A technique to remove dangerous swellings from the body’s biggest artery could save thousands of lives, a study suggests. These swellings, or abdominal aortic aneurysms kill 6,000 Britons each year. At present, doctors routinely use potentially risky open surgery to repair the artery. But a study published in The Lancet found the less invasive technique reduced deaths within a month of treatment by two-thirds. Forty one hospitals across the UK have taken part in a study to see if the technique, called endovascular repair or EVAR, is more effective than open surgery.
