Stent graft repair in the aortic arch and descending thoracic aorta: a 4-year experience

BACKGROUND

Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) and type B aortic dissections (ADs) are relatively frequent, serious conditions that are often managed nonoperatively because of perceived poor outcome of standard surgical reconstruction. Recently developed stent graft techniques represent a more attractive, less invasive option. We sought to determine the technical feasibility and safety of endovascular repair in the thoracic aorta with a retrospective review of our experience with such an approach.

METHODS

Forty-seven patients received thoracic stent graft implants during the 4-year period ending March 31, 2002. All patients signed an Institutional Review Board-approved informed consent. Thirty-one patients had TAAs, and 16 had ADs. Device design and implant strategy were on the basis of evaluation of morphology with angiography and computed tomographic scan. The procedures were done with fluoroscopic guidance, with local anesthesia in five cases, spinal anesthesia in 19 cases, and general anesthesia in 23 cases. Endovascular access was achieved with femoral cutdown in 41 cases and a temporary iliac conduit in six cases. A Talent patient-specific device, with 4-mm to 6-mm oversize, was used in all. Proximal endograft attachment was in the descending thoracic aorta in 16 cases, parasubclavian in 21 cases, and the suprasubclavian aorta in 10 cases. Eight patients had adjunctive cervical reconstruction to transpose or revascularize the left subclavian or left common carotid arteries, enabling more proximal endograft attachment in the aortic arch.

RESULTS

Access failure occurred in one patient (2.1%). One patient (2.1%) died within 30 days of access-related iliac artery rupture. Another death occurred at 60 days from a ruptured thoracoabdominal aneurysm with type I endoleak. No instances of paraplegia, stroke, or surgical conversion were seen. Five patients (TAA) were found to have endoleak on 30-day computed tomographic scan. Repair of type I endoleak was undertaken in three cases at 1, 4, and 6 months. Eight patients (17%) had adverse events within the first 30 days. Length of follow-up ranged from 1 to 44 months, with a mean of 18 months. Two patients were lost to follow-up, and one withdrew from the study. Four additional mortalities were observed, none related to the endograft or aortic pathology.

CONCLUSION

Stent graft repair of TAA and AD is feasible and can be achieved with technical success and relatively low rates of perioperative morbidity and mortality. The Talent customized design proved versatile in various morphologies. More information is needed on indications, clinical efficacy, and long-term results.

Safety of coil embolization of the internal iliac artery in endovascular grafting of abdominal aortic aneurysms

PURPOSE

During endovascular grafting of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), iliac limb extension to the external iliac artery may be indicated when the common iliac artery is ectatic or aneurysmal. Preliminary or concomitant coil embolization of the internal iliac artery (IIA) is thus necessary to prevent potential reflux and endoleak. We sought to determine the safety of hypogastric flow interruption in this setting.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 156 patients who underwent stent-graft AAA repair at two institutions between February 1, 1998, and January 31, 1999. Coil embolization of one or both IIAs was undertaken when the diameter of the common iliac artery was more than 20 mm to enable limb endograft extension to the external iliac artery. Bilateral procedures were staged.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine (25%) of 156 patients were selected for coil embolization of one (n = 28) or both (n = 11) IIAs. The interventions were performed before (n = 31) or during (n = 8) the stent-graft procedure. Complications included groin hematomas in 3 patients, iliac artery dissection in 1, failure to catheterize the IIA in 2, and transient rise in the serum creatinine level in 3. One patient had erectile dysfunction, and five patients (13%) had buttock claudication after unilateral occlusion. Serious ischemic complications were not observed.

CONCLUSION

Coil embolization of one or both IIAs appears to be safe in the setting of endovascular grafting of AAA. Buttock claudication is a relatively significant problem and may limit applicability of this strategy to patients who are unfit for standard open repair.

Technical Strategies to Expand Stent-Graft Applicability in the Aortic Arch and Proximal Descending Thoracic Aorta

The endovascular repair of thoracic aortic pathology is on an evolutionary threshold, as advancing technologies and techniques combine to offer the interventionist expanded treatment opportunities. A variety of maneuvers are recommended to address the landing zone limitations to thoracic endografting imposed by the arch vessels: transostial bare stent placement, intentional occlusion of the arch vessel origin, vessel transposition, and bypass grafting. These adjunctive techniques can help us extend the option of a minimally invasive treatment to a greater number of patients with severe thoracic aortic lesions and comorbidities that place them at high risk for standard surgical intervention.

A Percutaneous Technique for Preservation of Arch Branch Patency During Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR):Retrograde Catheterization and Stenting

PURPOSE

To report a percutaneous endovascular technique to deal with stent-graft encroachment and coverage (partial or total) of the origin of the left common carotid artery (CCA) or the left subclavian artery during thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

TECHNIQUE

Percutaneous retrograde puncture of the left CCA was accomplished with guidewire advancement into the ascending aorta and insertion of a 6-F sheath. Balloon angioplasty and deployment of a stent across the origin of the left CCA successfully recanalized the vessel and restored normal antegrade flow and pressure. It was reasoned that the stent would maintain vessel patency by focally displacing the endograft device, preventing partial or total coverage (and obstruction) of the arch branch origin. This technique has been used successfully in 8 patients, 6 involving the left CCA and 2 the left subclavian artery. Two of the patients were lost to follow-up after 6 and 12 months. The other 6 patients have been followed from 10 to 32 months; the stented vessels have remained patent in all.

CONCLUSION

While the "interposition" of a bare metal stent between a thoracic endograft and the aortic wall is theoretically unappealing and potentially detrimental, as the direct interaction between the devices might undermine the integrity of one or both, we have not seen such problems in this limited clinical experience.

Endovascular Repair of the Thoracic Aorta: Lessons Learned

BACKGROUND

Available information on outcome and best strategies for thoracic endovascular repair is somewhat limited and unclear. We sought to gain a better understanding of these issues through a retrospective review of our 8-year clinical experience in the treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review of 186 patients undergoing stent-graft repair of thoracic aortic lesions at our institution during the 92-month period ending on December 31, 2004 was performed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the indication for treatment; group A had thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) and group B had type B aortic dissections (TBAD). Both groups were analyzed for outcome variables including technical success, mortality, major morbidity, endoleak rate and type, secondary endovascular interventions, and long-term survival. Mean follow-up was 40 months (range, 1 to 92 months).

RESULTS

Compared to group B, group A patients were older and had a higher incidence of peripheral vascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Sixty percent of all patients were American Society of Anesthesiologists class III and the remainder were class IV (38.3%) and V (1.7%). The procedure was completed in 180 patients (96.7%), with all 6 failures being access-related. The average procedure time was 149 minutes (range, 72 to 405). The 30-day mortality was 4.7% (9 patients), and serious morbidity was 19.9% (37 patients). Eight patients (4.3%) developed spinal cord ischemia, 4 immediately after the procedure and 4 delayed (1 to 3 days). Total hospital length of stay averaged 6.7 days. Secondary endovascular interventions were successful in 17 patients with angiographically confirmed endoleaks (type I and III). At an average follow-up of 40 months, freedom from all-cause mortality was 62.5% in group A and 58.1% in group B.

CONCLUSIONS

Stent-graft repair for TAA and TBAD can be achieved with high technical success and comparatively low rates of morbidity and mortality. Midterm survival appears to be favorable. Further refinements in device technology and procedural techniques are needed.

Carotid artery stenting with emboli protection surveillance study: Thirty-day results of the CASES-PMS study

OBJECTIVE

This study examined whether physicians with varying carotid stent experience would obtain safety and efficacy outcomes as good as those from the pivotal SAPPHIRE trial following participation in a comprehensive carotid stent training program.

BACKGROUND

This study was performed as a condition of approval study for the PRECISE(R) Nitinol Stent and the ANGIOGUARD XP Emboli Capture Guidewire.

METHODS

Patients at high surgical risk who were either symptomatic with >or=50% stenosis or asymptomatic with >or=80% stenosis of the common or internal carotid artery received carotid artery stenting with distal emboli protection using the PRECISE Nitinol Stent and the ANGIOGUARD XP Emboli Capture Guidewire. Physicians were qualified based on either prior experience in carotid stenting with the ANGIOGUARD XP Emboli Capture Guidewire or following participation in a formal training program. The primary endpoint of major adverse events (MAE) at 30 days (death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke) was tested for non-inferiority compared with an objective performance criterion (OPC) of 6.3% established from the stent cohort of the SAPPHIRE trial.

RESULTS

The 30-day MAE rate was 5.0%, meeting the criteria for non-inferiority to the prespecified OPC (95% CI [3.9%, 6.2%] P<0.001). Asymptomatic patients (N=1,158, 78.2%) had similar outcomes to the overall results (MAE 4.7%). Outcomes were similar across levels of physician experience, carotid stent volume, geographic location, presence/absence of training program.

CONCLUSIONS

Utilizing a comprehensive training program, carotid artery stenting by operators with differing experience in a variety of practice settings yielded safety and efficacy outcomes similar to those reported in the SAPPHIRE trial.

Relationship between preoperative patency of the inferior mesenteric artery and subsequent occurrence of type II endoleak in patients undergoing endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was (1) to find out whether preoperative inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) patency (on radiographic imaging) predicts IMA-related endoleaks after endovascular repair of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms, (2) to determine feasibility of measuring aneurysm sac pressures in patients with endoleaks, and (3) to report early evidence of effective endovascular obliteration of IMA endoleaks.

METHODS

We studied 76 consecutive cases of infrarenal aortic aneurysms that were repaired with an endovascular approach (March 1998-April 1999).

RESULTS

There were 13 (17%) endoleaks persistent 30 days after the procedure. Eleven (85%) of these 13 were IMA-related endoleaks, which were documented with selective superior mesenteric artery angiography. The preoperative finding (on computed tomographic scan) of a patent IMA does not always predict an IMA-related endoleak, but results in a statistically and clinically significant higher ratio of patients with IMA-related endoleaks in the immediate postoperative period (24% versus 3%, P <.035). In eight of the 11 patients with persistent IMA-related endoleaks, measurement of intra-aneurysm sac pressures was possible, and six of these patients had systemic pressures within the excluded aneurysm sac. Nine (82%) of 11 IMA-related endoleaks were successfully obliterated by means of selective IMA embolization.

CONCLUSIONS

Many endoleaks are caused by a patent IMA, and this can result in persistence of systemic pressure within the aneurysm sac. The preoperative finding (on computed tomographic scan) of a patent IMA is a predictor of increased rates of IMA endoleaks, and IMA endoleaks can be successfully obliterated through endovascular procedures, after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

The treatment of focal aortic arch branch lesions with Palmaz stents

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Palmaz stents as a less morbid alternative to traditional surgery for focal aortic arch branch lesions.

METHODS

Twenty-two patients with symptoms and a mean age of 61.3 years were treated from July 1991 to May 1995 with 26 stents at the following locations: 8 innominate artery, 5 left common carotid artery, 1 right common carotid artery, and 12 left subclavian. Procedures were carried out in an operating room with patients receiving either local anesthetic in 12 cases or general anesthetic in 10. Surgical exposure of either the cervical common carotid or brachial artery allowed precautionary distal clamping before retrograde stent deployment to prevent atheroembolization.

RESULTS

Initial success was possible in 92.3% (24 of 26) of cases. There were no strokes or deaths. During a mean follow-up period of 27 months, 22 of 26 (85%) vessels have remained patent and the patients symptom free.

CONCLUSION

Focal aortic branch lesions can be effectively and safely treated with Palmaz stents.

Update on the Talent aortic stent-graft: a preliminary report from United States phase I and II trials

PURPOSE

Phase I and phase II trials were conducted to determine the safety and efficacy of the Talent aortic stent-graft (Medtronic World Medical, Sunrise, Fla) in the treatment of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). This is a preliminary report of the technical results and 30-day clinical outcome of these trials.

METHODS

Multicenter prospective trials were conducted to test the Talent stent-graft in high-risk and low-risk patient populations with AAA, including phase I feasibility and phase II clinical trials. The low-risk study included concurrent surgical controls.

RESULTS

In the phase I trial, deployment success was achieved in 92% (23/25 patients), and initial technical success was 78% (18/23 implants without endoleak). The 30-day technical success rate was 96%, with six endoleaks that resolved spontaneously (without need for further intervention); and the 30-day mortality rate was 12% (3/25 patients). The phase II high-risk trial demonstrated a deployment success of 94% (119/127 patients) and an initial technical success of 86% (102/119 implants). The 30-day technical success rate was 96%, and the 30-day mortality rate was 1.5% (2/127 patients). The phase II low-risk trial included a first-generation and a second-generation Talent stent-graft. Deployment success rates were 97% and 99%, respectively, and technical success rates at 30 days were 97% and 96%, respectively. The 30-day mortality rate was 2% in the phase II low-risk first-generation device trial, and the adverse-event rate was 20%. Corresponding figures for the second-generation device were 0% and 1.8%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The Talent stent-graft can be deployed successfully and achieves endovascular exclusion in a large proportion of patients with AAA. Morbidity and mortality rates are acceptable. One-year clinical results and the comparison with concurrent surgical control subjects remain to be evaluated.

Talent LPS AAA stent graft: results of a pivotal clinical trial

PURPOSE

We report results of a pivotal prospective clinical trial that compared standard surgical repair with endovascular exclusion of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with the Talent LPS stent graft system.

METHODS

Between March 24, 1999, and September 19, 2000, 240 patients with AAA who underwent stent graft placement and 126 patients who concurrently underwent surgery to treat AAA were enrolled at 17 centers in the United States. All patients were considered to be at low risk from aortic surgery. Patients who underwent endovascular repair received a bifurcated Talent LPS stent graft; surgical control subjects underwent standard operative techniques. Inclusion criteria were AAA larger than 4.0 cm in diameter, with proximal neck > 5 mm long and 14 to 32 mm in diameter, and a 15 mm landing zone in at least one common iliac artery. Access requirements included one external iliac artery of 7 mm caliber or larger. Preoperative anatomic evaluation included computed tomography and angiography. After stent-graft placement, evaluation involved plain radiography and computed tomography performed before discharge and at 1, 6, and 12 months and yearly thereafter.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in early (<30 days) or late mortality between the two groups. Complications were slightly higher in the surgical cohort. The stent graft group did better in terms of procedure duration, requirement for general anesthesia and blood transfusion, and intensive care unit and hospital stay. There were three access or deployment failures. Immediate surgical conversion was necessary in only 1 patient, and late conversion in 5 additional patients. There were no aneurysm ruptures. Endoleak rate detected at CT (core laboratory validated) was 14% at 1 month, 12% at 6 months, and 10% at 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with surgical control subjects, patients with AAA treated with the Talent LPS stent graft had fewer complications and the same low operative mortality. Likewise, endovascular repair performed better than surgery in the perioperative period, as measured with several key procedural indicators. Long-term follow-up of patients with the stent graft will be essential to assess durability of these early results.

Endoluminal aortic aneurysm repair using a balloon-expandable stent-graft device: a progress report

We describe our experience with endoluminal repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms using the stent-graft device. Twenty-four patients underwent 25 procedures in the 27-month period ending December 31, 1992. Twenty-one of the patients were considered high-risk candidates for conventional surgical repair. The endoluminal stented grafts were aortoaortic in 16 procedures and unilateral aortoiliac in eight. One patient underwent a second procedure consisting of an ilioiliac graft to repair a separate common iliac artery aneurysm. Technical problems were primarily related to retrograde transluminal access across the iliac arteries, tortuous aneurysms, and misjudgments as to measurement of length. One patient died and another required secondary deployment of a distal stent at 4 months; subsequent aneurysm expansion mandated surgical replacement at 18 months. It is clear that this device and methodology will have to undergo further refinement before the technique is acceptable for wider clinical application. Current experience, however, is encouraging. Aneurysm exclusion with an endoluminal prosthesis is likely to become an important therapeutic alternative over the next several years.

