Life After Ruptured Aortic Aneurysm LARA

01/09/2026

Good afternoon everyone! As part of PAD awareness month, our vascular team is participating in the "The great circulation challenge". If you would like to support, please sign up today (before 3pm) using the link below (very easy steps). Then instructions how to log/ record your walk will be sent to you via email.

Our team name is "ESSEX EAGLES"

Thank you xx

Join a first-of-its-kind global journey: 60,000 collective miles through the human circulatory system. Every step raises awareness of circulation, Peripheral Artery Disease, diabetes, limb preservation, and cardiovascular health.

16/08/2026

Here is what it looks like when it’s all done (see post below)

16/08/2026

Aortic aneurysm can involve the kidney arteries and can be found in conjunction with peripheral arterial disease. Here is a recent case where we had to open a blocked artery to the leg to get the stent graft up. Then we had to put 2 stents in the kidney arteries to protect them. Finally we deployed the main aortic EVAR stent.

22/07/2026

What is the downside of EVAR?

EVAR is a minimally invasive way of repairing aneurysms. Patients go home the next day with no big scars.

BUT

EVAR needs lifetime surveillance as aneurysms can still grow resulting in stent slippage. This can happen unexpectedly
As in the patient below whose stent completely slipped down (it should be at the top of the arrow).
So remember to check when your next yearly ultrasound scan is at your appointment.

25/02/2026

It doesn’t often get much scarier than an aneurysm repair. But some of our patients have their aorta and heart valve replaced in one after another by the Essex CTC team. This was unthinkable 10y ago but we have now repaired 3 very happy individuals…

Last summer I underwent two surgeries - first a TAVI (keyhole aortic valve) followed by keyhole abdominal aneurysm repair (EVAR).

During my time under the care of the cardiac and vascular team, I was treated with kindness, compassion and the highest level of clinical skill.

My conversations were never hurried and they used my scans to help me understand what was happening to me. I couldn't have imagined feeling so safe during two surgeries that were so scary for me at first.

I cant thank you all enough.

20/02/2026

We recently looked at outcomes of Aortic Aneurysm Repair in Patients 85 years and over

Aim
The average life expectancy in the UK is 83 years for women and 79 for men. This audit investigated 1 year post-operative outcomes of patients who had elective repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms aged 85 years or older in a major UK vascular unit. The aim was to assess safety in the very elderly, benchmarking this against the UK National Vascular Registry data for all comers.

Methods
Retrospective audit at a major UK vascular unit. An independent researcher identified all abdominal aortic aneurysm repairsperformed between January 2024 and January 2025. The minimum follow up was 1 year. Hospital electronic records were used to determine ASA grade and the following outcomes:length of stay, post-operative complications, reintervention, amputation and death within the first year.

Results
Sixteen cases were identified, of which 16/16 (100%) were repaired with EVAR. Median age was 86 years (range 85-91) and median ASA grade was 3 (range 2-4). Median length of stay was 2 days (IQR 1-6) and in hospital mortality was 0/16 (0%). 3/16 (19%) had post-operative complications which were mild (Clavien-Dindo scale 1 or 2). These included pulmonary oedema, contrast induced nephropathy and fast atrial fibrillation. None required vascular reintervention in hospital.
Over the first post-operative year: 2/16 (13%) died – one from EVAR thrombosis following resection of colorectal tumour and one non-vascular death. 2/16 (13%) required unplanned vascular reintervention including one femoral ligation for infected pseudoaneurysm and one femoropopliteal bypass graft for CLTI. There were no amputations.

Conclusion
In comparison to all-comers undergoing EVAR in the UKNational Vascular Registry, this series of very elderly patients performed well, with no in-hospital deaths or serious complications and an identical length of stay. Similarly over the first post-operative year there were no aortic reinterventions and no amputations.
This series demonstrates that EVAR is as safe in 85y+ patients as it is in the wider population, when cases are selected appropriately. Therefore the benefit of EVAR in these patients is dependent on their longevity. This is now being examined by 5 year follow up in our unit.

18/02/2026

Thank you to our wonderful donor who has sponsored vascular care in Essex for the next set of patients. You are an inspiration!

07/02/2026

This video tells you about rare conditions that cause aortic aneurysm or dissection below the age of 55

23/12/2025

What is an endoleak and how is it managed?

07/12/2025

This video gives some information for families on who to reach out to if you have lost someone from ruptured aortic aneurysm