Type II endoleaks after fenestrated/branched endografting for juxtarenal and pararenal aortic aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: Persistent type II endoleaks (pEL2s) are not uncommon after endovascular aneurysm repair and their impact on long-term outcomes is well-documented. However, their occurrence and natural history after fenestrated/branched endografting (F/B-EVAR) for juxtarenal and pararenal aneurysms (J/P-AAAs) have been scarcely investigated. Aim of this study was to report incidence, risk factors, and natural history of pEL2 after F/B-EVAR in J/P-AAAs. METHODS: Between 2016 and 2022, all J/P-AAAs undergoing F/B-EVAR were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. EL2 were assessed at the completion angiography, at 30 days and after 6 months as primary outcomes. Preoperative risk factors for pEL2, follow-up survival, freedom from reinterventions (FFR) and aneurysm shrinkage (≥5 mm) were considered as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Of 132 patients, there were 88 (67%) JAAAs and 44 (33%) PAAAs. Seventeen EL2 (13%) were detected at the completion angiography and 36 (27%) at 30-day computed tomography angiography. The mean follow-up was 28 ± 23 months. Eleven (31%) EL2 sealed spontaneously within 6 months and three new cases were detected, for an overall of 28 pEL2/107 patients (26%) with available radiological follow-up of ≥6 months. Preoperative antiplatelet therapy (odds ratio, 4.7; 95% confidence interval [CI[, 1-22.1; P = .05), aneurysm thrombus volume of ≤40% and six or more patent aneurysm afferent vessels (odds ratio, 7.2; 95% CI, 1.8-29.1; P = .005) were independent risk factors for pEL2. The estimated 3-year survival was 80%, with no difference between cases with and without pEL2 (78% vs 85%; P = .08). The estimated 3-year FFR was 86%, with no difference between cases with and without pEL2 (81% vs 87%; P = .41). Four cases (3%) of EL2-related reinterventions were performed. In 65 cases (49%), aneurysm shrinkage was detected. pEL2 was an independent risk factor for absence of aneurysm shrinkage during follow-up (hazard ratio, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.2-8.3; P = .014). Patients without shrinkage had lower follow-up survival (64% vs 86% at 3-year; P = .009) and FFR (74% vs 90% at 3 years; P = .014) than patients with shrinkage. CONCLUSIONS: PEL2 is not infrequent (26%) after F/B-EVAR for J/P-AAAs and is correlated with preoperative antiplatelet therapy, aneurysm thrombus volume of ≤40%, and six or more patent sac afferent vessels. Patients with pEL2 have a diminished aneurysm shrinkage, which is correlated with lower follow-up survival and FFR compared with patients with aneurysm shrinkage.

Infrarenal EVAR for Penetrating Aortic Ulcer: A Comparative Study with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR), currently the preferred treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), has been described also for penetrating aortic ulcers (PAU) of the infrarenal aorta. However, data on its performance in this particular setting are still sparse in the literature. Aim of this study is to compare patient clinical characteristics, aorto-iliac features, and post-operative outcomes between infrarenal PAU and AAA treated by standard EVAR. METHODS: In this retrospective observational case-control multicenter study, the patients treated for infrarenal PAU (G1) with EVAR in 2 high-volume European centers from January 2014 to December 2019 were prospectively entered into a dedicated database and retrospectively analyzed. A 4-fold control group (G2) of infrarenal AAA patients, homogeneous for age and gender, was also considered. Preoperative clinical characteristics, aorto-iliac features (rupture, aortic maximum diameter, proximal neck diameter and length, aortic bifurcation diameter, distance between the lowest renal artery and the aortic bifurcation [RA-AoBi], severe aortic calcification), technical success, 30-day (morbidity, reintervention, complications, mortality) and follow-up outcomes (freedom from reintervention [FFR] and survival) were compared in the 2 groups (chi square/Fisher exact test, t-student test, Mann-Whitney test, logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis). RESULTS: Seventy-three patients (age 78 ± 7 years; male 84.9%) were included in G1 and 299 (age 78.4 ± 6.6 years; male 89.3%) in G2. At the time of diagnosis, G1 patients were more often symptomatic compared with G2 (odds ratio OR 10.21, 95% confidence interval CI 4.17-24.99, P < 0.001). At preoperative computed tomography angiography, G1 patients had more ruptures (OR 8.11, 95% CI 3.50-18.78, P < 0.001), smaller maximum diameter (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.08, P < 0.001), longer and narrower proximal neck (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.95-0.99, P = 0.020 and OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.32-1.64, P < 0.001, respectively) narrower aortic bifurcation (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.45, P < 0.001), lower RA-AoBi (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.07-1.12, P < 0.001), and more severe aortic calcification (OR 57, 95% CI 16-198, P = 0.001). Technical success (G1 98.6% vs G2 95.7% P = 0.320), 30-day morbidity (G1 2.7% vs G2 8.7% P = 0.133), reintervention (G1 2.7% vs G2 2.3% P = 0.691), complications (G1 6.8% vs G2 8% P = 0.737) and mortality (G1 1.4% vs 2% P = 0.720) were comparable in the 2 groups. The mean follow-up was 17.7 ± 16.4 months in G1 and 18.8 ± 15.1 in G2 (P = 0.576). Late FFR and survival were comparable in the 2 groups (1-year FFR: G1 94.8% vs G2 97.5%, P = 0.995; 1-year survival: G1 91.7% vs G2 92.3%, P = 0.960). CONCLUSIONS: Infrarenal PAU are more often symptomatic with a higher rupture rate compared to infrarenal AAA. Despite some negative anatomical characteristics (narrower aortic bifurcation, lower RA-AoBi, extensive calcification), the results of EVAR are extremely satisfactory in this setting, suggesting that endovascular exclusion could be considered a valid treatment for infrarenal PAU.