New Technique to Facilitate Renal Revascularization with Use of Telescoping Self-Expanding Stent Grafts: VORTEC

This article describes a new, less invasive prosthetic graft anastomotic technique that uses self-expanding stent grafts that are “telescoped” into aortic branches. This method, the VORTEC (Viabahn Open Revascularization TEChnique), obviates the need for potentially difficult complete vessel exposure and graft anastomoses, thereby reducing the duration of flow interruption and simplifying the performance of complex aortic reconstructions and so-called debranching procedures requiring reconstruction of major branches such as renal arteries. Minimal exposure of one surface of the renal artery allowed introduction and deployment of a self-expanding Viabahn (W.L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) device using the Seldinger technique. The Viabahn devices used were 5 to 8 mm in diameter and 5 to 15 cm in length depending on individual anatomy (assessed by preoperative computed tomographic angiography). Overall, 82 renal arteries have been revascularized in 58 patients using the VORTEC. The technical success rate was 100%, with all of the stent grafts implanted as intended with maintenance of flow. The patency rates were 97% after 30 days and 96% after a mean follow-up of 18 months (range 1–38 months). The VORTEC allows performance of safe and expeditious revascularization of renal arteries. This new technique may represent significant improvement over the standard approach of surgical exposure and sutured anastomosis.

Carotid artery stenting in a vascular surgery practice

PURPOSE

We tested the clinical applicability, technical results, and morbidity of carotid angioplasty-stenting (CAS) in the treatment of severe stenosis of the internal carotid artery (ICA) in patients deemed to be high-risk candidates for carotid endarterectomy (CEA).

METHOD

After an initial series (1994-1997) of 52 interventions, we adopted the use of a transfemoral access technique and self-expanding stents in late 1997. From Dec 1, 1997, to Mar 31, 2001, 135 CAS procedures were performed on 132 patients with more than 70% (symptomatic) or more than 80% (asymptomatic) stenoses of the ICA. Sixty percent of the patients had no symptoms, and 40% of patients had symptoms. The interventional technique was standardized with the use of a 7F long interventional sheath, balloon pre-dilatation of the stenotic lesion, placement of a self-expanding stent (Wallstent in 12 patients and a SMART stent in 120 patients), and post-balloon dilatation when necessary. Brain protection devices were not used. Patients were given clopidogrel and aspirin before and after the procedure and heparin during the intervention.

RESULTS

All procedures except two were completed as planned, with access failure in three patients (2.2%). Residual in-stent stenosis of less than 20% was detected in 14 of 132 stented vessels (11%) and accepted as a satisfactory angiographic outcome. Neurologic complications included one patient with a single-episode transient ischemic attack (TIA; motor-sensory deficit of the hand) occurring 2 hours after CAS. One patient sustained a major stroke after thrombosis of the stented ICA, which occurred 3 days after the CAS procedure and 24 hours after open-heart surgery. A third patient sustained a minor stroke that began intraprocedurally after post-balloon dilatation of the stent, and a fourth patient had another minor stroke with transient aphasia (beginning during the procedure and resolving after 4 hours) and monoparesis of the hand, which resolved after 1 week. All stented vessels remained patent during the follow-up period (range, 2-41 months; mean, 16 plus minus 9 months), with four instances of hemodynamically significant in-stent restenosis. Re-intervention with balloon angioplasty was undertaken successfully at 4 months in one patient with restenosis. The periprocedural mortality rate was 0.

CONCLUSION

Carotid stenting can be performed with acceptable safety on carefully selected patients by using meticulous, standardized interventional techniques. It may offer a possibly superior therapeutic alternative for non-CEA candidates. Evolving technological improvements and brain protection devices are likely to enhance its role in the treatment of carotid artery disease in the future. Surgical endarterectomy remains the standard of care for most patients at the present time.

Evolving indications for and early results of carotid artery stenting

BACKGROUND

While carotid endarterectomy continues to be the gold standard of treatment for most patients with significant carotid artery disease, there are cases where lesion or anatomy-related factors create situations less than ideal for conventional surgery. Other therapeutic modalities, such as endoluminal stenting, may represent reasonable options for such patients.

METHODS

Thirty-three patients with 70% or greater internal carotid artery lesions were treated by endovascular stent placement from July 1994 through June 1996. Indications included transient ischemic attacks in 20 and previous stroke in 4; and 9 were asymptomatic.

RESULT

Stents were placed successfully in all instances. Mortality and stroke rates were zero. All patients remained asymptomatic during follow-up (mean 8 months), and stent patency by duplex ultrasound has been 100%. A single instance of intrastent restenosis has been observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoluminal stenting is an investigational technique of unproven efficacy and long-term durability. Yet it appears technically feasible, and possibly reasonable, as an alternate option for cases unfavorable for standard surgery.

Suprarenal Endograft Fixation Avoids Adverse Outcomes Associated with Aortic Neck Angulation

The advent of endovascular therapy has had a profound impact on repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Prudent patient selection, particularly in regard to unfavorable anatomy, is emerging as perhaps the most important determinant of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) outcome. The aim of this study was to examine the association of one such anatomic factor, proximal aortic neck angulation, with the incidence of adverse events following EVAR. Prospectively collected data on 289 EVAR repairs with the Talent endograft (Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN) from March 1998 to June 2000 were analyzed. Stent graft-specific adverse events studied were migration, endoleak, kinking, thrombosis, and AAA expansion. Computed tomography (CT) scanning with three-dimensional post-processing and/or aortography was used to measure aortic neck angle. Patients were categorized into one of four groups according to their neck angle: I (0-10 degrees); II (11-39 degrees); III (40-59 degrees); or IV (60-85 degrees). Outcomes were evaluated by chi-squared analysis and ANOVA. There was a direct correlation between AAA diameter and neck angle (p = 0.002). There was no difference in endoleak rate (p = 0.877), stent migration (p = 0.850), or AAA expansion rate (p = 0.599) between groups. Device kinking >45 degrees was associated with neck angulation > or = 60 degrees (p = 0.013), but not with other adverse outcomes. The average neck angle was 30 degrees in patients with endoleaks and 31 degrees in patients without endoleaks. Increasing aortic neck angulation was not associated with the selected adverse outcomes within 1 year following EVAR with the Talent stent graft using suprarenal fixation with the exception of graft kinking. This may be related to the graft design that permits suprarenal aortic fixatiou of the proximal stent graft, Whether severe degrees of angulation of 60 degrees or greater can be safely treated with suprarenal fixation requires further study.

Brachial artery catheterization to facilitate endovascular grafting of abdominal aortic aneurysm: safety and rationale

PURPOSE

Endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) is a technically demanding procedure that is based on the complexity and multiplicity of steps and the guidewire and catheter manipulations required. Brachial artery catheterization is an adjunctive technique that can facilitate the placement of an endoluminal prosthesis.

METHODS

Brachial access was used during endoluminal AAA repair in 79 of 103 consecutive patients with a modular-design stent-graft prosthesis at two institutions.

RESULTS

Left brachial access facilitated (1) angiography to guide juxtarenal device deployment, (2) antegrade contralateral limb access, (3) device delivery through disadvantaged iliac arteries by means of a brachial femoral wire, (4) access to renal arteries when necessary, and (5) catheter exchanges and a reduction in fluoroscopic positional changes. Complications included one puncture-site pseudoaneurysm, seven hematomas, and 29 patients with extensive ecchymosis. The length of stay was not prolonged in any case. There were no embolic, oculocerebral, or ischemic upper extremity events.

CONCLUSIONS

Brachial artery catheterization, as an adjunctive technique to endoluminal AAA repair, offers noteworthy technical advantages with few, but self-limiting complications.

Carotid stenting with a new system for distal embolic protection and stenting in high-risk patients: The carotid revascularization with ev3 arterial technology evolution (CREATE) feasibility trial

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of carotid artery revascularization using a new system for carotid stenting and distal embolic protection in 30 patients with severe carotid stenosis and high risk for carotid endarterectomy (Carotid Revascularization With ev3 Arterial Technology Evolution, or CREATE). Previous studies suggest that patients with carotid stenosis and serious comorbid cardiopulmonary and anatomic conditions are at high risk for carotid endarterectomy. All patients underwent percutaneous revascularization using the Protégé GPS self-expanding nitinol stent (ev3, Plymouth, MN) and the Spider distal embolic protection system (ev3). In-hospital and 30-day outcomes were analyzed. High-risk features included age > 75 years (63%), left ventricular ejection fraction < 35% (20%), and restenosis after prior carotid endarterectomy (53%). Procedural success was 100%. In-hospital complications included severe vasovagal reactions in six patients (20%) and a popliteal embolus in one patient (3.3%), treated by successful embolectomy. During 30 days of follow-up, two patients (6.6%) experienced minor neurological deficits, including transient expressive aphasia that resolved without therapy in one patient and homonymous hemianopsia due to contralateral posterior circulation stroke in one patient. This study supports the feasibility of percutaneous carotid artery revascularization with the Protégé GPS self-expanding stent and Spider distal embolic protection system, which will be evaluated in a large multicenter pivotal trial (CREATE Pivotal Trial).

Extrathoracic management of aortic arch syndrome

The English literature on extrathoracic procedures for aortic arch syndrome spanning the 19-year period 1962-1980 has been reviewed. Fifty publications reporting on 787 operations were selected for analysis. The overall results were excellent in terms of safety and long term symptomatic relief. Unilateral carotid-based operations appear preferable to longer crossover bypasses in the majority of patients. It is suggested that transthoracic reconstruction remain the approach of choice for innominate artery disease and multiple bilateral arch branch occlusions in good-risk patients.

Results with the Talent thoracic stent graft in the VALOR trial

OBJECTIVE

We report the 5-year outcomes of thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) using the Medtronic Vascular Talent Thoracic Stent Graft System (Medtronic Vascular, Santa Rosa, Calif) in patients considered low or moderate risk for open surgical repair.

METHODS

The Evaluation of the Medtronic Vascular Talent Thoracic Stent Graft System for the Treatment of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms (VALOR) trial was a prospective, nonrandomized, multicenter, pivotal study conducted at 38 U.S. sites. Between December 2003 and June 2005, VALOR enrolled 195 patients who were low or moderate risk (0, 1, and 2) per the modified Society for Vascular Surgery and American Association for Vascular Surgery criteria. The patients had fusiform thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) and/or focal saccular TAAs/penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers. Standard follow-up interval examinations were conducted at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and annually thereafter.

RESULTS

Over the 5-year follow-up, 76 deaths occurred (43.9%). Freedom from all-cause mortality was 83.9% at 1 year and 58.5% at 5 years. Most deaths were due to cardiac, pulmonary or cancer-related causes. Freedom from aneurysm-related mortality (ARM) was 96.9% at 1 year and 96.1% at 5 years. There was only 1 case of ARM after the first year of follow-up. Over the 5-year follow-up period, four patients were converted to open surgery and four patients experienced aneurysm rupture. The 5-year freedom from aneurysm rupture was 97.1% and the 5-year freedom from conversion to surgery was 97.1%. The incidence of stent graft migration (>10 mm) was ≤ 1.8% in each year of follow-up. The rate of type I endoleak was 4.6% at 1 month, 6.3% from 1 month to 1 year, and 3.8% during year 5. The rate of type III endoleak was 1.3% at 1 month, 1.9% from 1 month to 1 year, and 1.9% during year 5. Through 5 years, 28 patients (14.4%) underwent 31 additional endovascular procedures on the original target lesion. The 5-year freedom from secondary endovascular procedures was 81.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

Through 5-year follow-up in patients who were candidates for open surgical repair, TEVAR using the Talent Thoracic Stent Graft System has demonstrated sustained protection from ARM, aneurysm rupture, and conversion to surgery, and durable stent graft performance. Close patient follow-up remains essential after TEVAR.

Retrograde iliofemoral endarterectomy facilitated by balloon angioplasty

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of iliofemoral endarterectomy performed through a single groin incision.

