Incision in thigh saves life – new method used in Hospital for Vascular Surgery of Clinical Center of Serbia

The first endovascular surgery of the abdominal aorta enlargement has been performed in the hospital for vascular surgery of the Clinical Center of Serbia. In addition, the patient had a rare disease (idiopathic thrombocytopenia - blood clotting), which is why the classical treatment would have been very risky.

- Application of the new operational technology helped us avoid all the risks. The surgery was successfully performed through an incision in the thigh - said Prof. Dr. Lazar Davidović, the Director of the Hospital for Vascular Surgery at the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a disease caused by gradual weakening of aortic wall. The disease occurs more often in men older than 65, particularly those with other cardiovascular disease.

- The progress of this disease is unstoppable. Gradually, progressive stretching of the ill blood vessel leads to thinning of the wall and rupture, and that is why the urgent surgery is necessary. Even when the urgent surgery is performed successfully, only 60% of the patients survive. The only right solution is early diagnosis and surgical treatment before the complications emerge - Dr Davidović explains.

Medical team

Successful treatment of such complicated patients who suffer from several joined diseases requires multidisciplinary approach. The medical team that performed the surgery included Professor Davidović, vascular surgeons Dr Nikola Ilić and Dr Igor Končar, emergency radiologists Dr Momčilo Čolić and Dr Vladimir Cvetić, anesthesiologist Dr Milica Vještica, transfusiologist Dr Nebojša Savić, and radiologists Dr Nemanja Menković and Dr Maja Vučković.

(Note: complete article was taken from newspaper "Blic" of January 31st, 2009)