title: Endovascular stents covered with pre-expanded polytetrafluoroethylene for treatment of iliac artery aneurysms and fistulas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This report describes the early clinical experience with use of a transluminally placed endovascular graft (TPEG) covered with pre-expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to treat iliac artery aneurysms and fistulas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight patients with iliac artery aneurysms (n = 7) and common iliac artery to common iliac vein fistula (n = 1) were treated with TPEGs. The iliac artery aneurysms were either common iliac (n = 6) or hypogastric (n = 1). All of the patients had significant comorbid diseases. The TPEG devices were made with pre-expanded PTFE sutured to Palmaz stents and delivered through 10- or 12-F sheaths.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The aneurysms were successfully excluded in six of seven patients and the one iliac artery-to-vein fistula was successfully occluded. There were no immediate procedural complications related to the TPEG devices. Follow-up was limited (mean, 12 months), but no stenoses or occlusions of the TPEG devices were detected. The one failure was probably due to the marked tortuousity of the iliac artery, which prevented an adequate seal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the authors' early clinical experience, the use of TPEG devices with pre-expanded PTFE successfully treated iliac artery aneurysms and an iliac artery-to-vein fistula. Although the results are encouraging, longer follow-up is necessary to better evaluate this type of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Good Samaritan Hospital, Portland, OR 97210, USA.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Sheley
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Semonsen
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Hallin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D001164:Arteriovenous Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017543:Iliac Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D015607:Stents; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene