Type III endoleak from a thoracic aortic stent-graft.
OBJECTIVE
To present an as yet unreported late complication of an Excluder thoracic endograft.


METHODS
A 78-year-old man underwent surgery for a ruptured type V thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm in 1996. Four years later, an aneurysm was detected in the proximal thoracic aorta and repaired with 2 Excluder endoprostheses. At 12 months, computed tomography showed an increase in the aneurysm sac diameter and a type III endoleak, which was traced to a hole in the stent-graft fabric on arteriography. No fracture of the metal components was detected in the stent-grafts. Another Excluder device was implanted within the distal endograft. Satisfactory exclusion of the leak has been maintained for 6 months.


CONCLUSIONS
The risk of type III leaks must be minimized before stent-grafting can be regarded as a routine procedure in the treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms.
Lange
Conrad
C
Department of Surgery, St. Olav's Hospital, University Hospital of Trondheim, Norway. conrad.lange@rit.no
Ødegård
Asbjørn
A
Lundbom
Jan
J
Hatlinghus
Staal
S
Myhre
Hans O
HO
D000368:Aged; D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000601:surgery*; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D015607:Stents