The case for day-case EVAR: Benefits and challenges

This article is an advertorial by Lombard Medical.

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is an established treatment modality in vascular practice which continues to develop, as new devices and technology continuously provide a greater range of options for the treatment of aneurysm patients. Implementing day-case EVAR into practice can further enable clinicians to increase patient satisfaction and quality of life.

Rachel Bell, a vascular surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (London, UK), notes that “in general, most patients and their families prefer a day-case procedure, as they would like to be able to recover in the comfort of their own home.” Bell adds, “Lots of patients have worries about spending time in hospital, and being able to go home at the end of the day allay these concerns and improves their quality of life.”

Beyond the comfort of the patient, Bell also points to “obvious clinical benefits” including reduction in hospital acquired infections and reduction in the incidence of deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, which can occur as patients stay immobile in the hospital. “There is no doubt,” Bell says, “that day-case procedures encourage patients to be more mobile after surgery and help them to recover more quickly. It is common for older patients to suffer some functional decline when they have been an in-patient in hospital, and day surgery would go some way to reducing that and encourage patients to get back to normal life as quickly as possible.”

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