catheters.
7. The small incisions in your upper thighs will heal within 1-2 weeks.
8. You may need a follow-up CT scan within a week to make sure the graft is working properly.

Comprehensive Treatment Options at UCLA Aortic Center

Our doctors are constantly striving to provide the best care for patients with aortic disease. We provide the latest options for diagnosis and treatment, including advanced minimally invasive options. 

Learn more:

• Imaging Tests
• Hybrid repair
• Open surgery
• Endovascular Repair