Left Posterolateral Retroperitoneal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

The left retroperitoneal posterior lateral approach for repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms offers excellent exposure of the subdiaphragmatic aorta and its branches. It is ideal for pararenal, suprarenal, and Type IV thoracoabdominal repairs as well as in patients who are obese and have hostile abdomens or horseshoe kidneys. This chapter describes indications, essential steps, variations, and complications of this procedure. It provides a detailed template operative note for the procedure.