December 24, 2008 is one Christmas Eve that David Klingman, 54, will never forget. Instead of preparing for his custom holiday festivities, he was in the operating room at Grand View Hospital undergoing major surgery to repair a life-threatening condition.

David had an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), which occurs when the aorta – the large vessel that carries blood from the heart – develops a balloonlike swelling. Left untreated, the vessel where the aneurysm is located can weaken and may eventually rupture with uncontrolled bleeding, usually causing death.

David had learned of his aneurysm three years ago when he received an MRI to diagnose the cause of back pain. The scan revealed an aneurysm that measured about four centimeters. At that point, physicians monitored David’s aneurysm through frequent CT scans. By fall 2008, the aneurysm grew to nearly five-and-a-half centimeters. Vascular specialist and surgeon Arthur Flatau III, MD, advised David to have an EVAR, or endovascular aneurysm repair – a less invasive procedure to  repair aneurysms. (“Endovascular” means “inside a blood vessel”).

“I’m in construction so it’s important that I work when a job is available,” said David, who lives with his wife, two daughters, and two granddaughters. “I was concerned about my health, but I needed to keep food on the table. I asked Dr. Flatau if the surgery could wait until the project was completed,but he advised against it. I decided to have the surgery on Christmas Eve so I could use the holiday break for recovery.”

During the procedure, Dr. Flatau made two small incisions in David’s groin to access the femoral arteries in his thigh. He then placed a small, strong, bendable tube – a catheter – into the vessel. The catheter was equipped with a stent graft, a tube composed of fabric supported by metal mesh. Using X-ray guidance, Dr. Flatau steered the catheter through the femoral arteries and into the aortic artery to the site of the aneurysm. The stent graft sealed the artery above and below the aneurysm. Stronger than the weakened artery, the stent graft allows David’s blood to pass through without pushing on the bulge.

“I was back to work in two weeks, and it was easy. I had just two, three-and-a-half-inch incisions,” he said. Months later, David feels like he has more energy than before the procedure and has even dropped 35 pounds. “I was worried before the operation,” he said. “I kind of felt like a walking time bomb. Now I feel better than ever.”

To learn more about vascular services at Grand View Hospital, click here or call the Cardiovascular Center of Excellence at 215-453-4314.