A 77-year-old woman with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) was transferred to our hospital. Due to a severe comorbidity, endovascular aortic repair of the ruptured AAA was proposed. During the operation, although a Zenith(®) AAA endovascular graft was deployed, digital subtracted angiography revealed an enhancement of the endoleak, and the patient became hemodynamically unstable. Therefore, we decided to convert to graft replacement of the abdominal aorta through a median laparotomy. During the postoperative period, the patient suffered from ischemic colitis, which resolved with conservative therapy. She was discharged after 33 postoperative days.
Keywords: conversion to open repair; endovascular aortic repair; ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.