Aneurysm is defined as localized arterial dilatation by at least 50% of normal diameter. Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) affects most often male patients, smokers, older than 65 years, and is considered 13th most common cause of death in the USA. Statistics is not very well developed in Serbia due to poor connection of the medical facilities that deal with this problem. Abdominal aortic aneurysm can be asymptomatic for a long period of time, and often her existence can be diagnosed only when it ruptures, which has a mortality rate of more than 90%. This paper shows a male patient, 83 years old, who is admittedto KBC Zemun with symptoms of weakness, exhaustion and anamnestic information that he had a loss of consciousness carlier that day. By means of physical examination and modern diagnostic tools a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm has been diagnosed. The patient has been immediately transferred to an OR where he has been urgently prepared for the operation by two anesthesiologists and then surgery has been performed in general anesthesia by all up-to-date protocols. Postoperative recovery period was satisfactory, and the patient was released from hospital in good general condition.

The importance of this paper is in the fact that there is a need for in-hospital protocols for hospitals that do not routinely work with emergency vascular pathology, in order to improve communication among admission ward and other departments (before others with anesthesia dept.) and quicken the path from diagnostic to operation room, where at this moment a lot of valuable time is lost.