Embolotherapy of persistent endoleaks after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm with the ancure-endovascular technologies endograft system.

PURPOSE: Endoleak is a potential complication after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). It may result in continued growth of the aneurysm and potentially result in aneurysm rupture. The authors present their experience with embolotherapy in patients with persistent perigraft flow treated with the Ancure-Endovascular Technologies endograft system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 1996 and August 1998, 54 patients underwent successful repair of AAA with use of the Ancure system. All underwent operative angiography and discharge computed tomography (CT). Follow-up included CT at 6, 12, and 24 months, and CT was also performed at 3 months if an endoleak was present on the discharge CT. Persistent endoleak was defined as perigraft flow still present on the 6-month CT. Seven of 21 initial endoleaks persisted at 6 months. Six patients returned for embolization of the perigraft space and outflow vessels including lumbar arteries and the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA). RESULTS: Five of the six patients had leaks from the proximal (n = 1) or distal attachment sites (n = 4) of the Ancure system with outflow into lumbar arteries and/or the IMA; one leak was caused by retrograde IMA flow. The six patients underwent nine embolization procedures with only one minor complication. Follow-up CT showed complete resolution of endoleak and decrease in size of the aneurysm sac in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although endoleak is commonly seen initially with the Ancure system, persistent leak occurred in 13% of the patients in the study. Persistent flow in most patients arises from a graft attachment site combined with patent outflow vessels such as the IMA or lumbar arteries. Persistent endoleaks can be effectively and safely embolized with use of a combination of coil embolization of the perigraft space and embolization of outflow vessels. Such intervention resulted in a decrease in size of the aneurysm sac.     

Inferior mesenteric artery embolization before endovascular aneurysm repair: technique and initial results

PURPOSE: To report a single center's technique and initial results in the preoperative embolization of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) before endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over a 3-year period, 102 patients at a single clinical site, including 86 men and 16 women aged 54-93 years (mean, 75 years), were found to have a patent IMA on computed tomographic (CT) angiography before EVAR. Coil embolization was performed after subselective catheterization with use of microcoils placed in the IMA proximal to the origin of the left colic artery. All patients in whom the IMA was visualized on flush aortography and successfully accessed underwent embolization. One month and 6 months after surgery, results in this cohort were retrospectively compared with those from a similar group of patients who underwent EVAR during the same period. These patients had patent IMAs on preoperative CT angiography but did not undergo embolization as a result of nonvisualization during flush aortography. All patients underwent EVAR with bifurcated modular devices with proximal transrenal fixation. All patients underwent postoperative follow-up with multiphase CT angiography to detect the presence of endoleak. Six-month follow-up data were available for 18 patients who underwent embolization and 54 patients who did not. Change in sac diameter was compared in these patients. RESULTS: Embolization was technically successful in 30 of 32 patients (94%) in whom it was attempted. There were no complications. At 1-month follow-up, five of 30 patients in the embolization group were noted to have a type II endoleak (17%). None of the endoleaks in this group were related to the IMA. The group with patent IMAs who did not undergo preoperative embolization had a 42% incidence of type II endoleak (P < .05). At 6 months after surgery, three of 18 patients who had undergone embolization (17%) had a type II endoleak, compared with 26 of 54 in the other group (48%; P < .05). Among the patients in whom 6-month data were available, mean changes in sac diameter were -5.2 mm (range, -24 to 2 mm) in the embolized group and -2.1 mm (range, -19 to 8 mm) in the nonembolized group. CONCLUSION: These initial results demonstrate that embolization of the IMA with subselective microcoils before EVAR is a safe and effective procedure to reduce the incidence of type II endoleaks. The data also suggest that preoperative embolization of the IMA is associated with greater shrinkage of aneurysm sac diameter at 6 months.     

A canine model for studying endoleak after endovascular aneurysm repair

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to create an animal model of endoleak after stent-graft placement for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in which a large aneurysmal sac would be preserved for the testing of techniques for its percutaneous occlusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Infrarenal AAAs were created in nine dogs by anastomosis of an isolated segment of the inferior vena cava to the right side of the abdominal aorta in combination with a large anterior patch from the external jugular vein. One hour later, animals underwent percutaneous implantation of polytetrafluoroethylene-covered Z stent endografts with three 3-mm-diameter holes through the fabric. Aortograms were obtained before and after surgery, after endograft placement, and at the time of animal sacrifice at 1 week or 1, 2, 3, or 6 months. Pressures within the aorta and the aneurysm sac were recorded before animal sacrifice. Gross and histologic evaluations of the specimens were then carried out. RESULTS: Immediately after endograft placement, all nine animals had artificial type III endoleaks with angiographic filling of lumbar arteries and veins. One animal died of surgical complications within 2 days of surgery and is not included in our data analysis. One aneurysm ruptured at 1 week. At completion of the study, six endografts were patent and two were occluded. The aneurysm sac had enlarged by approximately 50% in seven animals. At follow-up, type I endoleak was present in three animals, type II endoleak was present in three, and the artificial type III endoleak was present in all six animals with patent endografts. The pressure differential between aorta and aneurysm sac was 36 mm Hg, with a mean aortic pressure of 87 mm Hg +/- 13.3 and a mean aneurysmal sac pressure of 51 mm Hg +/- 28.1. The aneurysmal sac exhibited early thrombus formation at 1 week, which progressed to complete thrombosis in 1-6 months. CONCLUSIONS: The model is technically feasible but would be useful in testing occlusive techniques for residual aneurysm sacs only in the acute phase after endograft placement. It would be not reliable for chronic evaluation because of rapidly progressive thrombosis in most aneurysm sacs and occasional complete thrombosis of the AAA and endograft.     

Inferior mesenteric artery as outflow vessel in endoleaks after abdominal aortic stent-graft implantation: 36-month follow-up CT study

The aim of this study was to determine the role of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) as an outflow vessel in endoleaks after abdominal aortic stent-graft implantation. Forty consecutive patients in whom abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) had been treated with stent-graft implantation were evaluated retrospectively. Spiral-CT examinations and angiographies up to 36 months after implantation were analyzed. In 29 (73%) of the 40 patients the IMA was perfused prior to implantation. In 5 (17%) of these 29 cases, the artery remained perfused after stent-graft insertion. In all 5 cases, endoleaks were detected; however, in none of these cases was the IMA the sole cause. In 3 of these 5 cases, angiography showed antegrade flow in the IMA. Implantation of extension stent grafts caused thrombosis of the aneurysmal sac and the IMA. There were no secondary endoleaks caused by the IMA at the 36-month follow-up examinations. The majority of IMAs which are patent prior to intervention occlude after successful stent-graft insertion. In cases with leaks and angiographically proven antegrade flow in the IMA, implantation of extension stent grafts is a therapeutic alternative to embolization. In this study, the IMA was not responsible for secondary endoleaks.     

Effects of Antithrombotic Therapy on Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Sac Size after Endovascular Repair in Patients with Favorable Neck Anatomy

PurposeTo evaluate the influence of antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy on sac behavior after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).Materials and MethodsThis study retrospectively analyzed data from patients with favorable neck anatomy who underwent EVAR between 2007 and 2019. Patients with ruptured AAA and ≤1 year of sac behavior evaluation were excluded. Sac shrinkage after 1 year, persistent type II endoleak, and late sac expansion were examined.ResultsIn total, 182 patients with favorable neck anatomy were included in this study. A multivariable analysis identified an occluded inferior mesenteric artery (IMA; P = .049), the presence of a posterior thrombus (P = .009), and no antiplatelet therapy (P = .012) as factors positively associated with sac shrinkage at 1 year. Persistent type II endoleak was detected in 56 (30.8%) patients, with patent IMA (P = .006), the lack of a posterior thrombus (P = .004), the number of patent lumbar arteries (P = .004), and antiplatelet therapy (P = .039) being identified as significant risk factors. The multivariable analysis identified a larger initial AAA diameter (P < .001), the lack of a posterior thrombus (P = .038), and antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapies (P = .038 and P = .003, respectively) as risk factors for late sac expansion.ConclusionsAfter EVAR in patients with favorable neck anatomy, antiplatelet therapy is associated with the lack of sac regression at 1 year, whereas antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapies are risk factors for late sac expansion.     

瘤体动脉分支与腹主动脉瘤腔内隔绝术后Ⅱ型内漏的关系

目的 明确瘤体动脉分支和腹主动脉瘤(AAA)腔内隔绝术(EVE)后Ⅱ型内漏之间的关系。方法 回顾性分析8例行EVE出现Ⅱ型内漏的AAA患者的临床资料。结果 所有患者瘤体上均有数目不等的通畅的动脉分支，术中并发即时性内漏。结论 瘤体上通畅的动脉分支是Ⅱ型内漏发生的主要原因，术后根据瘤径的变化采用相应的动脉栓塞治疗以防止动脉瘤继发性破裂。     

Resolved Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Following Stent Graft Treatment: A Report of Five Cases

Complete aneurysm resolution is the hallmark of successful endoluminal stent-graft treatment. We describe 5 patients in whom an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) disappeared completely at mid-term follow-up after endovascular stent-graft placement. We reviewed 45 patients (43 men and 2 women) who underwent AAA repair using an endovascular technique, from April 1997 to December 2001. Mean AAA diameter was 58.3 mm. On 48-month follow-up, 12 aneurysms had not changed in size, 4 had grown, 16 had shrunk, and 5 had resolved completely. We describe these 5 patients in detail. The 5 patients were all men, mean age 68 years; their mean aneurysmal sac diameter was 54 mm. The only common finding in all of them was patency of lumbar and inferior mesenteric arteries at pre-procedure evaluation as well as at follow-up. Mean time to complete resolution was 18 months. No major complications were encountered. AAA may resolve completely after endovascular stent-graft implantation. Patent side branches may perhaps contribute to AAA disappearance by antegrade flow. A larger patient population should be reviewed, however, before any statistical conclusion can be drawn.     

Endoleaks after endovascular repair of aortic aneurysm: are they predictable?-initial results

PURPOSE: To evaluate the predictability of endoleak. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen women and 60 men (mean age, 69.8 years) underwent transfemoral insertion of endoluminal stent-grafts for treatment of aortic aneurysms. Follow-up included helical computed tomography (CT) at 3-month intervals. In the cases of endoleak, angiography also was performed to document the number of leak sites, their size and position, the feeding artery, the size of the aneurysm, the amount of thrombus, and the visualization of the lumbar arteries and inferior mesenteric artery. These data were correlated (Student t test) with the probability of endoleak. RESULTS: A total of seven (10%) endoleaks were identified at CT in 68 patients. The feeding vessels were lumbar arteries in three cases, the inferior mesenteric artery in three cases, and the median sacral artery in one case. Of all factors, only the number of lumbar arteries visualized preoperatively (P <.005) had a significant correlation with probability of endoleak. In 71% (five of seven patients) of the cases of lumbar endoleak, four lumbar arteries were patent, whereas among the 61 patients with successfully repaired aneurysm, only eight (13%) had four patent lumbar arteries. Endoleaks were never found in the primarily thrombosed sections of an aneurysm. CONCLUSION: Prediction of endoleaks with absolute certainty remains elusive. The single correlating risk factor identified from the data was patency of four or more lumbar arteries visualized preoperatively at CT.     

Translumbar repair of a type II endoleak associated with an aorta-to-left renal vein fistula after aortic stent-graft placement

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a serious medical condition with significant associated morbidity and mortality. Endograft repair of AAAs is a therapy in evolution, but offers promise as a minimally invasive treatment option. Persistent sac pressurization via endoleaks has limited wider application of stent-grafting technology. The present report describes a case of an AAA with rupture into a retroaortic left renal vein that was treated acutely with aortic stent-graft repair. Continued aneurysm enlargement and a large type II endoleak drained by an arteriovenous fistula were subsequently treated via a translumbar approach.     

腔内隔绝术治疗腹主动脉瘤(附2例报告)

目的：探讨腔内隔绝术治疗腹主动脉瘤（AAA）的方法、疗效、并发症及存在的问题。方法：2例高龄、多病并存的AAA患者在全订及动脉造影的监控下，植入血管内支架－聚酯移植物复合体，对AAA进行腔内隔绝术。结果：术后定期复查彩超、CT及血管造影显示支架通畅，无移位、扭曲、支架外壁与瘤腔间充满血栓，未发现搏动的肠系膜下动脉及腰动脉，未发现渗漏。AAA外径无变化。患者腹部搏动性肿块消失。结论：腔内隔绝术治疗AAA避免了外科手术的各种缺点，具有简便、安全、疗效确定等优点。     

Outcomes of Preventive Embolization of the Inferior Mesenteric Artery during Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

PurposeTo evaluate the impact of preemptive inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) embolization on outcomes of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair (EVAR).Materials and MethodsFrom January 2015 to July 2017, all patients undergoing elective EVAR or fenestrated EVAR (F-EVAR) for asymptomatic AAA in a single tertiary hospital were retrospectively included. Three groups of patients were defined: patients with a patent IMA who underwent embolization during EVAR/F-EVAR (group 1), those with a patent IMA who did not undergo embolization during EVAR/F-EVAR (group 2), and those with a chronically occluded IMA (group 3). Preoperative aortic morphology, demographics, and procedural details were recorded. Aneurysmal growth (≥5 mm), reintervention, and overall mortality rates were analyzed using multivariate proportional hazard multivariate modeling. Propensity scores were constructed, and inverse probability weighting was applied to a new set of multivariate analyses to perform a sensitivity analysis.ResultsA total of 266 patients (male, 95% [n = 249]) with a median age of 70 (65–77) years were included, with F-EVAR procedures comprising 87 (32.7%) of the interventions. There were 52, 142, and 72 patients in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Changes in aneurysmal sac size did not differ between groups, nor did overall survival or reintervention rates at 24 months. IMA embolization was not identified as an independently protective factor for aneurysmal growth during follow-up (relative risk [RR] = 2.82/mm [0.96–8.28], P = .060), whereas accessory renal arteries (RR = 5.07/mm [1.72–14.96], P = .003) and a larger preoperative aneurysmal diameter (RR = 1.09/mm [1.03–1.15], P = .004) were independent risk factors for sac enlargement.ConclusionsPreventive embolization of the IMA during EVAR or F-EVAR did not promote aneurysmal sac shrinking or decrease the reintervention rate at 2-year follow-up.     

Endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms--6 years of experience with Ella stent-graft system

PURPOSE: Evaluation of 6-year results of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) treatment by Ella stent-grafts with regard to safety and effectivity in relation to morphology of the aneurysm. METHODS: From a group of 172 patients with AAA, in whom elective endovascular treatment was considered, 120 of them (69.8%) were found to be suitable for this type of therapy. The bifurcated type of stent-graft was implanted in 97 patients, uniiliacal type in 19 patients and only four patients were found to be suitable for tubular type of stent-graft. Additional necessary procedures (internal iliac artery occlusion or contralateral common iliac artery occlusion in a group of patients with uniiliacal type of stent-graft) were performed surgically during the stent-graft implantation. CT and US controls were performed at 3, 6 and 12 months after implantation, later every 12 months. RESULTS: Primary technical success was achieved in 109 of the 120 patients (91%). Primary endoleak was recorded in 11 patients (primary endoleak type Ia in seven patients, type Ib in three patients and type IIIa in one patient). Assisted technical success after reintervention or spontaneous seal was 98.3%. Surgical conversion was indicated in two patients (1.7%). Perioperative mortality rate was 3.3%. Total average follow-up period was 20.7 months (range from 2 to 60 months). In nine patients (7.5%) secondary endoleak type II was found at control CT or US, in three patients partial thrombosis of the stent-graft was found. There was no aneurysm rupture during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Treatment of AAA with Ella stent-graft system is effective and safe. Bifurcated stent-graft is the most frequently used type. Uniiliacal type of stent-graft is used by us only in cases of complicated morphology.     

Endovascular Treatment of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm with Aortocaval Fistula

Aortocaval fistula (ACF) is a rare complication of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). We report the endovascular repair of an AAA rupture into the inferior vena cava. A 78-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for acute hypotension. She presented with a pulsatile abdominal mass and became rapidly anuric. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed an AAA rupture into the inferior vena cava. The features of the AAA made it suitable for endovascular repair. To prevent pulmonary embolism caused by the presence of sac thrombosis near the vena cava lumen, a temporary vena cava filter was deployed before the procedure. A bifurcated stent-graft was placed with the patient under local anaesthesia, and the AAA was successfully treated. A transient type II endoleak was detected on CT 3 days after endograft placement. At routine follow-up 6 and 12 months after the procedure, the patient was in good clinical condition, and the type II endoleak had sealed completely. Endovascular treatment offers an attractive therapeutic alternative to open repair in case of ACF; however, only small numbers of patients have been treated, and long-term follow-up interval is lacking.     

Preoperative Inferior Mesenteric Artery Embolization before Endovascular Aneurysm Repair: Decreased Incidence of Type II Endoleak and Aneurysm Sac Enlargement with 24-month Follow-up

PurposeTo review the effect of preoperative embolization of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) before endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) on subsequent endoleaks and aneurysm growth.Materials and MethodsBetween August 2002 and May 2010, 108 patients underwent IMA embolization before EVAR. Coil embolization was performed in all patients in whom the IMA was successfully visualized and accessed during preoperative conventional angiography. In this cohort, the incidences of type II endoleak, aneurysm sac volume enlargement at 24 months, and repeat intervention were compared with a group of 158 consecutive patients with a patent IMA on preoperative computed tomography angiography but not on conventional angiography, who therefore did not undergo preoperative embolization.ResultsThe incidence of type II endoleak was significantly higher in patients not treated with embolization (49.4% [78 of 158] vs 34.3% [37 of 108]; P = .015). The incidence of secondary intervention for type II endoleak embolization was also significantly higher in those who did not undergo embolization (7.6% [12 of 158] vs 0.9% [one of 108]; P = .013). At 24 months, an increase in aneurysm sac volume was observed in 47% of patients in the nonembolized cohort (21 of 45), compared with 26% of patients in the embolized cohort (13 of 51; P = .03). No aneurysm ruptures or aneurysm-related deaths were observed in either group. One patient in the embolization group developed mesenteric ischemia and ultimately died.ConclusionsPreoperative embolization of the IMA was associated with reduced incidences of type II endoleak, aneurysm sac volume enlargement at 24 months, and secondary intervention.     

Predictive Value of Preprocedural Computed Tomography Angiography for the Technical Success of Transarterial Embolization of Type II Endoleaks Arising from the Lumbar Arteries

PurposeTo evaluate the ability of preprocedural computed tomography angiography (CTA) to predict the technical success of embolization of type II endoleak arising from a lumbar artery after endovascular aortic repair (EVAR).Materials and MethodsAll patients at a single academic institution who underwent angiography with possible embolization for a post-EVAR lumbar-supplied type II endoleak from 2009 to 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who did not undergo CTA before the procedure were excluded. CTAs were reviewed for the ability to trace the entire course of a feeding vessel from the internal iliac artery (IIA) to the lumbar artery at the site of the endoleak. Procedural imaging was reviewed for technical success, defined as the catheterization and embolization of the aneurysm sac through a lumbar artery.ResultsFifty-seven angiograms with a type II endoleak and suspected feeding lumbar artery were identified. On CTA acquired before the procedure, the arterial path supplying this lumbar artery could be traced from the IIA to the aneurysm sac in 18 (32%) patients. Embolization was technically successful in 16 of these 18 (89%) procedures compared with 10 of 39 (26%) procedures in which the supplying artery could not be traced using CTA (P < .001).ConclusionsA potential catheter path from the IIA through the iliolumbar and lumbar arteries to the aneurysm sac can be traced on preprocedural CTA in the minority of lumbar-supplied type II endoleaks. The ability to trace these inflow vessels may predict technical success during embolization. The low rate of technical success when the feeding vessel could not be traced using CTA suggests that these patients should be considered for percutaneous or transcaval sac puncture.     

Type I and collateral flow in experimental aneurysm models treated with stent-grafts

PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of a collateral branch on the evolution of type I leaks after endovascular aneurysm repair in an experimental model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bilateral aneurysms were constructed in the common iliac arteries of 12 dogs by using venous patches. A collateral branch was added on one aneurysm on one side by implantation of the sacroiliac trunk on the sac. Balloon-expandable stent-grafts were implanted 2 months later. In six dogs, type I endoleaks were created on the side with the collateral branch by using plastic deformation of the stent-graft (group 1). Stent-grafts were fully expanded on the contralateral side in the same dogs (group 2, control group). In the remaining six dogs, type I endoleaks were created on the side without the collateral branch (group 3), and stent-grafts were fully expanded on the side with the collateral branch, creating a type II endoleak (group 4). Follow-up imaging was performed with Doppler ultrasonography and angiography until the animals were sacrificed at 3 months. Leaks were classified as major, moderate, or absent with use of findings at imaging and pathologic examinations. RESULTS: No endoleaks were observed in group 2 (control group). Endoleaks were persistent in 83% of aneurysms in groups 1 (5/6 type I), 3 (5/6 type I), and 4 (5/6 type II). Type I leaks were major in three of six cases when associated with a collateral branch (group 1) and moderate when they were not (group 3; P < .05). Before sacrifice, larger aneurysmal diameters were observed only in group 1 (110% +/- 18) as compared with control group 2 (85% +/- 12) (P < .05). CONCLUSION: More prominent leaks and larger aneurysms are observed when a collateral branch is associated with a type I endoleak.     

Aortic side branch embolization before endovascular aneurysm repair: incidence of type II endoleak

PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility of embolization of aortic side branches and its impact on the incidence of type II endoleak after endovascular aneurysm repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Endovascular aneurysm repair was performed in 74 patients. Aortic side branch vessels were evaluated on the preoperative angiogram and computed tomography (CT) and, where embolization of lumbar and inferior mesenteric vessels was considered technically possible, this was attempted prior to endovascular repair. Follow-up CT was used to assess the presence of type II endoleak. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients were followed up for longer than 1 month. Embolization was attempted in 25 cases, successfully in 10, with partial success in 11, and failure in four. Twenty patients with successful or partly successful preoperative embolization were discharged and followed-up. Four (20%) had demonstrable type II endoleak during follow-up, with two of these persisting at latest follow-up. Of 43 patients without previous embolization, there were 10 (23.3%) type II endoleaks during the follow-up period, four of these persisting. In cases with type II endoleak, mean sac diameter change was -0.5 mm in the cases with previous embolization and +3.1 mm without. The mean period to onset of type II endoleak was 6.9 months without, and 15.3 months with, previous embolization. CONCLUSION: Although the cohort size is below a level that would confer significance, the trend of these findings is such as to suggest a lack of influence of aortic side branch embolization on the incidence of type II endoleak during the follow-up period.     

The Endovascular Management of Iliac Artery Aneurysms

Background: Isolated aneurysms of the iliac arteries are uncommon. Previously treated by conventional surgery, there is increasing use of endografts to treat these lesions. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy, safety, and durability of the stent-grafts for treatment of iliac artery aneurysms (IAAs). The results of endografting for isolated IAAs over a 10-year period were analyzed retrospectively. The treatment methods differed depending on the anatomic location of the aneurysms. Twenty-one patients (1 woman, 20 men) underwent endovascular stent-graft repair, with one procedure carried out under emergency conditions after acute rupture. The mean aneurysm diameter was 4.6 cm. Results: The procedural technical success was 100%. There was zero 30-day mortality. Follow-up was by interval CT scans. At a mean follow-up of 51.2 months, the stent-graft patency rate was 100%. Reintervention was performed in four patients (19%): one patient (4.7%) with a type I endoleak and three patients (14.3%) with type II endoleaks. Conclusion: We conclude that endovascular repair of isolated IAAs is a safe, minimally invasive technique with low morbidity rates. Follow-up results up to 10 years suggest that this approach is durable and should be regarded as a first treatment option for appropriate candidates.     

Early Enlargement of Aneurysmal Sac and Separation of EndoBags of Nellix Endovascular Aneurysm Sealing System as Signs of Increased Risk of Later Aneurysm Rupture

Nellix Endovascular Aneurysm Sealing (EVAS) system is a new concept and technology of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. Elective EVAS using Nellix device was performed for a 83-year-old man with AAA. 2-month post-EVAS CTA surveillance demonstrated mild enlargement of aneurysmal sac and separation of the EndoBags, but without detectable endoleak. The patient developed sudden AAA rupture with retroperitoneal hematoma at about 4 months after EVAS. We postulated that early enlargement of aneurysmal sac and separation of EndoBags of Nellix devices after EVAS, even without detectable endoleak, might indicate significant aneurysmal wall weakening with increased risk of later AAA rupture. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this was the first reported case of aortic rupture after EVAS without detectable endoleak during and after the procedure.     

Combined Laparoscopic and Percutaneous Treatment of a Type II Endoleak Following Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

We describe a novel approach in treating a persistent type II endoleak related to the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) and the lower lumbar arteries. The endoleak failed to thrombose following percutaneous IMA coil embolization. We proceeded to one-stage laparoscopic IMA division and intra-sac thrombin injection under direct laparoscopic vision and fluroscopy. A CT scan at 1 and 7 months post-intervention showed no evidence of endoleak and the growth of the aneurysm was arrested. This combined laparoscopic and percutaneous approach may be a useful treatment option in the management of persistent complex type II endoleak. Its durability, however has yet to be defined.