title: Fenestrated endografting for aortic aneurysm repair: a 7-year experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present a 7-year single-center clinical experience with fenestrated endografts and side branches.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between April 1999 and August 2006, 63 patients (57 men; mean age 70.5+/-11.6 years, range 25-89) received custom-designed Zenith fenestrated endoprostheses for a variety of aneurysms (59 abdominal, 1 thoracoabdominal, and 3 thoracic). They were all unsuitable for standard EVAR owing to short aortic necks and high risk for open surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen tube grafts and 44 composite bifurcated grafts with a total of 122 fenestrations and 58 side branches were used. Technical success was achieved in 55 (87.3%) patients and in 118 (96.7%) vessels. Treatment success was 93.7%. The mean follow-up was 23+/-18 months (median 14, range 6-77). Overall, 9 (7.4%) visceral branches were lost: 4 intraoperative, 2 perioperative, and 3 late. There were 12 (19.0%) endoleaks identified: 5 (7.9%: 4 type Ia and 1 fenestration-related type III) primary and 7 (11.1%: 4 type II, 1 type I, and 2 type III) secondary endoleaks; 4 resolved, 4 were treated, and 4 are under observation. At 77 months, 75.3% of patients were free of a reintervention. All reinterventions were performed within the first 14 months. Fourteen cases of renal impairment were seen [6 permanent (only 1 on dialysis) and 8 transient]. One (1.6%) conversion and 1 (1.6%) rupture were recorded; aneurysm-related mortality was 4.8% (3/63).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The favorable outcomes in this study, which encompasses the team's learning curve with fenestrated endografts and side branches, support the use of these devices in selected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Städtische Klinikiken, Frankfurt a.M. Höchst, Germany. Peter.Ziegler@skfh.de
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: Efthimios D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Avgerinos
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umscheid
authors.forename: Theodosios
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Perdikides
authors.forename: Wolf J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Stelter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome