Endovascular stent-grafting of anastomotic pseudoaneurysms following thoracic aortic surgery

Covered stent implantation for anastomotic pseudoaneurysm of innominate artery post total aortic arch replacement

A 59-year-old man presented with back pain that lasted 2 h. Computed tomography revealed acute type A dissection. Emergent total aortic arch replacement was performed on the same day. In 2 weeks later, CT angiography (CTA) showed the aneurysm of his innominate artery. Endovascular repair using covered stent by transbrachial artery approach was successfully performed. CTA at 8 months showed that pseudoaneurysm was excluded. The patient had no symptoms and no other complications were seen. Percutaneous endovascular therapy can be applied for high-risk patient of suprathoracic open surgery.

Percutaneous interventions of the aorta

Coarctation of the aorta includes a wide array of anatomical and pathophysiological variations that may cause important long-term morbidity and mortality. Percutaneous techniques, such as balloon dilation and stenting, allow clinicians to safely decrease or abolish most gradients along the aorta, albeit with limitations. Proper patient selection and interventional technique allow clinicians to obtain an adequate stretch or therapeutic tear of the vessel wall, but should avoid complications, such as an excessive tear, dissection, aneurysm formation or rupture. The interventional technique is tailored by patient characteristics such as age, size and growth potential, by characteristics of the lesion such as degree of narrowing, length, angulation(s) and by local regulations.

Management of vascular graft and endoprosthetic infection of the thoracic and thoraco-abdominal aorta

Infection of a vascular prosthesis or endovascular stent-graft is probably the most serious complication that may occur after implantation and dramatically affects the patient's outcome. Surgical treatment is almost always required but even after surgery, morbidity can be significant. Several approaches have been described with some advantages and/or some limitations. Complete resection of the infected foreign material with debridement of the surrounding tissue gives most probably the better results. Orthotopic reconstruction is the best option for all thoracic and thoraco-abdominal pathologies and the use of coated prostheses, homografts or self-made vascular tubes from xenopericardial tissue has to be discussed from case to case. In some exceptional situations, endovascular stent-graft can be performed as bridging to a more complete treatment if general condition of the patient has to be stabilized.