Simultaneous Endovascular Repair of Traumatic Rupture of the Right Subclavian Artery and Thoracic Aorta

Long-term outcomes of endovascular therapy for right subclavian artery occlusive lesions: A multi-center experience

OBJECTIVE

To review our multi-institutional experience with endovascular therapy for right subclavian artery occlusive disease and to evaluate the long-term outcomes.

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated all patients with right subclavian artery stenosis and occlusive disease who underwent endovascular therapy between March 2014 and September 2022 at two institutions. Patient baseline demographics, lesion characteristics, treatment strategies, and in-hospital and follow-up outcomes were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

Between March 2014 and September 2022, 73 patients underwent endovascular treatment at the two institutions. The dominant cause of lesions in this cohort was atherosclerosis. Three different types of lesions were summarized, and the corresponding endovascular strategies were performed. 66 patients (90.4%) underwent successful endovascular treatment, and 62 patients (84.9%) underwent balloon-expandable stent deployment. The mean perioperative in-hospital stay was 4.0 days (range, 3-6 days). Two patients died due to myocardial infarction, and one died of cerebral hemorrhage resulting from a traffic accident within 30 days of the intervention. The median follow-up time was 31.6 months (range, 12-96 months). No complications, including death, stroke, stent fractures, or migration, were noted in any patient during the follow-up period. The overall complication rate was 7/73 (9.6%), and 5/7 (6.9%) of the complications required reintervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Endovascular treatment of right subclavian artery lesions is safe, effective, and technically achievable. The reasonable use of balloon-expandable stents can achieve satisfactory outcomes with accurate orientation and promising patency.

Subclavian steal syndrome treated by kissing stenting of the subclavian and vertebral arteries

The prevalence of subclavian artery (SA) stenosis is approximately 2%. The exact prevalence of extracranial vertebral artery (VA) stenosis is undetermined, with estimates ranging from 7% to 40%. Nearly 25% of ischaemic strokes involve the vertebrobasilar circulation, and arteriosclerotic disease and narrowing of the proximal VA may be the cause for up to one-fifth of these incidents. The bulk of SA stenoses occur proximally to the ostium of the VA. Vertebrobasilar ischaemia can be caused both by VA and SA stenosis. Surgical and endovascular approaches are potential treatment options for SA/VA stenosis. It has been demonstrated that endovascular intervention is considerably safer for this pathology, and with advances in device technology, angioplasty with stenting has become the preferred treatment option. We present the case of a 76-year-old man who presented with vertebrobasilar ischaemia from coexisting stenosis of the SA/VA which was treated by endovascular methods.

Simultaneous Kissing Stenting: A Valuable Technique for Reconstructing the Stenotic Initial Segment of the Right Subclavian Artery

Atherosclerotic stenosis or occlusion often involves the subclavian artery. For lesions that are close to the orifice of the right subclavian artery, stenting of the right subclavian artery itself blocks the pathway from the innominate artery to the right carotid artery and causes problems in patients with multiple angiostenosis, especially involving the right carotid system. In this study, we report 2 cases using simultaneous kissing stenting (SKS) of the right subclavian artery and the right carotid artery to relieve right subclavian stenosis and maintain right carotid system patency. Standard stenting methods were used to perform SKS. Two self-expanding stents were implanted simultaneously into the initial segment of the right subclavian artery and the right carotid artery, forming a "Y" shape, with the overlap of the proximal segments in the innominate artery ≥5 mm. After SKS, the stenosed right subclavian artery was dilated, and the patency of the right carotid system was maintained. The symptoms of patients were relieved and the stents were intact at several months of follow-up. In conclusion, SKS of the right subclavian artery and the right carotid artery might be a safe and effective procedure when the stenotic or occlusive lesion in the initial segment of the right subclavian artery is close to the orifice, and lesions (or potential ones) exist in the right carotid system.