Anterior Surgical Approach to the Abdominal Aorta

Access to the abdominal aorta is possible through several routes and with different manoeuvres. Each approach has associated advantages and shortcomings. There is no ideal, one-size-fits-all access to treat diseases of the abdominal aorta or to expose it; rather approaches are complementary and choice should be made based on several factors, including disease-related, surgeon-related and patient-related factors. Cardiovascular surgeons need to know the possible strategies in order to choose the one which is best suited for each individual patient.