An area hospital has unveiled new technology that's designed to make treatment easier for some patients with a dangerous condition.

An aortic aneurysm is a bulge or weakening in the the aorta, the major blood vessel that runs through the center of your chest and abdomen and feeds blood to your body. Some aneurysms never burst, but others can go quickly in either your chest or abdomen.

Altoona Regional Health System already offers a less invasive way to treat an abdominal aneurysm, and by January, doctors plan to use a similar way to treat the problem in the chest. Instead of surgically opening the aorta, the surgeon inserts a catheter into the groin. It carries a synthetic fabric tube into the aneurysm, which makes a new path for blood to flow through.

According to cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Phillip Rice, "patients are too old, have very high risk conditions, this gives them an option. Other patients today wish a minimally invasive option, other than a larger operational procedure and it gives them an option."

Patients who undergo the new treatment usually have a two to four day hospital stay compared to a week to ten days for the standard surgical treatment. Some studies also suggest the less invasive treatment costs a third less .