Aortic aneurysm repair is performed when an aneurysm forms in the aortic artery. An aneurysm is an abnormal widening or ballooning of a portion of an artery, related to weakness in the wall of the blood vessel. The aorta is a large artery that stems from the heart and carries blood to the rest of the body.

Some common locations for aneurysms include:

• Abdominal aorta – the major artery from the heart that supplies blood to your abdomen, the pelvis, and legs.
• Thoracic aorta – the major artery from the heart that supplies blood through the chest.

Repairing an aortic aneurysm usually entails surgery, although a stent-graft repair procedure is also gaining popularity as it is minimally invasive and requires less recovery time. The most common procedures are as follows:

• Open Aorta Surgical Repair – The open aorta surgical repair involves placing clamps above and below the aneurysm to stop the blood flow to that part of the artery. Whether or not the surgery will involve the use of a heart-lung machine (cardio-pulmonary bypass) depends on the location of the aneurysm. If the aortic arch is involved, the surgeon may use a specialized technique known as circulatory arrest — a period without blood circulation while the patient is on life support. The surgeon replaces the weakened wall with a fabric tube called a graft. The surgeon may also use a prosthesis device.
  
• Graft-Stent Repair – This less-evasive procedure is used to repair thoracic aneurysms and does not require a chest incision. The surgeon inserts a tube where special catheters are introduced through the arteries at the groin. The physician then deploys a stent-graft or prosthesis at the site of the aneurysm which allows the flow of blood without putting pressure on the weakened wall.
  
• Endovascular Stent-Graft Repair – This less-invasive procedure is used for abdominal aneurysms. This procedure involves using long, thin tubes called catheters inserted in the patient's groin and guided through the blood vessels using live x-ray pictures. The physician then deploys a stent-graft or prosthesis at the site of the aneurysm which allows the flow of blood without putting pressure on the weakened wall. If this repair is unsuccessful, the surgeon may elect to perform an open repair.

A vascular and/or cardio-thoracic surgeon usually performs this surgery which requires a hospital stay, although the endovascular and graft-stent methods typically involve a shorter stay.

Alternative Names: Aortic aneurysm - thoracic; Syphilitic aneurysm; Aneurysm - thoracic aortic.

Appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix-a small process, or tube, located on the first part of the large intestine. If it becomes inflamed, infected or has ruptured, it can cause severe pain, and requires immediate medical treatment. An appendectomy can be performed through laparoscopic surgery or open surgery. Laparoscopic surgery involves a tiny camera inserted into a small incision in the abdomen by which the surgery is viewed. Traditional open surgery is always used in an emergency procedure to remove a ruptured appendix. Removal of the appendix may be likely if there is:

• Severe abdominal pain
• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting

A ruptured appendix must be removed immediately, or it may leak into the abdominal space and cause peritonitis, a life-threatening condition. Both open and laparoscopic surgery are performed under general anesthesia, and require a hospital stay of 1-4 days. Recovery time is usually 1-3 weeks following surgery, but is shorter with laparoscopic surgery.

Back and Neck Surgery, also called spinal fusion, may be necessary when the vertebrae (small bony segments that make up the spine) become displaced, inflamed, or injured, and cause pain. Fusion surgery is performed to strengthen and limit motion of the spine until it can heal, and can involve metal rods and screws and/or bone grafts. Back and neck fusion may be needed to correct:

A developmental defect

A fracture

A degenerative disease, such as arthritis

Damage caused by infection or a tumor

Degeneration of the cushioning disk

An orthopedic surgeon usually performs this surgery, which requires a hospital stay. Recovery time will vary, and depends upon the patient, the extent of the injury, and the judgment and expertise of the physician.

Back surgery involves removal of all or part of a vertebra or disk in order to relieve pressure and pain on the nerves in the spine. A vertebra is one of 33 small bones making up the spine. Disks are the cushioning between the vertebrae that prevent the bones from coming into contact with each other.

A herniated disk is one that has ruptured or bulged from a tear in the disk covering. If the herniated disk presses on a nerve, surgery may be required to relieve the pressure and the pain associated with it.
Surgery may include:

Removal of part of a vertebra

Removal of a herniated disk

Incision of ligaments in the spinal cord to relieve pressure

Incision of nerves in the spinal cord

Removing damaged tissue on a vertebra

Back surgery is usually performed by an orthopedic surgeon, and is done under general anesthesia. It is an inpatient procedure, which means that it requires a hospital stay. The surgery will relieve pain and allow the back to heal. Recovery time is typically 1-3 months.

Bariatric surgery, or gastric bypass surgery, is surgery that can be used to achieve significant weight loss in individuals who are very obese (morbidly obese). A thumb-sized stomach pouch is created (using a stapling or banding technique) then the outlet of the pouch is connected directly to the intestine, essentially bypassing the lower stomach. After the surgery, the amount of calories your body can intake is reduced which leads to weight loss.

Different procedures used include:

• Vertical-banded Gastroplasty – The upper stomach near the esophagus is stapled to form a small pouch. The outlet from the pouch to the stomach is restricted by the use of a band made of special material. This band delays the emptying of food from the pouch, causing a fullness sensation.
• Short-limbed Roux-en-Y Gastroenterostomy – The surgeon will divide the stomach into a small upper section. The surgeon will staple off the small section from the larger section. Then, they will reconnect a section of the small intestine to this new pouch, bypassing the larger stomach area remaining and connecting the base to the remaining portion of the small intestine.
• Small Intestine Reconstruction – In this procedure, more of the small intestine is bypassed than with the short-limbed Roux-en-Y procedure.

All procedures are performed under general anesthesia. A hospital stay of two to four days is expected.