Endovascular aneurysm repair with Zenith graft. Complications caused by leg extensions.
OBJECTIVE
A large amount of Zenith endovascular stent complications is due to problems with the leg extensions. This kind of complication has never been reported in literature. The aim of this study was to monitor the complications of endovascular abdominal aneurysm repair (EVAR) performed with the Zenith endovascular graft occurred in the Amphia Ziekenhuis in Breda to see how many recurrences were due to leg extension.


METHODS
The study enrolled all patients (N.=66) treated with the Zenith endograft in the period between October 2000 and September 2006. Mortality, complications and the number of reinterventions were analysed. Average age of the patients was 73.4 years, average follow-up was 24.5 months and average aneurysm size was 61.5 mm. Radiologic follow-up was performed by computed tomography scans and X-rays.


RESULTS
Postoperative mortality rate was 0%. The overall mortality rate during follow-up was 3%. Ten patients required a total number of 12 reinterventions (15%). The average time for reintervention was 10 months after the primary operation. Mortality, complication and reintervention rates were comparable with those reported in the literature, but 75% of these reinterventions were related to the leg extensions.


CONCLUSIONS
Authors observed that nine out of 12 complications which required reintervention were due to problems with one of the leg extensions. This is the first study that specifies clearly the percentage of problems with leg extensions in EVAR (75%). When placing a Zenith endovascular graft extra attention should be paid to optimal placement of the leg extensions.
Van Bindsbergen
L
L
Department of Surgery, Amphia Ziekenhuis, Breda, The Netherlands.
Dolmans
D E J G J
DE
Geenen
G P J
GP
De Groot
H G W
HG
Ho
G H
GH
Vos
L D
LD
Van der Waal
J C H
JC
Van der Laan
L
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation; D015607:Stents; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed