From the Aortic Bifurcation to the Groin: Long-term Outcomes of Covered Kissing Stent Placement in Combination with Iliofemoral Reconstruction for Extensive Iliofemoral Occlusive Disease

Results of endovascular treatments of Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus C or D aortoiliac occlusive disease involving the aortic bifurcation

Objectives

The current study aims to report midterm results of patients treated with endovascular intervention, kissing stent, or covered endovascular reconstruction of the aortic bifurcation, for Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus C or D aortoiliac occlusive disease involving the aortic bifurcation.

Methods

Eighteen patients who have intermittent claudication or chronic limb threatening ischemia with Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus C or D aortoiliac occlusive disease involving the aortic bifurcation enrolled to the study between January 2018 and January 2021. Kissing stents, Advanta V12 (Atrium, Getinge Group), were used in 13 patients, and the covered endovascular reconstruction of the aortic bifurcation technique was used in 4 patients to reconstruct the aortic bifurcation. The patients were followed for a median of 49 months (min. 2, max.58 months). Patency rates, mortality, morbidities, and reinterventions were recorded.

Results

The mean age of the patients was 60.4 ± 10 years. Technical success was achieved in 94.4% of the patients, but one patient had to convert to open surgery. Primary patency rate of the remaining patients was 85.6% at 58 months. Target lesion revascularization rate was 11.7%. One patient had successful reintervention for in stent restenosis, and secondary patency rate was 93.3% at 58 months. Limb salvage rate was 84.6% during the follow-up. Two patients had myocardial infarction (11.1%) and one mortality (5.6%) occurred because of cerebrovascular event in the follow-up.

Conclusions

Endovascular techniques can be used safely for reconstruction of the aortic bifurcation in Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus C or D aortoiliac occlusive disease in selected patients who have high risk for open surgery. Covered endovascular reconstruction of the aortic bifurcation is the only technique that showed patency rates approaching open surgery in treatment of aortoiliac occlusive disease involving the aortic bifurcation to date. Although promising patency results were achieved with kissing-covered stents, long-term patency rates were still lower than those achieved with open surgery. Further randomized controlled studies comparing the long-term results of these techniques are needed.

Midterm results after covered stenting of the superior mesenteric artery

OBJECTIVE

Despite the continuing controversy of covered stents (CS) vs bare metal stents, the use of CS in mesenteric occlusive disease (MOD) has been recommended by expert centers. The aim of this study was to report midterm results with CS of the superior mesenteric artery.

METHODS

Between January 2014 and October 2019, patients with MOD with a severe atheromatous stenosis or occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery treated by mesenteric CS were included. Clinical presentation included both acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI), chronic mesenteric ischemia, and asymptomatic patients planned for major surgery. Demographics, procedure details, and follow-up data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed. Study end points included primary patency, primary assisted patency, and secondary patency.

RESULTS

During the study period, 86 patients (mean age, 70 ± 9 years; 57% males) were included. Clinical presentation was AMI (n = 42 [49%]), chronic mesenteric ischemia (n = 31 [36%]), and asymptomatic (n = 13 [15%]). The technical success rate was 97%. A total of 96 stents were implanted, including 86 proximal CS (Advanta V12, n = 73; Lifestream, n = 13). The mean length and mean diameter of the CS were 31.5 ± 6.3 mm and 6.9 ± 0.5 mm, respectively. Additional distal bare metal stents were used in 10 patients (12%) to overcome a kinking (n = 9) or a dissection (n = 1) downstream of the CS. All postoperative deaths occurred in patients with AMI (n = 11, 13%). During a median follow-up of 15.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.6 ± 3.6 months), 12 patients (14%) underwent reinterventions for either stent misplacement (n = 3), stent recoil (n = 3), stent thrombosis (n = 2), de novo stenosis at the distal edge of the CS (n = 2), or gastric ischemia (n = 1). At 1 year, overall the primary patency, primary assisted patency, and secondary patency rates were 83% (95% CI, 83% ± 9%), 99% (95% CI, 99% ± 3%), and 99% (95% CI, 99% ± 3%), respectively. At 2 years, the overall primary patency, primary assisted patency, and secondary patency rates were 76% (95% CI, 76% ± 13%), 95% (95% CI, 95% ± 8%) and 95% (95% CI, 95% ± 8%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Mesenteric CS provide very satisfactory midterm results in patients with MOD, with an excellent primary assisted patency rate at 2 years, at the price of a significant reintervention rate.