You will have a general anaesthetic and be completely asleep during the operation. A cut is made in the skin of the tummy, usually to the left of the navel, from the ribs down to the groin. A new pipe (artery) , made of a tube of very strong plastic fabric, is used to replace the diseased part of the aorta and is stitched in place inside the aneurysm. It is called a graft. The cut in your tummy is then stitched up. Sometimes the two arteries which run to your legs have aneurysms as well. A new pipe made from the same material as described before, is shaped like a pair of trousers is then used to make the repair. The turnups of the trousers are stitched to the leg arteries. An extra cut in each groin is needed for this type of operation. If one or more arteries are blocked, they may be operated on at the same time. The new pipes last for 20 years and more. The operation takes about three to four hours.