Abdominal aortic aneurysms: preliminary technical and clinical results with transfemoral placement of endovascular self-expanding stent-grafts.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate treatment of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with a new endoluminal stent-graft.


METHODS
In 26 male patients, straight or bifurcated nitinol stents covered with woven Dacron graft material were implanted to treat eccentric saccular AAA (n = 3) or AAA involving the bifurcation and common iliac arteries (n = 23), with follow-up from 8 days to 8 1/2 months.


RESULTS
Implantation was technically successful in all but one of the 26 (96%) patients (leak of the stent-graft for more than 3 months necessitated implantation of an additional covered stent). In seven of the 26 patients, minor residual perfusion persisted immediately after implantation, but complete thrombosis occurred within 7 days. Five procedure-related complications occurred: distal embolization (n = 2); local hematoma, which necessitated surgery (n = 1); acute hepatic failure due to gastric bleeding, in a patient with liver cirrhosis (n = 1); and stent-graft occlusion due to emboli originating from the left atrium (n = 1).


CONCLUSIONS
Exclusion of AAA from circulation was feasible, safe, and clinically effective with the new stent-graft.
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany.
U
U
Blum
M
M
Langer
G
G
Spillner
C
C
Mialhe
F
F
Beyersdorf
C
C
Buitrago-Tellez
G
G
Voshage
C
C
Düber
V
V
Schlosser
A H
AH
Cragg
D000368:Aged; D000497:Alloys; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001027:Aortography; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D015607:Stents
D000497:Alloys; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; C013616:nitinol