The National Center for Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Assistance in Chisinau for the first time performed two surgeries for abdominal aortic aneurysm. The doctors used the modern EVAR technique, which was successfully applied to the first two patients. This innovative method saved patients' lives and opens up new possibilities for vascular treatments in Moldova, IPN reports.

The operations were performed by a multidisciplinary team made up of vascular surgeons, anesthesiologists and imaging doctors of the University Clinic of Vascular Surgery and of the Interventional Medicine Laboratory. The implementation of this complex method was possible thanks to the intense training and preparations carried out in the course of this year.

Until now, open surgery by replacing the affected segment of the aorta with a vascular prosthesis was the only treatment option for abdominal aortic aneurysm. The classical method, specialists say, involves high risks of perioperative complications, as well as a significant mortality rate, even in renowned international medical centers.

The EVAR procedure, recently implemented in Moldova, is a minimally invasive approach. This involves the insertion of a stent-graft through small incisions in the groin region. The device excludes the aneurysm from the bloodstream, preventing the risk of rupture. Unlike open surgery, EVAR significantly reduces recovery time, the risk of serious complications, and the mortality rate.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is an abnormal dilation of the main vessel that supplies blood to the abdomen. If left untreated, it can lead to rupture of the aorta, causing massive bleeding and, in many cases, sudden death. The major problem is that the symptoms of this type of aneurysm are often absent until complications occur. That's why doctors recommend regular check-ups for older people, such as abdominal ultrasounds, to detect the incipient aneurysm.

The National Center for Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Assistance informs that both surgeries were financially covered by the National Health Insurance Company, in a total amount of 500,000 lei. The first two operated patients benefited from safe and effective treatment, without postoperative complications, and the success of the operations paves the way for the use of the EVAR method in Moldova, aligning the national treatment standards with the European ones.