title: Use of parallel grafts to save failed prior endovascular aortic aneurysm repair and type Ia endoleaks.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was the evaluation of the clinical and radiologic outcomes of parallel grafts in the treatment of patients with failed prior endovascular aneurysm repair and type Ia endoleak.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospectively collected clinical and radiologic data of consecutive patients with prior endovascular aneurysm repair and evidence of type Ia endoleak were analyzed. All patients were treated between January 2009 and November 2014 by use of parallel grafts, ie, chimney/snorkel or periscope grafts and abdominal endovascular devices. Primary outcome of the study was the technical success. Secondary outcomes were patency of the chimney grafts and shrinkage of aneurysm morphology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Technical success was 94.4% (17 of 18). One patient showed evidence of persistent type Ia endoleak after triple chimney graft placement and treated by Onyx embolization (Covidien, Plymouth, Minn) successfully. The mean preoperative and postoperative aneurysm diameters were 7.1 ± 1.7 and 7.0 ± 2 cm. Primary patency of the chimney grafts was 96.7% and assisted patency was 100% after successful retrograde recanalization of an acute occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery from the celiac trunk and the gastroduodenal artery. One patient who had undergone the sandwich technique with transfemoral placement of the flexible Viabahn (W. L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, Ariz) due to impossible catheterization of the target vessel from the upper extremity presented with contained rupture caused by gutter-associated endoleak and underwent urgent embolization with Onyx successfully. No procedure-related death or open conversion was observed in the entire follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of parallel grafts showed midterm safety and feasibility with low incidence of persistent endoleaks requiring intervention or progression of aneurysm diameter. Reproducible results from other vascular centers will establish the chimney technique in the treatment of type I endoleaks as a viable endovascular modality.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Münster, and Department of Vascular Surgery, St. Franziskus Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany. Electronic address: konstantinos.donas@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Konstantinos P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Donas
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Münster, and Department of Vascular Surgery, St. Franziskus Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany; Department of Vascular Surgery, Padua University Hospital, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Telve
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Münster, and Department of Vascular Surgery, St. Franziskus Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Torsello
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Münster, and Department of Vascular Surgery, St. Franziskus Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany; Division of Vascular Surgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pitoulias
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Münster, and Department of Vascular Surgery, St. Franziskus Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schwindt
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Münster, and Department of Vascular Surgery, St. Franziskus Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Austermann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D057867:Endoleak / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012086:Reoperation; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014654:Vascular Patency