METHODS

Thirty-two patients aged 34 to 75 years (mean age 63.4 years) with a male/female ratio of 20:12 underwent 36 lower extremity inflow reconstructions from July 1989 to September 1994. Surgical indications were for limb-threatening ischemia in 24 patients and for claudication in eight patients. The procedures were done for occlusive disease of the external iliac artery and common femoral artery with patients under either spinal (n = 24) or local (n = 12) anesthesia. Intraoperative balloon angioplasty with fluoroscopic guidance preceded open retrograde iliofemoral endarterectomy. Adjunctive procedures included 18 profundaplasties, eight femorofemoral, nine femoropopliteal, and one femorotibial bypasses.

RESULTS

Thirty-three of the 36 cases were initially successful. The three failures were in patients with extensive calcification. The mean follow-up has been 36.4 months, and the patency rate was 80.5% at 3 and 4 years. The four failures noted on follow-up were caused by three common iliac artery stenoses and one iliac system occlusion. The former group was successfully treated with balloon angioplasty/stent, and the latter patient required an aortofemoral bypass. No operative deaths or limb loss occurred in this series.

CONCLUSIONS

Retrograde iliofemoral endarterectomy facilitated by balloon angioplasty is a safe, easy-to-perform, and viable option for patients with combined external iliac artery and common femoral artery occlusive disease. Midterm results (36.4 months) are favorable, and most hemodynamic failures are easy to correct with standard endovascular techniques.

Endovascular Repair of Nontraumatic Ruptured Thoracic Aortic Pathologies

Endovascular repair of ruptured infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is receiving increased attention as the number of experienced users increases. Development of thoracic aortic stent grafts has lagged behind infrarenal advancements because of the reported prevalence of disease. In a few centers, however, the experience in performing thoracic stent graft procedures is quite substantial, such that endovascular therapy has been applied to ruptured thoracic aortic pathologies even though data remain limited and this novel therapy remains controversial. We report our combined experience with endovascular repair of ruptured thoracic aneurysms (RTA) and ruptured thoracic dissections (RTD). One hundred eighty-four thoracic stent graft procedures at the University of North Carolina (UNC) and Union Memorial Hospital (UMH) were reviewed and those patients undergoing RTA or RTD repair from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2003 identified. Patients having procedures for elective repair or aortic transections were excluded from the analysis. Patient presentation, preoperative condition, procedural variables, mortality, and morbidity were examined. Seventy-four percent of the collective procedures were undertaken in high-risk patients (UNC, 38 of 40; UMH, 99 of 144). Twenty-two patients (8.7%; UNC, n = 6; UMH, n = 16) underwent treatment for either an RTA (n = 11) or an RTD (n = 11). The average age of this cohort was 66.5 +/- 15.6 years and the average aneurysm diameter was 73.1 +/- 31.4 mm. The mean duration of symptoms prior to repair was 103.1 +/- 122 hr, influenced primarily by transport times and device availability. Stent graft exclusion was accomplished in 100% of patients with a procedural mortality of 0%. Commercial Talent devices were used in 19 patients (86.4%) and AneuRx device was used in 1 patient (4.5%). In the remaining two (9.1%) patients hand-made devices constructed of Gianturco stents and Dacron fabric were used because of active hemorrhage and lack of appropriate device sizes. Operative time was 135.5 +/- 48.5 min and was associated with an average blood loss of 242.0 +/- 232.4 cc. Thirty-day mortality was 45.5% (RTA, 27.3%; RTD, 63.6%; p = 0.099). Length of stay in the intensive care unit was 6.1 +/- 7.9 days and the mean hospital stay was 11.7 +/- 10.6 days. Major complications were present in 54.5% of RTA (cardiac, 1; pulmonary, 3; cardiovascular accident, 2; spinal cord ischemia, 2; pulmonary embolism, 1), and 81.2% of RTD (multisystem organ failure, 7; pulmonary, 1; common femoral artery injury, 1) but not statistically different between groups. There were only two late complications (cardiac death, endoleak-Ia, 1) that occurred during the mean follow-up of 12.5 +/- 11.3 (range, 1-32) months. These results indicate that endovascular repair of ruptured thoracic pathologies can be accomplished with an acceptable morbidity and mortality. There were no immediate procedural mortalities and complete exclusion was accomplished in all patients. Most postoperative complications arose from preexisting medical conditions and were not procedure related. The benefit of endovascular repair of ruptured thoracic aortic pathologies is promising.