VASCULAR SURGERY << BACK Minimally Invasive Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) An aneurysm causes enlargement of an artery that may subsequently burst, causing life-threatening bleeding. Aneurysms occur most commonly in the abdominal aorta, the largest blood vessel in the abdomen, which originates in the left heart ventricle and carries blood to the abdominal organs and legs. Providence surgeons use minimally invasive surgery to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). The surgeon makes a small incision in the groin area, where a catheter, a long, narrow, flexible tube, is inserted. A stent-graft, which is a specially developed synthetic piece of tubing supported by an internal scaffolding system, is then inserted through the catheter, to reach the aorta. Then the stent-graft is expanded, and blood flows more freely through the stent-graft, avoiding the aneurysm. Patients usually spend several days in the hospital after the procedure and can resume normal activity within a few weeks.