RT Book, Section A1 Ellison, E. Christopher A1 Zollinger, Jr., Robert M. A1 Pawlik, Timothy M. A1 Vaccaro, Patrick S. A1 Bitans, Marita A1 Baker, Anthony S. SR Print(0) ID 1187824396 T1 Resection of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm T2 Zollinger’s Atlas of Surgical Operations, 11e YR 2022 FD 2022 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781260440850 LK accesssurgery.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1187824396 RD 2024/10/05 AB Aneurysms of the abdominal aorta occurring distal to the renal arteries should, in general, be replaced. This is particularly true if they are enlarging, 5.5 cm or greater in males and 5.0–5.4 cm or greater in females, producing pain, or if there is evidence of impending or actual rupture. In poor-risk patients with small aneurysms less than 5 cm in diameter, observation may be the better course. Many aneurysms are corrected by endovascular techniques, but an open operative approach is acceptable and sometime a necessary alternative. Although the operation is of considerable magnitude, anticipated mortality associated with spontaneous rupture and exsanguination from an aneurysm is such as to warrant the risk of surgery in the great majority of patients. Emergency operations may offer the only chance of a patient's survival if there is evidence of leakage or rupture of the aneurysm. A past history of coronary artery disease is not a contraindication to surgery.