title: Ten years' experience in endovascular repair of popliteal artery aneurysm using the Viabahn endoprosthesis: a report from two Italian vascular centers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although rare, popliteal artery aneurysms (PAAs) are the most commonly observed peripheral arterial aneurysms. Surgical repair is considered the gold standard, even if with debated results. The aim of our study is to evaluate the outcome of endovascular treatment of PAAs using the Viabahn peripheral endograft (W. L. Gore and Associates, Inc., Flagstaff, AZ) in 2 high-volume Italian centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  All consecutive PAA patients treated by endovascular procedures between January 2004 and December 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. True atherosclerotic aneurysms, symptomatic and asymptomatic, were included in the analysis. All patients were treated by high-skilled vascular surgeons. The outcome measures were graft thrombosis, reintervention rate, and limb salvage at early and long-term follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-three PAAs were treated. Patients were more frequently male (98.1%) with a mean age of 73.6 ± 7.8 years. Twelve patients (22.6%) were symptomatic and in 8 of them a local fibrinolysis was required before definitive surgery. Mean PAA diameter was 30.9 ± 10.9 mm (range 17-60). Fifty-two patients (98.1%) had at least 1 patent runoff vessel. Technical success was achieved in all patients. Overall, 80 stent grafts were deployed and in 21 patients (39.6%) more than 1 stent graft was deployed. In-hospital mortality rate and 30-day reinterventions were null. At a mean follow-up of 37.4 ± 29.3 months, primary patency, secondary patency, and limb salvage were respectively 73.6%, 92.4%, and 100%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our limited, retrospective experience, the endovascular treatment of PAA by Viabahn stent graft allowed satisfactory technical and clinical results even at long-term follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Division, Department of Surgery "Paride Stefanini", Policlinico Umberto I, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Speziale
authors.affiliation: Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Division, Department of Surgery "Paride Stefanini", Policlinico Umberto I, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: pasqualino.sirignano@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Pasqualino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sirignano
authors.affiliation: Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Division, Department of Surgery "Paride Stefanini", Policlinico Umberto I, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Menna
authors.affiliation: Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Division, Department of Surgery "Paride Stefanini", Policlinico Umberto I, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capoccia
authors.affiliation: Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Division, Department of Surgery "Paride Stefanini", Policlinico Umberto I, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Wassim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Serrao
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ronchey
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alberti
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mangialardi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D023821:Limb Salvage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012384:Rome; D015607:Stents; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency