Endovascular stent-graft management of thoracic aortic diseases.

The traditional standard therapy for descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is open operative repair with graft replacement of the diseased aortic segment. Despite important advances in surgical techniques, anesthetic management, and post-operative care over the last 30 years, the mortality and morbidity of surgery remains considerable, especially in patients at high risk for thoracotomy because of coexisting severe cardiopulmonary abnormalities or other medical diseases. The advent of endovascular stent-graft technology provides an alternative to open surgery for selected patients with TAA. The initial experience suggests that stent-graft therapy potentially may reduce the operative risk, hospital stay and procedural expenses of TAA repair. These potential benefits are especially attractive for patients at high risk for open TAA repair. Current results of endovascular TAA therapy document operative mortalities of between 0 and 4%, aneurysm thrombosis in 90 and 100% of cases, and paraplegia as a complication in 0 and 1.6% of patients. The early success of stent-graft repair of TAA has fostered the application of these devices for the management of a wide variety of thoracic aortic pathologies, including acute and chronic dissection, intramural hematoma, penetrating ulcer, traumatic injuries, and other diseases. The results of prospective controlled trials that compare the outcomes of stent-graft therapy with those of surgical treatment in patients with specific types of aortic disease are anxiously awaited before recommendations regarding the general use of these new devices can be made with confidence.     

Endovascular Stent-Graft Repair as a Late Secondary Procedure After Previous Aortic Grafts

Thoracic and abdominal aortic endovascular procedures as alternatives to aortic reoperations were studied in three different cases. An anastomotic aneurysm after previous thoracic aortic graft for coarctation, a second-stage elephant trunk repair (descending thoracic aortic aneurysm), and a secondary aneurysm proximal to a previous abdominal aortic graft were successfully treated with endovascular stent-grafts. During the follow-up period no lethal events or major aortic or graft-related complications were observed, except a type II endoleak in the anastomotic aortic aneurysm case. An endovascular stent-graft can be safely deployed into a previously implanted vascular graft, avoiding repeat surgery.     

Endovascular treatment of late in-stent-graft dissection after thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair

Complications after endovascular repair of thoracic aortic pathologies may be devastating. We report the case of endovascular treatment of late in–stent-graft dissection after thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR). A 25-year-old man was admitted to our hospital 2 years after endovascular treatment of posttraumatic aortic pseudoaneurysm using stent-graft implantation with an acute sudden onset of ischemia in both legs with absent femoral pulses, numbness, and renal functions deterioration. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography showed an intimal flap in the distal part of the stent-graft with critical stenosis of the residual lumen. The patient was successfully treated with stent-graft implantation by way of percutaneous approach while under local anesthesia. The risk of this late complication after TEVAR should be considered during follow-up, especially in young patients with increased physical activity. Endovascular treatment can be the method of choice for these patients.     

Endovascular management of chronic type B dissecting aortic aneurysm utilizing aortic and renal stents

Over the last 10 years endovascular stent-graft placement has been increasingly used to treat complicated acute Type B thoracic aortic dissections. While studies have demonstrated the use of additional aortic stent-grafts to treat continued false lumen perfusion and case reports have detailed the use of renal artery stents to treat renal ischemia related to aortic dissection, to our knowledge the adjuvant use of renal artery stents to reduce false lumen perfusion has not been reported. We present the case of a 72-year-old male who had previously undergone endovascular repair of a complicated Type B thoracic aortic dissection and presented with an expanding false lumen in the peridiaphragmatic aorta despite coverage of the entire thoracic aorta. This was treated by closure of a right renal fenestration using a renal stent.     

Penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer of the descending thoracic aorta: Treatment by endovascular stent-Graft

Purpose: To present four cases of penetrating ulcer of the descending thoracic aorta treated by transfemoral insertion of an endoluminal stent-graft. Methods: Four patients with penetrating aortic ulcers were reviewed. Three cases were complicated by rupture, false aneurysm, or retrograde dissection. All patients were treated by endovascular stent-graft and were followed by helical computed tomography (CT). Results: Endovascular stent-graft deployment was successful in all patients. However, in one case we observed a perigraft leak that spontaneously disappeared within the first month, and two interventions were needed for another patient. Following treatment, one episode of transient spinal ischemia was observed. The 30-day survival rate was 100%, but one patient died from pneumonia with cardiac failure 34 days after the procedure. In one patient, helical CT performed at 3 months showed a false aneurysm independent of the first ulcer. This patient refused any further treatment and suddenly died at home (unknown cause) after a 6-month follow-up period. Conclusion: Transluminal placement of endovascular stent-grafts for treatment of penetrating ulcers of the descending thoracic aorta appears to be a possible alternative to classical surgery. After treatment, follow-up by CT is essential to detect possible complications of the disease.     

Penetrating aortic ulcers: diagnosis with MR imaging

The authors studied seven patients with penetrating aortic ulcers with use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. All patients were evaluated for acute chest symptoms, and the presence of aortic ulcers was confirmed by means of angiography in all seven patients. Five patients also underwent computed tomography (CT). Three patients underwent surgical repair of the thoracic aorta. MR findings included intramural hematoma and focal aortic wall ulceration in four patients, focal ulceration in one, focal intramural hematoma in one, and focal intramural hematoma with rupture in one. The diagnosis of intramural hematoma was made by the detection of increased signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted MR images. MR imaging was superior to angiography in depicting the extent of intramural thrombus, although one ulceration diagnosed at angiography was missed at MR imaging. MR imaging was superior to CT in differentiating acute intramural hematoma from atherosclerotic plaque and chronic intraluminal thrombus, although it did not depict displaced intimal calcification in one patient with extensive intramural hematoma.     

Descending thoracic aortic aneurysm: thoracic CT findings after endovascular stent-graft placement.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of thoracic computed tomography (CT) after placement of an endovascular stent-graft for the treatment of descending thoracic aortic aneurysm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1992 to 1996, 85 patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm underwent stent-graft placement. In 63 patients, thoracic CT scans were obtained both before and within 10 days after placement. The CT findings were retrospectively studied, and their clinical effect analyzed. In 20 of 63 patients, long-term follow-up CT findings were also evaluated. RESULTS: After stent-graft placement in the 63 patients, CT demonstrated an increase in pleural effusion in 46 (73%), periaortic changes in 21 (33%), perigraft leak in 13 (21%), atelectasis in six (10%), mural thrombus within the stent-graft in two (3%), and new aortic dissection in one (2%). The mean maximum diameter of the aneurysm was 58.8 mm before and 60.0 mm after stent-graft insertion. Sixty-two (98%) patients were successfully treated until discharge. Interventional procedures were performed to eliminate the leakage into the aneurysm sac in 10 patients with perigraft flow depicted at CT. Other complications were managed conservatively. CONCLUSION: Thoracic CT is useful in the treatment of patients after stent-graft insertion for the management of descending thoracic aortic aneurysm.     

Endovascular treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms: a review

Open surgical repair is considered the traditional treatment for patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA). In view of the persistent perioperative mobidity and mortality, endovascular stent-graft placement as a minimally invasive and potentially safer treatment for aneurysm of the descending aorta was introduced in 1992. Since then, progress has been made and several institutions have substantiated the safety and effectiveness of stent grafts in the repair of descending TAAs or type-B aortic dissections. Currently, both custom-designed, home-made, and commercially available stent grafts are used. Prior to placement of the endoprosthesis, three major prerequisites must be considered: the localization and morphology of the aneurysm; the distal vascular access of sufficient size; and a limited tortuosity of the abdominal and thoracic aorta. Although short-term results are encouraging, severe complications, including paraplegia, cerebral strokes, and aortic rupture, have been encountered. The long-term durability of currently available stent-graft systems is nonexistent and material fatigue are of major concern to both surgeons and radiologists. Nevertheless, endovascular stent-graft placement could become the procedure of choice in a substantial number of patients with descending TAA.     

Endovascular repair of a recurrent aortocaval fistula and anastamotic false aneurysm

Aortocaval fistula (ACF) and false aneurysm are a recognized complication of open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. Untreated they are often fatal. However, open surgical repair of this complication is associated with a high operative mortality and a significant complication rate. Endovascular management using a stent-graft to exclude the false aneurysm and fistula is a technically feasible alternative and confers many advantages over open repair by virtue of its minimally invasive nature. We report the endovascular management of this rare but serious complication of open AAA repair.     

Elective endovascular treatment of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms and chronic dissections with stent-grafts

PURPOSE: To report our experience of endovascular stent-graft placement in patients with descending thoracic aortic dissections and aneurysms and to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and clinical outcomes of the treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Stent-grafts were placed in the descending thoracic aortas of 23 patients with saccular aneurysms (n = 11) and Stanford type B chronic aortic dissections of the descending thoracic and abdominal aorta (n = 12). All stent-grafts were individually constructed of self-expandable stainless steel stents covered with polytetrafluoroethylene. Vascular access was achieved through the femoral artery in all patients. Clinical status of each patient was monitored and postoperative CT was performed within 1 month of the procedure and at 3-12-month intervals after the procedures. RESULTS: Successful exclusion of the primary entry tears of dissections and the inlets of saccular aneurysms was achieved in all but two patients with aortic dissection. The overall technical success rate was 91.3% (dissection: 10 of 12 = 83%; aneurysm: 11 of 11 = 100%). All patients in whom technical success was achieved showed complete thrombosis and significant decrease in diameter of the thoracic false lumen (preoperative: 5.3 cm +/- 0.9; postoperative: 4.3 cm +/- 0.9; P = .004) or aneurysm sac (preoperative: 5.3 cm +/- 1.7; postoperative: 2.8 cm +/- 2.5; P = .001). In addition, five patients demonstrated complete resolution of the dissected thoracic false lumen (n = 2) and aneurysm sac (n = 3). However, in all patients with aortic dissection, the abdominal aorta was not significantly changed in size (P = .302) and shape and their false lumen flows remained persistent. Immediate postoperative complications were detected in 12 patients (52%); 10 had fever, leukocytosis, and elevation of C-reactive protein, another had wound infection, and another had transient abdominal pain. Three patients died 2, 3, and 12 months after the procedure: one from septic shock, another from underlying mediastinitis, and the other from an unexplained cause. The remaining 20 patients were well after the procedure (1-9 days; mean, 3 days), without any stent-graft-related complications or discomfort (follow up period: 10-65 mo; mean: 25.1 mo +/- 15.6). The cumulative survival rate after the stent graft was 100% at 30 days and 91% at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: For treatment of aortic dissection and saccular aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta, endovascular stent-graft repair may be a technically feasible and effective treatment modality.     

Endovascular Repair of a Right-Sided Descending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Associated with a Right Aortic Arch and a Left Subclavian Artery Arising from a Kommerell’s Diverticulum

This case report describes the endovascular repair of a right-sided descending thoracic aortic aneurysm associated with a right aortic arch and an aberrant left subclavian artery. A 76-year-old male with multiple comorbidities was incidentally found to have a right-sided descending thoracic aortic aneurysm with a maximum diameter of 6.2 cm. Additionally, there was a right aortic arch with a retroesophageal segment and separate arch branches arising in the following order: left common carotid artery, right common carotid artery, right subclavian artery, and left subclavian artery that was aberrant, arising from a Kommerrell’s diverticulum. The aneurysm was successfully excluded by deployment of a Zenith TX1 36 × 32 × 20-mm stent-graft using wire traction technique via the left femoral and right brachial arteries in order to deal with two severe aortic angulations. At 18-month follow-up the patient was doing well, with aneurysm sac shrinkage to 5.9 cm and no signs of endoleak or migration. Endovascular repair of right-sided descending thoracic aortic aneurysms with a right arch and aberrant left subclavian artery is feasible, safe, and effective. In such rare configurations, which demand considerably increased technical dexterity and center experience, endovascular repair emerges as an attractive therapeutic option.     

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound for endovascular grafting in infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm in a single patient with risk factors for the use of iodinated contrast

Renal insufficiency and allergic reactions to contrast media are potential contraindications to angiography with conventional ionic iodinated contrast media in endovascular stent-graft placement. Real-time contrast medium-enhanced ultrasonographic (US) guidance of endovascular aortic repair might provide an alternative to overcome these limitations. The authors report on endovascular aortic repair in a patient with an asymptomatic infrarenal aortic aneurysm and renal insufficiency. The precise placement of the stent-graft was performed solely with contrast-enhanced US and intraprocedural angiographic fluoroscopy without the use of any nephrotoxic contrast media. At follow-up, contrast-enhanced US was used to exclude endoleaks and stent-graft failure or malposition.     

Descending thoracic aortic diseases: stent-graft repair

PURPOSE: To evaluate endovascular treatment of descending thoracic aorta with commercially available self-expanding stent-grafts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy patients with aortic dissection, intramural hemorrhage, degenerative and posttraumatic aneurysm, penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer, and pseudoaneurysm underwent endovascular treatment. Eleven patients had impending rupture and were treated on an emergency basis. Stent-grafts were customized or selected on the basis of spiral computed tomographic (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging measurements. Preprocedure diagnostic angiography was performed in patients with aortic dissection and in other selected patients. All procedures were performed in an operating room and monitored with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Follow-up was at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment and yearly thereafter. RESULTS: Stent positioning was technically successful in 68 cases. At DSA and TEE, complete aneurysm or false-lumen exclusion was achieved in 66 (97%) cases. No intraoperative mortality or complications occurred. In-hospital complications included transient monoparesis (one patient) and extension of dissection into ascending aorta (one patient) that was repaired surgically. Early endoleak was observed in five (7%) patients: In three (type 2), endoleak resolved spontaneously; in one (type 1), it was persistent; and in one (type 1), treatment was converted to surgery. At long term, one (1%) patient died of aortic rupture; another, of respiratory insufficiency. Five (7%) late endoleak (type 1, one caused by migration of the stent) cases were observed. In three (4%), endovascular treatment was successful; in two (3%), surgery was performed. In one patient with persistent postimplantation syndrome, treatment was converted to surgery after successful aneurysm sealing. Procedure failure (ie, aortic disease-related mortality or conversion to surgery) occurred in six (9%) patients. CONCLUSION: Endovascular stent-graft repair is less invasive in patients with chronic and acute descending thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Combined Interventional and Surgical Treatment for Acute Aortic Type A Dissection

Surgical repair and endovascular stent-graft placement are both therapies for thoracic aortic dissection. A combination of these two approaches may be effective in patients with type A dissection. In this study, we evaluated the prognosis of this combined technique. From December 2003 to December 2006, 15 patients with type A dissection were admitted to our institute; clinical data were retrospectively reviewed. Follow-up was performed at discharge and approximately 12 months after operation. Endovascular stent-graft placement by interventional radiology and surgical repair for reconstruction of aortic arch was performed in all patients. Total arch replacement for distal arch aneurysm was carried out under deep hypothermia with circulatory arrest; antegrade-selected cerebral perfusion was used for brain protection. Four patients concomitantly received a coronary artery bypass graft. Hospital mortality rate was 6.7%; the patient died of cerebral infarction. Neurological complications developed in two patients. Multi-detector-row computed tomography scans performed before discharge revealed complete thrombosis of the false lumen in six patients and partial thrombosis in eight patients. At the follow-up examination, complete thrombosis was found in another three patients, aortic rupture, endoleaks, or migration of the stent-graft was not observed and injuries of peripheral organs or anastomotic endoleaks did not occur. For patients with aortic type A dissection, combining intervention and surgical procedures is feasible, and complete or at least partial thrombosis of the false lumen in the descending aorta can be achieved. This combined approach simplified the surgical procedures and shortened the circulatory arrest time, minimizing the necessity for further aortic operation. Jin-Cheng Liu and Jin-Zhou Zhang contributed equally to this work.     

Interventional techniques in the treatment of aortic dissection

Acute aortic dissection continues to be one of the most catastrophic cardiovascular events. While there is a general consensus on immediate surgical repair when the ascending aorta is involved, the optimal treatment strategy for type B aortic dissection (B-AD) remains controversial. Recently, endovascular treatment with percutaneous stent-graft implantation, originally used for aortic aneurysm exclusion, has acquired an important role in the treatment of B-AD. Imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and angiography have a fundamental role in the search for the anatomic details necessary to tailor the stent graft and in evaluating the most suitable anatomy for stent graft. Transesophageal echocardiography is fundamental during the procedure to monitor the correct release of the stent graft and evaluate the result of the procedure expressed by immediate thrombosis out of the stent-graft. Again, imaging techniques, more notably CT, have a fundamental role in the postoperative followup after stent-graft placement. The risk of endoleaks may compromise the result of endovascular repair and increase the risk of aortic rupture. Several reports and a few trials attesting to technical feasibility and safety of stent-graft implantation procedures for B-AD have been reported so far. Also, a randomised trial comparing type B aortic stent-graft placement with medical therapy is currently underway. According to the investigators, new therapeutic indications are likely to emerge also in uncomplicated B-AD.     

主动脉夹层动脉瘤的血管内支架治疗

目的评价血管内支架置入治疗主动脉夹层动脉瘤的安全性和临床疗效。方法48例Stanford B型主动脉夹层动脉瘤患者行腔内修复术。所有患者在DSA下行左肱动脉穿刺插管、造影,了解主动脉真、假腔,夹层裂口及其与重要血管分支位置关系。腹股沟区纵切口显露股动脉,送入人工血管输送器至病变处,准确定位后,释放人工血管进行腔内修复。术后复查造影,观察真、假腔血液动力学变化,内脏及下肢动脉供血的改变。结果48例患者一次性成功置入人工血管支架,2例支架未能完全封堵漏口,内漏明显,手术成功率95.8%。支架置入后假腔血压下降,机体脏器缺血状况改善,临床症状好转或消失。结论支架性人工血管腔内修复术治疗主动脉夹层动脉瘤安全可行、效果明显,值得临床进一步推广。     

Salvage of endoluminal exclusion of an anastomotic arch aneurysm with a "kissing" carotid stent

Traditional open repair of thoracic aortic aneurysms remains a high-risk surgical procedure. Thoracic aneurysm stent-graft repair is evolving but has promise as a minimally invasive treatment option. Herein a case is presented of an anastomotic arch aneurysm treated with a custom-made thoracic stent-graft after a left subclavian artery-to-carotid artery transposition. Proximal extension for a type I endoleak necessitated a bailout procedure with a "kissing" left common carotid artery bare stent.     

Endovascular aortic arch reconstruction using in situ stent-graft fenestration in the brachiocephalic artery

A patient who had previously undergone retrosternal gastric tube reconstruction for esophageal cancer presented with an aortic arch aneurysm. The patient was treated with endovascular stent-graft placement without median sternotomy, followed by revascularization of the brachiocephalic trunk using percutaneous in situ graft fenestration. A 9-month follow-up examination revealed marked regression of the aneurysm with patency of the stent-graft, without any complications. This in situ fenestration technique may extend the limits of thoracic endovascular therapy for patients who are unsuitable for sternotomy or aortic side-clamping.     

Treatment of Acute Aortic Type B Dissection with Stent-Grafts

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of endoluminal stent-grafts in the treatment of acute type B aortic dissections. Methods: In five patients with acute aortic type B dissections, sealing of the primary intimal tear with an endoluminal stent-graft was attempted. Indication for treatment was aneurysm formation in two patients and persistent pain in three patients. One of the latter also had an unstable dissection flap compromising the ostium of the superior mesenteric artery. The distance from the intimal tear to the left subclavian artery was <0.5 cm in four patients, who had typical type B dissections. In one patient with an atypical dissection the distance from the primary tear to the left subclavian artery was 4 cm. This patient had no re-entry tear. Talent tube grafts (World Medical Manufacturing Cooperation, Sunrise, FL, USA) were used in all patients. Results: Stent-graft insertion with sealing of the primary tear was successful in all patients. The proximal covered portion of the stent-graft was placed across the left subclavian artery in four patients (1× transposition of the left subclavian artery). Left arm perfusion was preserved via a subclavian steal phenomenon in the patients in whom the stent-graft covered the orifice of the left subclavian artery. The only procedural complication we observed was an asymptomatic segmental renal infarction in one patient. In the thoracic aorta thrombosis of the false aortic lumen occurred in all patients. In one patient the false lumen of the abdominal aorta thrombosed after 4 weeks; in the other three patients the status of the abdominal aorta remained unchanged compared with the situation prior to stent-graft insertion. As a late complication formation of a secondary aneurysm of the thoracic aorta was observed at the distal end of the stent-graft 3 months after the primary intervention. This aneurysm was treated by coaxial insertion of an additional stent-graft without complications. Conclusion: Endoluminal treatment of acute type B aortic dissections seems to be an attractive alternative treatment to surgical repair. Thrombosis of the false lumen of the thoracic aorta can be induced if the primary tear is sealed with a stent-graft. This could protect the dissected thoracic aorta from delayed rupture.     

急性期Stanford B型主动脉夹层腔内治疗研究进展

随着胸主动脉腔内修复术（TEVAR）的广泛应用及迅速发展,腔内治疗已成为了Stanford B型主动脉夹层的一线治疗方法。腔内治疗主动脉夹层的预后除了依赖于术前个体化方案的制定和术中操作者的经验,更依赖于手术指征及时机的掌握。对于急性期复杂性B型夹层,提倡在药物治疗的基础上早期行TEVAR手术;对于急性期非复杂性B型夹层是否可行TEVAR手术仍存在争议。文章主要就急性期B型主动脉夹层行腔内治疗的研究进展进行综述。