Myocardial Infarction
All operations have an incident of myocardial infarctions (heart
attacks). This is one of the single most feared complications that your
surgeon considers when planning your operation. With proper screening, the
incident of heart attack with your surgery is about 2% or 1 in 50
operations. This complication is more common in patients with a history of
heart disease but occasionally occurs in patients with no prior history of
heart disease.
Infection
The occurrence of infection during operations is about 1 in 100
procedures. Prior to surgery, each patient is given an intravenous
antibiotic to avoid this problem. The skin is cleansed and sterilized.
Infections frequently are minor wound problems which resolve with simple
observation. However, if the implanted material becomes infected, which is
rare, the artificial material has to be removed and this can be a
devastating complication requiring additional surgery.
Sexual Dysfunction
The nervous system that participates and controls the male ejaculatory
function is closely applied to the arteries near most aortic aneurysm. Your
vascular surgeon is aware of this association, but even with this in mind,
some patients notice a change in their ability to have successful sexual
relations after aortic surgery. The accurate incidence of this is not
well-known, but is not insignificant and may be as high as 10%. If you have
concerns about this, please discuss this possibility with your surgeon prior
to the operation.
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you will read it prior to the scheduled operation.
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