Dynamic Sheaths, in the Nick of Time or Past Their Prime?

Risk factors for vascular complications include a sheath to femoral artery ratio (SFAR) > 1.05, use of sheaths >19 Fr, peripheral artery disease, female gender, and a learning curve. High rates of technical and procedural success were achieved with low rates of major vascular and bleeding complications. However, SFAR > 1.05, gender, diabetes, renal insufficiency, calcification, tortuosity, or aneurysm were not independent risk factors in this study. Despite an SFAR > 1.05 in 23 patients, increased rates of vascular complications were not seen using the SoloPath sheath. These findings may increase the pool of transfemoral TAVI patients.

Impact of Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors Use on Outcomes After Lower Extremity Endovascular Interventions From Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2006-2011)

Anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications are necessary in peripheral endovascular intervention, but a standardized approach has not yet been established. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor use in endovascular lower extremity interventions decreased overall amputation rates. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor use in endovascular lower extremity interventions increased postprocedural bleeding and complications requiring intervention.

Fast-track endovascular aortic repair: Interim report from the prospective LIFE registry

OBJECTIVE

To assess the feasibility, safety, and clinical utility of a fast-track endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) protocol.

BACKGROUND

Despite recent advances in EVAR technology and techniques, considerable opportunity exists to further improve EVAR efficiency and outcomes.

METHODS

Eligible patients underwent elective EVAR with the Ovation Prime stent graft. Successful completion of the fast-track protocol required bilateral percutaneous access, avoidance of general anesthesia and intensive care unit admission, and next-day discharge. Patients were followed through 1-month post-treatment.

RESULTS

Between October 2014 and September 2015, 129 patients were enrolled in the study. Vascular access, stent graft delivery, and stent graft deployment were successful in all patients. The fast-track EVAR protocol was successfully completed in 114 (88%) patients. Bilateral percutaneous access was achieved in 97% of cases. Comparing patients who completed fast-track requirements to those who failed at least one component, procedure time was 86 vs. 122 min, use of general anesthesia was 0% vs. 20%, need for intensive care unit stay was 0% vs. 13%, hospital stay was 1.1 vs. 2.1 days, and postoperative groin pain severity (0-10 scale) was 1.2 vs. 4.0. No type I or III endoleaks, serious device-related adverse events, AAA ruptures, surgical conversions, or AAA-related secondary procedures were reported. One (0.9%) patient in the fast-track group died from acute respiratory failure.

CONCLUSIONS

Initial results from the LIFE study are encouraging and suggest that a fast-track protocol is feasible, safe, and may improve efficiency of healthcare resource allocation in select patients undergoing EVAR. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Successful Endoluminal Repair of a Popliteal Artery Aneurysm Using the Wallgraft Endoprosthesis

Purpose:

To describe the first application of the Wallgraft endovascular prosthesis to aneurysm exclusion in the popliteal artery.

Methods and Results:

A 61-year-old man was admitted to our institution with a popliteal artery aneurysm complicated by associated popliteal vein compression, deep venous thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. The endovascular procedure was performed percutaneously with local anesthesia using a low-profile, covered stent (Wallgraft Endoprosthesis). The aneurysm was successfully excluded from the arterial circulation, and there were no postprocedural complications. Follow-up evaluation with appropriate imaging at 10 months revealed no endoleaks.

Conclusions:

This initial result indicates that percutaneous deployment of the Wallgraft endoprosthesis, with its smaller diameter and flexible design, may offer significant advantages over currently available devices for repair of popliteal artery aneurysms. This method obviates the need for general anesthesia or surgical exposure, which is particularly beneficial in patients with comorbid illnesses.

Successful Wallstent Implantation for Extensive Iatrogenic Renal Artery Dissection in a Patient with Fibromuscular Dysplasia

Purpose:

To describe a case of renal artery stenosis with fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) and extensive iatrogenic dissection treated with Wallstent implantation.

Methods and Results:

An 83-year-old woman with a history of coronary artery disease and hypertension presented at another facility with exertional angina and poorly controlled hypertension. Renal arteriography uncovered a critical right renal artery stenosis with severe FMD. However, angioplasty resulted in extensive dissection of the renal artery, for which the patient was referred to our institution. The renal artery was recanalized via the left brachial approach with restoration of flow using a Wallstent and a Palmaz stent. The patient's blood pressure was controllable after this procedure, and follow-up duplex imaging with flow velocities at 6 months showed patent right renal artery stents.

Conclusions:

Owing to its length and flexibility, the Wallstent endoprosthesis was a useful treatment modality in this case of extensive renal artery dissection.

Successful Endoluminal Repair of Arterial Aneurysms by Wallstent Prosthesis and PTFE Graft: Preliminary Results with a New Technique

Purpose:

To describe a new method of endovascular aneurysm exclusion using a Wallstent-PTFE vascular prosthesis in patients at high risk for surgery.

Methods and Results:

Two patients with significant comorbidities refused surgery in favor of endoluminal grafting for treatment of aneurysms in the abdominal aorta and popliteal artery, respectively. Both endovascular procedures were performed percutaneously with local anesthesia using a low-profile customized endograft constructed of thin-walled, predicted polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft mounted on a Wallstent. In both cases, the aneurysm was excluded from the arterial circulation; there were no postprocedural complications. Follow-up evaluation with appropriate imaging at 8 months (popliteal aneurysm) and 2 months (abdominal aneurysm) revealed no endoleaks.

Conclusions:

Our preliminary results indicate that the Wallstent-PTFE graft, with its smaller diameter and flexible design, offers significant advantages over currently available devices for repair of arterial aneurysms. This method obviates the need for general anesthesia or surgical exposure for arterial repair, which would increase the risk of the procedure in these patients.

Stent-Graft Treatment of Pseudoaneurysms and Arteriovenous Fistulae in the Carotid Artery

The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of stent-graft placement in the management of arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) and pseudoaneurysms (PAs) involving the carotid artery (CA).

Twenty-two patients (16 men, 6 women) with a CA AVF ( n = 5) or PA ( n = 17) owing to a gunshot or stab wound, carotid endarterectomy, blunt trauma, a tumor, spontaneous dissection, or a central venous catheter were treated with percutaneous placement of stent grafts. The patients presented with tumor, bruit, headache, mouth and tracheostomy bleeding, transitory hemiparesis, seizure, or stroke. Diagnoses were made by using computed tomographic angiography (CTA) and digital subtraction angiography. Fourteen lesions were in the common CA; eight were in the internal CA. Homemade devices and stent grafts from a variety of manufacturers were employed. Follow-up evaluations included clinical, CTA, and Doppler ultrasound assessments.

All patients had resolution of the PA or AVF. In one patient with a large petrous PA, acute occlusion of the CA developed after placement of three balloon-expandable stent grafts, but there were no neurologic complications because the circle of Willis was functional. During follow-up ranging from 2 months to 13 years, asymptomatic 90% stenosis owing to stent compression was observed on Doppler ultrasound and angiographic examinations in a patient with an autologous vein–covered stent graft in the internal CA. Three other patients died of causes unrelated to stent-graft placement. In all other patients, the stent graft remained patent.

Our results indicate that stent grafting is an acceptable alternative to surgery in the treatment of AVF and PAs in the CA.

Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair by Means of the Chimney Technique in a Patient with Crossed Fused Renal Ectopia

Crossed fused renal ectopia, a congenital anomaly in 1 of 7,000 individuals, presents a challenge during endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Most treatment approaches in these patients have involved open surgical repair of the aneurysm or endovascular repair with coverage of the ectopic renal artery. We present what we think is the first case of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with use of the chimney technique (parallel stent-grafting) to preserve an ectopic renal artery, in an 88-year-old man who was at high risk for open surgery. In addition to the patient's case, we discuss the relevant medical literature.

Most Coarctations, Recoarctations, and Coarctation-Related Aneurysms Should Be Treated Endovascularly

For patients with coarctation of the aorta (CoA), surgical intervention results in an overall survival rate nearly twice that of medical management. Therefore, surgical correction of CoA has traditionally been warranted in the majority of patients, even though open repair entails its own complications. With the advent of endovascular technology, many interventionalists hoped that this approach would decrease the complications associated with open surgical repair of CoA. Nevertheless, there is still an ongoing debate about the merits of traditional open surgery versus endovascular therapy. In this review, we discuss the role of these two approaches for the management of CoA, recoarctation, and coarctation-related aneurysms.

The "open branch" technique: A new way to prevent paraplegia after total endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal aneurysm

Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) has been one of the most concerning complications after surgical and endovascular thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair "Open Branch" is an innovative technique to reduce the incidence of SCI Further studies in a larger number of patients with varying pathologies are needed to confirm the advantages of this technique.

A comparison of the boomerang wire vascular access management system versus manual compression alone during percutaneous diagnostic and interventional cardiovascular procedures

Vascular closure devices allow for early sheath removal, allowing for earlier patient mobilization The Boomerang vascular access management system does not alter arterial integrity for future interventions Access site complications provide significant morbidity in diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Preliminary results of adjunctive use of endoanchors in the treatment of short neck and pararenal abdominal aortic aneurysms

OBJECTIVES

To present our initial experience with the use of EndoAnchors for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) with little to no infrarenal landing zone.

BACKGROUND

EndoAnchors have been reported to assist in the prevention and treatment of type 1a endoleaks in patients with hostile aortic necks who undergo EVAR.

METHODS

Between July 2013 and July 2014, nine patients with AAAs and short proximal aortic necks (i.e., 0-10 mm in length) underwent EVAR. In five patients, utilization of the chimney graft technique was necessary. A mean of 2.5 (range 1-4) visceral vessels underwent chimney graft. The prophylactic use of EndoAnchors was utilized in all 9 patients. The decision to use the EndoAnchors was made in the preoperative planning phase.

RESULTS

Technical success was achieved in 100% of cases. In two cases, type 1a endoleaks were noted before the deployment of any EndoAnchors. In both cases, a final angiogram depicted resolution of the type 1a endoleak after insertion of the EndoAnchors. Mean follow-up time was 8 months. At 30 days, 3 months, and 6 months, 100% of the endografts remained patent and free from type 1a endoleaks. No adverse renal complications or mortality was reported.

CONCLUSIONS

EndoAnchors are an applicable adjunct to EVAR as treatment for short infrarenal neck and pararenal AAAs. Further investigations are needed to determine the durability of this novel application.

Fast-track endovascular aneurysm repair: rationale and design of the multicenter Least Invasive Fast-Track EVAR (LIFE) registry

Background

Considerable technological advancements have recently been made with endovascular stent grafts for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). However, there is opportunity to further improve the efficiency of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), which may yield better patient outcomes and lower perioperative treatment costs.

Methods/Design

The Least Invasive Fast-Track EVAR (LIFE) registry was developed to determine the clinical utility and cost effectiveness of the Ovation® Prime stent graft when used under least invasive conditions using a defined fast-track protocol. The LIFE study is a prospective multicenter post-market registry of the ultra-low profile (14F) Ovation Prime stent graft when used in the treatment of patients with AAA using a fast-track protocol, consisting of appropriate patient selection, bilateral percutaneous access, avoidance of general anesthesia and intensive care unit admission, and next-day discharge. The primary endpoint of the study is the proportion of subjects that experience a major adverse event within 30 days of the initial procedure. Primary endpoint data will be compared to a target performance goal. A total of 250 subjects will be enrolled at up to 40 sites in the United States. The first subject in this study was enrolled in October 2014 and enrollment is anticipated to continue through mid-2016.

Discussion

The recent development of ultra low-profile stent grafts enables EVAR using least invasive methods. A structured fast-track EVAR protocol may yield clinical and cost benefits versus standard EVAR.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02224794 

Most Coarctations, Recoarctations, and Coarctation-Related Aneurysms Should Be Treated Endovascularly

For patients with coarctation of the aorta (CoA), surgical intervention results in an overall survival rate nearly twice that of medical management. Therefore, surgical correction of CoA has traditionally been warranted in the majority of patients, even though open repair entails its own complications. With the advent of endovascular technology, many interventionalists hoped that this approach would decrease the complications associated with open surgical repair of CoA. Nevertheless, there is still an ongoing debate about the merits of traditional open surgery versus endovascular therapy. In this review, we discuss the role of these two approaches for the management of CoA, recoarctation, and coarctation-related aneurysms.

TriVascular Ovation®: it's role in solving current endograft deficiencies

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) techniques and technologies have rapidly advanced over the last two decades. The basic premise of EVAR is to durably exclude flow from the aneurysmal sac without exerting untoward effects on the non-diseased anatomy by using minimally invasive surgical techniques. However, these fundamental components have not yet been perfected with traditional stent grafts and remain important areas for further EVAR refinement. Latest-generation stent grafts are in development to accommodate these therapeutic goals. The Ovation Prime® endograft was specifically developed to address the main limitations of EVAR today by expanding EVAR eligibility, allowing least invasive treatment protocols, and protecting the proximal neck from dilatation over the long term. The purpose of this paper was to detail the primary deficiencies typically encountered with EVAR and to describe how the Ovation Prime® endograft overcomes these limitations.

Innovative chimney-graft technique for endovascular repair of a pararenal abdominal aortic aneurysm

After abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, progressive degeneration of the aneurysm can be challenging to treat. Multiple comorbidities and previous operations place such patients at high risk for repeat surgery. Endovascular repair is a possible alternative; however, challenging anatomy can push the limits of available technology. We describe the case of a 71-year-old man who presented with a 5.3-cm pararenal aneurysm 4 years after undergoing open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. To avoid reoperation, we excluded the aneurysm by endovascular means, using visceral-artery stenting, a chimney-graft technique. Low-profile balloons on a monorail system enabled the rapid exchange of coronary wires via a buddy-wire technique. This novel approach facilitated stenting and simultaneous angioplasty of multiple visceral vessels and the abdominal aorta.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation despite challenging vascular access

We describe transcatheter aortic valve implantation in a patient who had severe peripheral artery disease. The patient's vascular condition required additional preliminary peripheral intervention to enable adequate vascular access. A 78-year-old man with severe aortic stenosis, substantial comorbidities, and severe heart failure symptoms was referred for aortic valve replacement. The patient's 20-mm aortic annulus necessitated the use of a 23-mm Edwards Sapien valve inserted through a 22F sheath, which itself needed a vessel diameter of at least 7 mm for percutaneous delivery. The left common femoral artery was selected for valve delivery. The left iliac artery and infrarenal aorta underwent extensive intervention to achieve an intraluminal diameter larger than 7 mm. After aortic valvuloplasty, valve deployment was successful, and the transaortic gradient decreased from 40 mmHg to less than 5 mmHg. The patient was discharged from the hospital 4 days postoperatively. We conclude that transcatheter aortic valve implantation can be successfully performed in patients with obstructed vascular access, including stenosis of the infrarenal aorta and the subclavian and coronary arteries.

Endovascular treatment of coarctation and related aneurysms

Today, surgical repair has almost doubled the 30-year survival rate in patients with coarctation of the aorta (CoA), and 72% to 98% of patients now reach adulthood. Possible late complications include malignant hypertension, left ventricular dysfunction, aortic valve dysfunction, recurrent CoA, and aneurysm formation with risk of rupture. Treating postoperative CoA-related aneurysms with observation alone is associated with a mortality rate of 36%, compared with 9% for surgical repair. Even in the best surgeons' hands, aortic surgery has associated complications, and the complexity of reoperative surgery makes the risks substantially greater. For patients with CoA-related aneurysm, endovascular treatment constitutes a good alternative to reoperative surgery because it poses a lower risk of morbidity and mortality. Implanting an endograft has been shown to be successful in treating CoA and related aneurysms, producing excellent intermediate outcomes and minimal morbidity and mortality. Despite evidence that using covered stents improves outcomes, the superiority of any particular stent type has yet to be established. With a variety of endografts available, the decision of which stent to use depends on anatomy, availability, and operator preference.

The Gore Excluder AAA endoprosthesis with C3 delivery system: results in high-volume centers

The use of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) has increased dramatically, chiefly because of its low perioperative morbidity compared with open surgery. Challenges to the success of EVAR remain, however, with the most important being features of the patient's infrarenal aortic neck anatomy that make optimal placement of the endoprosthesis difficult. These features include a short, wide, severely angulated, or reverse-tapered neck and the presence of calcifications or thrombus. Suboptimal endograft positioning may necessitate use of aortic cuffs, thereby increasing the time and cost of an EVAR procedure, or increase the likelihood of graft migration, which can lead to endoleaks and additional interventions. Efforts to improve outcomes of EVAR and expand its application in patients with challenging aortic neck anatomy have focused on the development of endografts and delivery systems with innovative designs. The low-permeability Gore Excluder AAA endoprosthesis with C3 delivery system, which became available in Europe and the United States in 2010, represents one such design. The C3 system allows the proximal end of the endoprosthesis to be reconstrained after insertion so that the device can, if necessary, be rotated or moved cranially or caudally. Repositioning may facilitate contralateral gate cannulation and placement of the endograft closer to the lowest renal artery (without covering its orifice), thereby possibly decreasing the risk of inadequate sealing and consequent graft migration and endoleaks. Early clinical studies of the Gore Excluder AAA endoprosthesis with C3 delivery system have yielded promising results.

Coarctation-associated aneurysms: a localized disease or diffuse aortopathy

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the occurrence and treatment of aortic aneurysms in coarctation patients.

METHODS

During 1962 to 2011, 943 cases of coarctation were repaired. Aortic aneurysms were identified in 55 patients (5.8%). Forty-eight had prior coarctation repair (median 23 years earlier, interquartile range 18 to 26 years). Forty-two aneurysms were found in the descending thoracic aorta (76.4%), 18 in the ascending aorta (32.7%), 8 in the left subclavian artery (14.5%), and 1 each (1.8%) in the abdominal aorta, iliac artery, and innominate artery. Twenty-three patients (41.8%) had multiple aneurysms. Twenty-five patients (45.4%) had a bicuspid aortic valve.

RESULTS

Fifty-three patients' aneurysms were treated surgically. Thirty-five (66.0%) had descending thoracic aortic repair, of whom 11 had aorto-left subclavian bypass. Aortic cross-clamping alone was used in 23 patients, left heart bypass in 4, and circulatory arrest in 8. Eleven patients underwent endovascular repair (20.8%). Proximal aortic aneurysms were repaired in 7 patients (13.2%); 1 had simultaneous antegrade endostent delivery. Four patients had ascending-to-descending aortic bypass (7.3%). Concomitant valve-sparing root repair was performed in 2 patients, Bentall in 4, aortic valve replacement in 3, and coronary artery bypass in 1. One 30-day death occurred (1.9%). Three patients (5.7%) had transient neurologic deficits, 2 (3.8%) required tracheostomy, and 11 (20.8%) had vocal cord paralysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Coarctation is a marker for aortic aneurysm formation in adults and merits long-term surveillance. Anatomic complexity and associated conditions can complicate the surgical repair. Various open, extra-anatomic, and endovascular techniques may be used.