Complications of aortic aneurysm surgery: prevention and treatment.

The most common complications associated with resection of aneurysms of the thoracic and abdominal aorta are: hemorrhage, acute renal failure, ischemic colitis, distal emboli, graft thrombosis, infection, pseudoaneurysm formation, aorto-caval and aorto-enteric fistulae, neurologic deficits, ureteral obstruction, sexual dysfunction, chylous ascites and perigraft seroma. Complications can be immediate or late sequelae, insiduous or life threatening. Their prevention and treatment, should they occur, will be discussed.