title: Endovascular treatment of aneurysms of the popliteal artery by a covered endoprosthesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current gold standard of popliteal artery aneurysm (PAA) treatment is saphenous vein bypass grafting. The aim of this retrospective single-center study is to investigate the safety and efficacy in the treatment of PAA by an endovascular implanted covered endoprosthesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten patients, mean age 64.6 (range, 52-78) years, with PAA were treated with an expanded Polytetrafluoroethylen (ePTFE)-covered stent graft (Viabahn(®), W.L. Gore and Associates Inc, Flagstaff, AZ, USA). In median, 1.4 prostheses were implanted with a median length of 180 mm. Follow-up visits included determination of ankle-brachial index (ABI) and color-coded duplex sonography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The technical success rate was 100% (10/10). Clinically, there was an increase in ABI from 0.62 ± 0.17 to 0.91 ± 0.15 postinterventionally and to 0.89 ± 0.16 after an average follow-up of 24.7 months. During the follow-up period, 2 (20%) stent occlusions occurred; both of them were treated with a bypass graft.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The treatment of PAA with covered endoprosthesis is a safe and effective alternative to open surgical therapy, where open surgical therapy is contraindicated or patient refused open surgery.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology/Neuroradiology, Westkuestenklinikum Heide, Academic Teaching Hospital of the Universities of Kiel, Luebeck and Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wissgott
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology/Neuroradiology, Westkuestenklinikum Heide, Academic Teaching Hospital of the Universities of Kiel, Luebeck and Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lüdtke
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Asklepios Klinik Nord-Heidberg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hendryk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vieweg
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology/Neuroradiology, Westkuestenklinikum Heide, Academic Teaching Hospital of the Universities of Kiel, Luebeck and Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scheer
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Angiology, Klinikum Arnsberg, Arnsberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lichtenberg
authors.affiliation: Institute of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Westkuestenklinikum Heide, Academic Teaching Hospital of the Universities of Kiel, Luebeck and Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schlöricke
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology/Neuroradiology, Westkuestenklinikum Heide, Academic Teaching Hospital of the Universities of Kiel, Luebeck and Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Reimer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andresen
keywords: aneurysm; endoprosthesis; popliteal artery