Endovascular stent - graft treatment for blunt aortic injury.
BACKGROUND
Thoracic aortic injury resulting from blunt trauma is usually fatal and almost always associated with multiple, complex, nonaortic injuries that can adversely affect standard surgical repair of the aorta. Endovascular stent - graft treatment offers these patients a less invasive operative treatment option.


RESULTS
Between January 2002 and October 2003, 6 patients with blunt aortic injury (BAI) were treated with a stent - graft. In all cases endovascular management was selected because of associated polytrauma or comorbidities. All stent - grafts were homemade and deployed through the femoral artery with 18-20 Fr delivery sheaths. There were no cases of perioperative death, renal failure, or neurologic complication. In one patient the postoperative computed tomography scan showed proximal endoleak requiring additional balloon dilatation and stenting. No other endoleaks were observed by CT in the acute phase. None of the follow-up CT scans revealed evidence of endoleak, migration, or alteration of the stent - graft.


CONCLUSIONS
Endovascular repair for BAI is technically feasible and is an alternative to open surgery for high-risk patients.
Kato
Masaaki
M
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Saitama Medical School, Japan. katomasa@saitama-med.ac.jp
Yatsu
Shougo
S
Sato
Hiroshige
H
Kyo
Shunei
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000592:standards; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D002404:Catheterization; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D001672:Biocompatible Materials