[Endoluminal therapy of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms: a new interventional technique].
OBJECTIVE
With a series of 31 transluminal stent-graft procedures, we assessed the feasibility and clinical effectiveness of a new stent-graft for the treatment of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs).


METHODS
We treated the patients (male; mean age 71 years) with straight or bifurcated nitinol stents covered with woven dacron graft material for infrarenal eccentric saccular AAA (n = 4) or AAA involving the bifurcation and the common iliac arteries (n = 27). The 18-F delivery system was advanced via a surgical arteriotomy and the stent-graft was placed under fluoroscopic control. Follow-up period ranged from 8 days to 9 months.


RESULTS
The implantation of the stent-grafts was technically successful in 30/31 cases. Procedure-related complications were acute hepatic failure due to gastric bleeding in a patient with liver cirrhosis, graft occlusion due to emboli originating from the left atrium (n = 1), macro-embolisation (n = 3), local haematoma (n = 1) and av-fistula (n = 1) requiring surgery. A post-implantation syndrome with leukocytosis and elevated C-reactive protein was observed in all patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Endoluminal repair of infrarenal AAA with use of dacron covered nitinol stent-grafts is feasible, safe and clinically effective. However, careful long-term evaluation is necessary.
Blum
U
U
Radiologische Klinik, Universität Freiburg.
Langer
M
M
Spillner
G
G
Beyersdorf
F
F
Buitrago-Tellez
C
C
Voshage
G
G
Weinbeck
M
M
Schlosser
V
V
Ehmer
M
M
Cragg
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000497:Alloys; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D000497:Alloys; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; C013616:nitinol