title: Incomplete Excluder limb graft deployment: cause and solution.
abstract: The Excluder stent graft (W.L. Gore and Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) is one of the most frequently used devices for endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair and offers the advantage of a simple and reliable deployment mechanism. We report an unexpected complication during deployment of an Excluder limb graft; the "rip cord" deployment system broke during pulling, most probably because of interference with a previously placed common iliac artery stent, thereby resulting in incomplete graft deployment. This report notes that problems may rarely arise when deploying an Excluder limb graft within already stented iliac arteries and provides technical considerations to manage such events successfully.
authors.affiliation: Vascular Division, 1st Department of Surgery, Laiko Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klonaris
authors.affiliation: Vascular Division, 1st Department of Surgery, Laiko Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: kthanassos@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsargyris
authors.affiliation: Vascular Division, 1st Department of Surgery, Laiko Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koutsoumpelis
authors.affiliation: Vascular Division, 1st Department of Surgery, Laiko Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kouvelos
authors.affiliation: Vascular Division, 1st Department of Surgery, Laiko Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Sotiris
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Georgopoulos
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D015607:Stents; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome