Anatomy and Physiology for the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Abstract

In 2006, commercially produced endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) devices were approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and their cost began to be covered by Japanese medical insurance. Meanwhile, the number of juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) to need the suprarenal clamp are increasing and the number of infra-renal AAAs are decreasing for open repair. In this era when EVAR has been growing rapidly for 11 years, it is a good opportunity to learn the surgical repair of AAA. I review the basic and advanced anatomy and physiology concepts which are needed for abdominal aortic repair, which are the proximal site (exposure of the proximal site, variation of renal arteries, variation of inferior vena cava and left renal vein, arcade of visceral branches of abdominal aorta, and coeliac plexus) and distal site (iliac artery, superior hypogastric plexus, ureter, inferior mesenteric artery, and lumbar arteries) separately.