title: Mid-term results of endovascular treatment for descending thoracic aorta diseases in high-surgical risk patients.
abstract: We report the initial experience of two cardiovascular surgery centers in the treatment of descending thoracic aorta lesions with covered stent grafts in high-surgical risk patients. From April 1999 to November 2004, 54 patients, mean age 64 years (range 16-83), were treated by stent graft for a lesion of the descending aorta (degenerative aneurysms n = 22, aortic dissections n = 12, chronic post traumatic aneurysms n = 5, anastomotic false aneurysms n = 2, penetrating ulcers n = 4, intramural hematomas n = 5, traumatic rupture n = 4), with 42.6% treated on an emergency basis. Three devices were used: Talent (n = 49), Excluder (n = 4), and Zenith (n = 1). In three patients, combined surgery of the proximal aorta was performed. Prior bypass of the left supra-aortic arteries was performed in four patients. The follow-up was clinical and radiological (plain chest film and computed tomographic scan) at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months and yearly thereafter. The stent graft was successfully deployed in all cases. Two early deaths related to the stent graft (one migration and aortic rupture and one stroke) and one related to adult respiratory distress syndrome occurred. Morbidity was 16.6% (iliac access damage n = 4, groin reintervention n = 3, transient ischemic attack n = 1, tamponade n = 1). The follow-up was 100% complete (mean 22.8 months, range 3-51). Fifteen primary endoleaks (type I n = 6, type II n = 8, type III n = 1) and one secondary endoleak were reported. They were treated by additional stent graft (n = 7) and elective surgical conversion (n = 1). Six endoleaks resolved spontaneously at 6 months, and two are being monitored. Twelve endoleaks (75%) occurred in patients treated for degenerative aneurysms. Freedom from secondary reintervention was 81.3% at 3 years. Two transient paraparesias were observed at 3 and 18 months. Of the 13 deaths observed during the follow-up, only one was related to the stent graft. Actuarial survival at 12 and 24 months was 90.0% and 75.4%, respectively. Mortality results are encouraging in this specific cohort of high-surgical risk patients. A new kind of morbidity is observed, related to endoleaks, whose necessary management could hinder the durability of the technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic, Cardiac and Vascular Surgery, Pontchaillou Hospital, Rennes, France. jean-philippe.verhoye@chu-rennes.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Verhoye
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Latour
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Heautot
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vola
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Langanay
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Corbineau
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leguerrier
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Barral
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Favre
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017130:Angioplasty / Q000009:adverse effects; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012086:Reoperation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome