Treatment Of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Research Articles

Morphometric CT- scan study of abdominal aorta

Background: The aorta consists of an ascending segment, a transverse segment or arch, and a descending segment consisting of descending thoracic aorta and descending abdominal aorta. Material and methods: The study group included 52 patients including 32 males and 20 females of age ranging between 6 yrs to 65yrs. The patients underwent computed tomographic aortic angiographic scan for various indications, at 64-slice CT center of the Department of Radio diagnosis. Results: In the present study, we found that the diameter at the level of T12 ranged from 10mm to 28.3 mm with a mean value of 17.77± 3.48 mm. Conclusion: The knowledge of the diameters of abdominal aorta at various levels can help in effective diagnostic tool in a case of abdominal aortic aneurysm and also for the endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm by vascular endograft implantation. Such more type of study required more region wise.

Mini-Surgical Access Prevents Local Complications and Reduces Costs in Endovascular Aortic Repair

This study aims to propose a minimally invasive surgical approach to the common femoral artery in endovascular aortic repair and assess its value by a single-center retrospective study including 118 patients. Between 2017 and 2022, all patients receiving endovascular treatment for thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms in our center had the anterior wall of the common femoral artery exposed, through a 2-3cm transverse groin incision, instead of a complete surgical cutdown. We access the artery with a purse-string suture, held tight with a tourniquet. After procedure completion, we tie the purse-string closing the arteriotomy. We retrospectively analyzed the cohort of all consecutive patients treated with endovascular aortic repair in this period and recorded primary and assisted technical success, operative time, in-hospital length of stay, access failure, and access-related complications, comparing the results with the current literature. All procedures were successful, with no perioperative mortality. Primary technical success was achieved in 116 patients; 2 required adjunctive procedures. No access failure or access-related complications (thrombosis, groin hematoma, lymphocele, wound dehiscence, or infection) occurred. Two accesses required conversion to complete femoral artery exposure and endarterectomy. Operatory time and length of in-hospital stay were comparable to the outcomes of the major studies reporting on percutaneous access, saving the costs of the closure devices. Minimally invasive surgical access is safe and feasible for endovascular aortic procedures. Compared to the costs of percutaneous access found in literature, it is cost-effective. It can be chosen whenever the percutaneous approach is not feasible or at a high risk of complications.

Large abdominal aortic aneurysm presented with concomitant acute lumbar disc herniation – a case report

The purpose of this case report was to describe chiropractic management of acute lumbar disc herniation in a patient with a large abdominal aortic aneurysm. A 72-year-old male patient presented with low back pain and right lower leg numbness for 12 months. A review of full-spine X-ray and lumbar MRI revealed moderate spondylosis at L2-5, moderate lumbar scoliosis, and a 7.15 cm abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Given the minimum 2-weeks of referral waiting time to receive treatment for AAA, the patient received chiropractic treatment with a hybrid rehabilitation to address the disc herniation causing severe physical disability. Through the treatments, the patient's pain was significantly alleviated with careful consideration of potential risk factors associated with AAA. In addition, the acute disc herniation was successfully managed by a series of chiropractic treatments before and after the operation for AAA. This case supports that low back pain in patients with AAA can be managed by manual therapy, in contrast to a widespread belief that manual therapy is contraindicated in AAA. More case reports of AAA patients with low back pain are warranted to assess the effectiveness and safety of manual therapy along with surgical treatment for AAA.

Open Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in the Endovascular Era

The aim of the study was to analyse outcomes and determine the early and late complications in patients after open surgical treatment of AAA in the endovascular era. Two hundred and fourteen patients between January 2012 and December 2021 with open repair in primary infrarenal and juxtarena aneurysm in elective setting were included in the study. Pre-, intra-, and postoperative clinical data were statistically analysed. The mean age of the 214 patients was 65.5 ± 9.3 years. The mean follow-up was 22.1 ± 2.1 months. Men represented the majority of the studied group (85.5%). The mean aortic diameter was 58.2 ± 13.4. The median ICU (days) stay was 5 ± 4.9 days for infrarenal aneurysm and 6 ± 6.1 days for juxtarenal aneurysm. Four patients died within 30 days, giving an in-hospital mortality rate of 1.9%. In multivariate logistic regression, COPD (p = 0.015) was the only predictor significantly associated with the mortality. A comparison of survival and reintervention using a Kaplan–Meier curve showed no significant difference between the groups in terms of risk stratification and the groups with juxtarenal versus infrarenal aneurysms. In conclusion, open aneurysm repair is in the era of endovascular aneurysm repair, being safe and effective, especially when performed in specialised high-volume centres with large expertise.

Assessment of Quality of Life after Endovascular and Open Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair: A Retrospective Single-Center Study.

Postoperative quality of life is an important outcome parameter after treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. The aim of this retrospective single-center study was to assess and compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients after open repair (OR) or endovascular treatment (EVAR), and furthermore to investigate the effect of incisional hernia (IH) formation on HRQoL. Patients who underwent OR or EVAR for treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm between 2008 and 2016 at a University Medical Center were included. HRQoL was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire. The incidence of IH was recorded from patient files and by telephone contact. SF-36 scores of 83 patients (OR: n = 36; EVAR: n = 47) were obtained. The mean follow-up period was 7.1 years. When comparing HRQoL between OR and EVAR, patients in both groups scored higher in one of the eight categories of the SF36 questionnaires. The incidence of IH after OR was 30.6%. In patients with postoperative IH, HRQoL was significantly reduced in the dimensions “physical functioning”, “role physical” and “role emotional” of the SF-36. Based on this data, it can be concluded that neither OR nor EVAR supply a significant advantage regarding HRQoL. In contrast, the occurrence of IH has a relevant impact on the HRQoL of patients after OR.

Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Utilizing Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Porcine Model

IntroductionThe current treatment paradigm of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) focuses on observing patients until their disease reaches certain thresholds for intervention, with no preceding treatment available. There is an opportunity to develop novel therapies to prevent further aneurysmal growth and decrease the risk of a highly morbid rupture. We used a porcine model of aortic dilation to assess the ability of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to attenuate aortic dilation. Materials and methodsTwelve Yorkshire pigs received periadventitial injections (collagenase and elastase) into a 4-cm segment of infrarenal aorta. Animals were treated with either 1 × 106 MSCs placed onto Gelfoam or treated with media as a control. Aortic diameters were measured at the time of surgery and monitored at postoperative day (POD) 7 and 14 with ultrasound. Animals were sacrificed on POD 21. Aortic tissue was harvested for histopathological analyses and immunohistochemistry. Groups were compared with paired t-tests or Mann–Whitney U-tests. ResultsAll animals survived until POD 21. The mean aortic diameter was reduced in the aortic dilation + MSC treatment group compared to aortic dilation control animals (1.10 ± 0.126 versus 1.48 cm ± 0.151, P < 0.001). Aortic media thickness was reduced in the aortic dilation group compared to the aortic dilation + MSC group (609.14 IQR 445.21-692.93 μm versus 643.55 IQR 560.91-733.88 μm, P = 0.0048). There was a significant decrease in the content of collagen and alpha-smooth muscle actin and elastin perturbation in the aortic dilation group as compared to the aortic dilation + MSC group. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated an increased level of vascular endothelial growth factor, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase 1, and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase 3 expression in the aorta of aortic dilation + MSC animals. ConclusionsStem cell therapy suppressed the aortic dilation in a porcine model. Animals from the aortic dilation group showed more diseased gross features, histologic changes, and biochemical properties of the aorta compared to that of the aortic dilation + MSC treated animals. This novel finding should prompt further investigation into translatable drug and cell therapies for aneurysmal disease.

Double strengthening of the neck of the aortic aneurysmal sac

INTRODUCTION. The article presents the experience of treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms from 2011 to 2016 using the author’s technology, which contains the method of double strengthening of the neck of the aortic aneurysm, on the basis of the Department of Hospital Surgery in the Department of Vascular Surgery of the RCH of Nalchik.METHODS AND MATERIALS. According to this method, 202 patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (group I) were operated on, 116 were admitted as planned, 86 were admitted as emergency and urgent, while 183 were men and 19 were women. Without using the technique of double strengthening of the aneurysm neck, 205 patients were selected for the period from 2006 to 2011. They were included in group II. Among them, 118 were received as planned, 87 were received in special and urgent cases. The patients were examined thoroughly. CT angiography in 3-dimensional reconstruction was performed using special research methods.RESULTS. All patients were transferred to the intensive care unit after the operation. In the operative and immediate postoperative periods, among the operated patients admitted in an emergency and urgent, 19 patients with a ruptured aortic aneurysm died in group I, 23 patients – in group II. Among the planned patients, 2 in group II died from a combined severe concomitant pathology. All other patients were activated on the 2nd-3rd day, and subsequently discharged in a satisfactory condition.CONCLUSION. The advantages of the proposed method of surgical treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm are: technical simplicity of execution, double strengthening of the neck of the aneurysmal sac, tightness of the anastomosis, therefore, the reduction of intraoperative blood loss, the possibility of performing aortic prosthetics with suprarenal and renal aneurysms and weakness of the wall in the neck area in the absence of an artificial circulation apparatus.

The Ultimate Operative Protocol to Accomplish CO2-EVAR: Results From an Interventional Multicentric Study

CO2-angiography in endovascular aortic repair (CO2-EVAR) has been proposed for treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), especially in patients with chronic kidney disease and/or allergy to iodinated contrast medium (ICM). Issues regarding the standardization of the technique, such as visualization of the lowest renal artery (LoRA) and the best quality image in angiographies performed from pigtail or introducer-sheath, are still unsolved. The aim of the study was to analyze different steps of CO2-EVAR, to create an operative protocol to standardize the procedure.

Vascular Quality Initiative Assessment of Compliance with Society for Vascular Surgery Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Extracranial Cerebrovascular Disease

Compliance with the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) is associated with improved outcomes for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm. However, this has not been assessed for carotid artery disease. The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) registry was used to examine compliance with the SVS CPGs for the management of extracranial cerebrovascular disease and its impact on outcomes.

Five-Year Experience With the Zenith Fenestrated Endovascular Graft for Treatment of Juxtarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms at a Medium Volume Center

The use of fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (FEVAR) to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms involving the visceral arteries has increased worldwide with excellent results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Zenith fenestrated endovascular graft (Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN) for the treatment of juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) at a medium volume center. We performed a 5-year (2015-2020) retrospective analysis of all patients who had presented to our institution with juxtarenal AAAs and undergone FEVAR. Custom-made fenestrated stent grafts were designed with one to three fenestrations after analysis of computed tomography data sets. Renal alignment was performed with balloon-expandable stents. Follow-up included clinical examination, laboratory studies, mesenteric-renal duplex ultrasound, abdominal radiography, and computed tomography at hospital discharge, at 1, 6, and 12 months, and annually thereafter for ≤5 years. A total of 25 patients with juxtarenal AAAs had undergone FEVAR during the study period and were included in our analysis. Of the 25 patients, 18 were men and 7 were women, with a mean age of 71 ± 10 years. The mean aneurysm diameter was 60 ± 5 mm. A total of 53 visceral arteries required incorporation with fenestrations. Of these, 51 (96%) fenestrations were aligned by stents. Technical success was 100%. One intraoperative complication occurred. The patient developed bilateral common femoral artery plaque dissection and required common femoral artery endarterectomy. The mean length of hospital stay was 2.8 ± 1.5 days. No aneurysm ruptures or conversions were noted during a mean follow-up of 41 ± 15 months (range, 6-67 months). Of a total of 50 renal arteries targeted by fenestration, one renal artery occlusion (2%) and five cases of stenosis (10%) developed. Five patients (20%) required secondary interventions for renal artery stenosis or occlusion. One type I endoleak developed in 2 patients and one type II endoleak developed in 11 patients. One patient with a type II endoleak had experienced an increase in sac size at 1 year and underwent inferior mesenteric artery ligation. None of the patients died during the follow-up period. Our study has demonstrated that endovascular repair of juxtarenal AAAs with the Zenith fenestrated AAA stent graft at a medium volume center is safe and effective. Mortality and morbidity are low for properly selected patients treated at centers with experience in these procedures.

Clinical Outcomes of Physician-Modified Endograft for Thoracoabdominal Aneurysm: A Multicenter Experience

Physician-modified endografts (PMEGs) comprise an endovascular technique for treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) involving the renal and mesenteric arteries. Compared with commercially available fenestrated endografts, limited reports have documented PMEG results. This study characterized the clinical outcomes of a PMEG series to demonstrate the versatility, efficacy, and safety of PMEGs in the treatment of complex aneurysmal disease.

Long-term Outcomes Associated With Open vs Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair in a Medicare-Matched Database

Endovascular aneurysm repair is associated with a significant reduction in perioperative mortality and morbidity compared with open aneurysm repair in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm. However, this benefit decreases over time owing to increased reinterventions and late aneurysm rupture after endovascular repair. To compare long-term outcomes of endovascular vs open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm. This multicenter retrospective cohort study used deidentified data with 6-year follow-up from the Medicare-matched Vascular Quality Initiative Vascular Implant Surveillance and Interventional Outcomes Network database. Patients undergoing first-time elective endovascular or open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair from 2003 to 2018 were propensity score matched. Patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, concomitant procedures, or prior history of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, were excluded. Data were analyzed from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2018. First-time elective endovascular or open repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm. The primary long-term outcome of interest was 6-year all-cause mortality, rupture, and reintervention. Secondary outcomes included 30-day mortality and perioperative complications. Among a total of 32 760 patients (median [IQR] age, 75 [70-80] years; 25 706 [78.5%] men) who underwent surgical abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, 28 281 patients underwent endovascular repair and 4479 patients underwent open repair. After propensity score matching, there were 2852 patients in each group. Open repair was associated with significantly lower 6-year mortality compared with endovascular repair (548 deaths [35.6%] vs 608 deaths [41.2%]; hazard ratio [HR], 0.83; 95% CI, 0.74-0.94; P = .002), with increases in mortality starting from 1 to 2 years (84 deaths [4.3%] vs 126 deaths [6.7%]; HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.48-0.83; P = .001) and 2 to 6 years (211 deaths [25.8%] vs 241 deaths [30.6%]; HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.61-0.88; P = .001). Open repair, compared with endovascular repair, also was associated with significantly lower rates of 6-year rupture (117 participants [5.8%] vs 149 participants [8.3%]; HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.60-0.97; P < .001) and reintervention (190 participants [11.6%] vs 267 participants [16.0%]; HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.55-0.80; P < .001). Open repair was associated with significantly higher odds of 30-day mortality (OR, 3.56; 95% CI, 2.41-5.26; P < .001) and complications. These findings suggest that overall mortality after elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair was higher with endovascular repair than open repair despite reduced 30-day mortality and perioperative morbidity after endovascular repair. Endovascular repair additionally was associated with significantly higher rates of long-term rupture and reintervention. These findings emphasize the importance of careful patient selection and long-term follow-up surveillance for patients who undergo endovascular repair.

Abstract 300: Mangiferin Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles Protect Against The Development Of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm In Apoe–/– Mouse Model

Objective: There are no drugs to prevent the growth of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), responsible for ~200,000 deaths in the world each year. There is a growing interest in natural anti-inflammatory compounds using nanotechnology-based drug-delivery. Mangiferin (MGF) is one such phytochemical isolated from Mangifera indica. Conjugation of MGF on gold nanoparticles (MGF-AuNPs) enhances bioavailability, through cellular penetration, presenting new opportunities toward the design of innovative nanomedicine agents. Recently, we have demonstrated the unique applications of MGF-AuNPs as an immunomodulatory therapeutic agent in the treatment of metastatic breast and prostate cancers. Here, we investigated whether MGF-AuNPs prevent the development of AAA. Approach and Results: Apoe –/– mice were subjected to angiotensin (AngII; 1μg/min/kg)-induced AAA. MGF-AuNPs (~7 mg/30g mouse) or starch (S)-AuNPs were administered daily, a week prior to AngII and continued for 28 days (n=6-12 per group). The incidences of AAA were significantly attenuated with MGF-AuNPs than AngII group (P&lt;0.001), associated with a decrease in maximal intra-luminal diameter (P&lt;0.001), pulse wave velocity (P&lt;0.001), distensibility (P&lt;0.05) and radial strain (P&lt;0.05). Degradation of elastin (P&lt;0.001), pro-inflammatory cytokines (P&lt;0.01) and apoptotic cell death (P&lt;0.01) were significantly reduced in the aortae of MGF-AuNPs treated Apoe –/– mice than AngII group. Mechanistically, Notch1, its ligands (Jag1, Dll4) and downstream targets (HeyL, NFκB2, pStat3), were significantly reduced by MGF-AuNPs in the aorta (P&lt;0.01) than AngII group. In the macrophages overexpressed with activated Notch1 (NICD), MGF-AuNPs significantly diminished the expression of Jag1 (P&lt;0.001), HeyL (P&lt;0.001), Il6 (P&lt;0.001) and NFκB2 (P&lt;0.001). MGF-AuNPs also prevented the nuclear translocation of NICD and its downstream effector pStat3, in the macrophages transfected with NICD plasmid. Conclusion: Our studies provide compelling pre-clinical evidence of protective effects of MGF-AuNPs on AAA development through inactivation of Notch1 signaling, thus present realistic potential toward clinical translation of this nanoceutical for use as a non-invasive effective treatment for AAA.

Quality of Life of Patients Treated for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Open Surgery and Endoprosthesis.

Objectives: To determine the degree of long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients undergoing surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and to analyze the results according to the type of treatment, namely, open abdominal repair (OAR) or endoprosthesis (EVAR). Patients and Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional observational study. Patients receiving intervention for AAA between January 2013 and December 2020 were included. The Spanish version of the SF-36 questionnaire was used. A single survey was performed on all patients, and the time elapsed since the intervention was recorded. Results: On all health scales and in the two groups of patients, the highest scores were recorded at six months postoperatively. At that time, the EVAR and OAR groups had similar values. Between 13 and 16 months postoperatively, EVAR patients presented a transient but significant decrease in their scores for physical function (p = 0.016), vitality (p = 0.035) and social function (p = 0.041). From that moment, there were progressive decreases in the scores of the two groups of patients on all the scales of the SF-36 questionnaire, although this trend was less pronounced in the OAR group. At 60 months after the intervention, the latter group showed significantly higher values than EVAR for physical function (p = 0.01), vitality (p = 0.032) and mental health (p = 0.029). Additionally, at 60 months after the intervention, the Sum of the psychological component (MCS) and Sum of the physical component (PCS) scores were significantly higher in the OAR group (p = 0.040 and p = 0.039, respectively). Conclusions: In the short term, patients treated for AAA by EVAR or OAR showed similar results on the SF-36 questionnaire. In the long term, patients treated by EVAR had lower scores on the physical function, vitality and mental health scales.

Pseudoendoleak: A post-endovascular aortic repair ultrasound surveillance pitfall - Single institution case series.

In the context of increasingly common endovascular treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysms, endoleak is a relatively common complication of (abdominal) EVAR, and ongoing multimodality surveillance programs are recommended by expert bodies including the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS). We describe the colour doppler ultrasound (CDUS) finding defined as pseudoendoleak that may be misinterpreted as significant endoleak and may be resolved through the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Retrospective review of cases at our institution identified five cases where apparent endoleak on CDUS was not evident on CEUS, performed immediately following CDUS. Each of these five cases demonstrated interval increase in sac size at varying intervals post-EVAR, and in 4 out of 5 cases, no endoleak was demonstrated on multiple other modalities, at multiple time points. One case demonstrated an isolated type 2 endoleak at one time point, a finding that could not be reproduced. In each case, index-positive CDUS is thought to represent agitated fluid within the excluded sac that is not in continuity with the arterial blood pool as evidenced by the absence of CEUS enhancement. In cases of positive post-EVAR CDUS, CEUS is an effective tool to exclude the presence of pseudoendoleak and thus avoid further and potentially invasive diagnostic modalities in an elderly and comorbid cohort.

Endovascular Treatment of Infrarenal Aortic Aneurysm With Difficult Neck Anatomy

At present, endovascular treatment of infrarenal aortic aneurysms is the standard of care. However, worse aortic aneurysm anatomy is one of the main risk factors limiting the use of endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms and leads to endoleak type I, endograft dislocation, and an increased risk of reintervention. The aim of our study was to demonstrate our single-center experience with the Gore conformable Excluder (GCE) endograft implantation in patients with difficult abdominal aortic aneurysm neck anatomy.

EVAR With Sequential Iliac Side Branch Device to Preserve Hypogastric and Ectopic Renal Artery in Aortoiliac Aneurysm—A Case Report

Endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair (EVAR) is a well-established treatment of AAAs. When the iliac artery is involved, preservation of the hypogastric arteries has shown high technical success with low morbidity. This has become the preferred treatment when the common iliac artery is aneurysmal. An ectopic kidney is a birth defect. If the kidney remains in the pelvis, it is termed a pelvic kidney. The ectopic renal artery will originate from the common iliac artery. If the iliac artery is involved in the aneurysm, the renal artery must be revascularized to save renal function.

Features of Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms with a Horseshoe Kidney

Introduction. Reconstructive surgery of abdominal aortic aneurysms, despite significant international experience, remains one of the most complex issues of current vascular surgery, especially due to anatomical variability of arterial blood supply of the kidneys and abnormalities in their development, among which the most common is a horseshoe kidney. Features of vascularization, placement of the renal isthmus relative to the main vessels, the choice of the optimal method of abdominal aortic aneurysm reconstruction cause a high risk of surgery. The issues of open and endovascular aortic grafting, possibility of crossing the isthmus of the horseshoe kidney, feasibility of reconstruction of additional renal arteries still remain controversial.&#x0D; The aim. Improvement of the diagnosis and surgical treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms with a horseshoe kidney.&#x0D; Case presentation. In our observation, in a 61-year-old patient, by clinical examination, laboratory and diagnostic imaging the diagnosis of two infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms with a horseshoe kidney was confirmed, that has become a direct indication for surgical intervention: exclusion of infrarenal aortic aneurysms from the blood flow, abdominal aortic prosthetic grafting with reimplantation of the renal isthmus arteries into the prosthetic graft. This clinical case confirms the advantages of open surgical technique, using transperitoneal approach, which not only provided sufficient exposure of the operating area, but also allowed to perform optimal reconstruction of the abdominal aorta without crossing the functioning isthmus of the horseshoe kidney with preservation of blood flow through additional renal arteries.&#x0D; Conclusion. Careful preoperative assessment of the peculiarities of the blood supply of the horseshoe kidney with coexistent abdominal aortic aneurysms allows to optimize the tactics of surgical treatment, prevent the development of severe complications and achieve complete recovery of the patient.

Endovascular Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm With Severe Angulation of Infrarenal Aortic Neck by Gore Conformable Endograft

Introduction: The aim of the study is to report a single-center experience with the Gore Excluder conformable endograft with active control system (CEXC Device, W.L. Gore and Associates, Flagstaff, AZ, USA) in abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) with severe infrarenal neck angulation. Methods: All patients underwent EVAR with CEXC Device between September 2018 and 2020, were prospectively enrolled, and retrospectively analyzed. Anatomical details of the proximal aortic neck were evaluated. Early endpoints were the use of repositionability and angulation system, intraoperative unplanned cuff, technical success (TS), 30-day morbidity/mortality, and reintervention. Follow-up endpoints were type-I endoleaks, endograft migration, aortic neck dilatation, aneurismal sac shrinkage, survival (S), and freedom from reintervention (FFR). Results: Twenty-five patients were enrolled (median age: 80 [range = 60-90] years, median AAA diameter: 60 [range = 52-90] mm). All patients had severe infrarenal neck angulation (beta angle ≧ 60°), and 11 (44%) of those had neck beta angle ≧ 90°. Median infrarenal neck angle, length, and diameter were 70° (range = 60°-90°), 22 (range = 13-42) mm and 22 (range = 18-31) mm, respectively. Endograft repositioning system was employed in 15 (60%) cases and the median number of repositioning maneuvers was 1 (range:0-4). Active angulation system was used in 17 (68%) patients. The median proximal diameter of the main-body and oversize were 28 (range = 23-36) mm and 28% (range = 21%-38%), respectively. Proximal cuff was positioned in 1 (4%) patient. Technical success was achieved in all cases. Intraoperative and perioperative morbidity and mortality were 12% and 0%, respectively. Perioperative type-I/III and II endoleaks were observed in 0 and 4 (16%) patients, respectively. The median follow-up was 12 months (range: 3-30). One patient died at 12-month for AAA-unrelated causes. Abdominal aortic aneurysm-sac shrinkage and stability were observed in 9 (36%) and 15 (60%) cases, respectively. No type-I/III endoleak and reintervention occurred during the follow-up. One persistent type-II endoleak was observed. Estimated survival at 24 months was 92%. Conclusion: According to the present data, the CEXC Device allows an excellent rate of TS in severe angulated aortic neck. This preliminary data, could increase the rate of patients eligible for EVAR.

Long-term outcomes of endovascular aneurysm repair according to instructions for use adherence status

ObjectiveEndovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) has become the standard treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Endovascular device manufacturers have defined specific anatomic criteria for the aneurysm characteristics that should be observed as instructions for use (IFU) for specific grafts. In clinical practice, the prevalence of performing EVAR outside the IFU has been high. In the present study, we aimed to determine the effects of nonadherence to the IFU on the outcomes. MethodsPatients who had undergone EVAR for an infrarenal AAA between 2005 and 2013 were included. IFU nonadherence was defined as any violation of device-specific IFU criteria and was compared with IFU adherence. The primary outcomes were all-cause mortality, aneurysm-related mortality, AAA rupture, graft-related adverse events (GRAEs), including limb-related adverse events, and type Ia endoleaks. A second aim was to study whether the prevalence of EVAR performed outside the IFU has increased over time. ResultsA total of 258 patients were included, 144 (55.8%) of whom had been treated according to the IFU and 114 (44.2%) outside the IFU. In the IFU nonadherence group, all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.89; P = .037) and aneurysm-related mortality (HR, 5.1; 95% CI, 1.4-18.6; P = .015), and the incidence of AAA rupture (HR, 5.4; 95% CI, 1.1-26.6; P = .036) and GRAEs (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1-2.8; P = .025). No significant association was found between the incidence of type Ia endoleaks and neck-related IFU or limb-related adverse events and iliac-related IFU. However, neck length was a risk factor for type Ia endoleaks (HR, 18.2, 95% CI, 6.3-52.2; P < .001), aneurysm-related mortality (HR, 8.7; 95% CI, 1.8-41.6; P = .007), AAA rupture (HR, 21.7; 95% CI, 2.8-166; P = .003), and GRAEs (HR, 4.4; 95% CI, 2.0-9.7; P < .001). An IFU violation regarding neck angulation was also a risk factor for all-cause mortality (HR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.7; P = .032), aneurysm-related mortality (HR, 7.6; 95% CI, 1.4-42.8; P = .021), AAA rupture (HR, 79.4; 95% CI, 6.3-999; P = .001), and GRAEs (HR, 4.3; 95% CI, 1.9-9.5; P < .001). The prevalence of EVAR performed outside the IFU did not increase over time. ConclusionsPerforming EVAR outside the IFU had a negative effect on outcomes, including all-cause mortality, aneurysm-related mortality, AAA rupture, and GRAEs. Neck angulation and neck length seemed to be the most crucial aneurysm characteristics.