Five-Year Outcomes of Endovascular Aortic Repair With the TREO Abdominal Endograft.

PURPOSE: Newer generation abdominal endografts, including Treo (Terumo Aortic, Sunrise, Florida), have shown optimal safety and effectiveness in treating abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), even with hostile anatomy over the short- and mid-term. The durability of such results, however, is still a controversial issue, due to the paucity of long-term data. Our aim is to show the long-term outcomes of endovascular aortic repair of both standard and hostile AAAs with the Treo endograft on a cohort of patients treated between 2016 and 2017. METHODS: We analyzed the postoperative follow-up of 37 consecutive patients who have undergone endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) with the Treo Endograft between 2016 and 2017, whose baseline clinical conditions, operative data, and short-term outcomes had been published in 2018. All patients were followed up by computed tomography angiography (CTA) at 6 and 12 months and 5 years postoperatively. Primary endpoints were aortic-related mortality, type I-III endoleak (EL), and reintervention rate. Secondary endpoints were the rates of type II ELs and aneurysm sac regression. RESULTS: Of 37 patients, 27 had at least one criterion of anatomic hostility and 11 were performed outside the device-specific instructions for use (IFU). In the perioperative period, we observed 100% technical success, with no perioperative mortality. Over a mean follow-up of 5.5 years (66 months), 3 patients (8.1%) were lost to follow-up and 3 (8.1%) died of non-aortic causes (overall survival: 91.9%). One type IA EL of an AAA with a hostile neck (but within the IFU) and a type III EL of an AAA with standard anatomy were observed and treated by endovascular relining (overall reintervention rate: 5.5%). Four type II ELs were associated with aneurysm sac stability over time and are still under surveillance. Mean aneurysm shrinkage was 11.25±8.30 mm. CONCLUSION: The optimal results of the Treo Endograft in terms of complication and reintervention rates reported over the mid-term by the current literature (ITA-ENDOBOOT registry) are maintained on the long term, both in case of hostile and friendly aortic anatomy, with a satisfactory shrinkage rate of the aneurysm sac. CLINICAL IMPACT: The innovative characteristics of Treo and its short-term results are well-known and reported. The present case series contributes to the scientific validation of a new-generation abdominal aortic endograft over the long-term, focusing especially on its performance in treating AAAs with hostile anatomy. Its 5-years outcomes confirm the optimal results already reported over the short- and mid-term.

Emergent physician modified carotid fenestrated TEVAR for the treatment of a complicated acute type nonA-nonB aortic dissection with undetected multiorgan malperfusion.

Complicated acute nonA-nonB dissection with malperfusion is associated with a high in-hospital mortality up to 67%. Therefore, rapid identification and treatment are critical for clinical outcomes. We report the urgent treatment of a complicated subacute aortic dissection treated with a physician-modified-endograft (PMEG) fenestrated-TEVAR (f-TEVAR) for the left common carotid artery (LCCA). A 49-year-old male patient with acute non-A non-B aortic dissection with complete true lumen collapse and associated mesenteric and renal ischemia, was referred to another vascular center for abdominal pain and received exclusively medical treatment. After 15 days of persistent pain, the patient self-referred to our center and was treated with endovascular repair. The proximal entry tear was located at the level of the left subclavian artery: a PMEG f-TEVAR was performed with fenestration for LCCA in conjunction with carotid-subclavian bypass. In addition, spot stenting of the left renal artery was performed to resolve renal malperfusion. The final angiography showed satisfactory result. The patient soon reported significant pain relief. Follow-up at 30-days was satisfactory, with no need for further intervention. A physician-modified fenestrated-TEVAR can be used in emergency setting to treat acute non-A-non-B aortic dissection in conjunction with multiorgan malperfusion, with satisfactory results even after initial delayed treatment.

Endovascular Repair With Triple Inner-Branch Endograft for Aberrant Subclavian Artery Aneurysm: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Endovascular repair of the thoracic aorta (TEVAR) is the preferred option for the treatment of the distal arch and descending thoracic aorta. Fenestrated and branched TEVAR have become an option to treat pathologies of the aortic arch, avoiding sternotomy and cardiopulmonary arrest as well as total surgical debranching. We describe here the case of a symptomatic patient with an arteria lusoria aneurysm associated with Kommerel diverticulum who underwent total endovascular repair with a triple-branched TEVAR. CASE REPORT: A 66-year-old male patient was treated for a symptomatic arteria lusoria artery associated with a Kommerel diverticulum, resulting in difficulty swallowing and choking. We used a custom-made triple inner-branch endograft (Cook Medical, Bloomington, Indiana) following implantation of a right-sided carotid-subclavian (C-S) bypass. The C-S bypass occluded in the interval time between the 2 procedures and required recanalization and stent-graft placement during the aortic arch procedure. The arteria lusoria was embolized with a vascular plug. No complications occurred and postoperative tomography showed exclusion and thrombosis of the Kommerel diverticulum and perfusion of the supra-aortic vessels. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of arteria lusoria aneurysms can be performed with total endovascular arch inner-branch repair, avoiding increased risk of morbidity and mortality caused by open or hybrid procedures.

Mini-Surgical Access Prevents Local Complications and Reduces Costs in Endovascular Aortic Repair.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to propose a minimally invasive surgical approach to the common femoral artery in endovascular aortic repair and assess its value by a single-center retrospective study including 118 patients. METHODS: Between 2017 and 2022, all patients receiving endovascular treatment for thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms in our center had the anterior wall of the common femoral artery exposed, through a 2-3 cm transverse groin incision, instead of a complete surgical cutdown. We access the artery with a purse-string suture, held tight with a tourniquet. After procedure completion, we tie the purse-string closing the arteriotomy. We retrospectively analyzed the cohort of all consecutive patients treated with endovascular aortic repair in this period and recorded primary and assisted technical success, operative time, in-hospital length of stay, access failure, and access-related complications, comparing the results with the current literature. RESULTS: All procedures were successful, with no perioperative mortality. Primary technical success was achieved in 116 patients; 2 required adjunctive procedures. No access failure or access-related complications (thrombosis, groin hematoma, lymphocele, wound dehiscence, or infection) occurred. Two accesses required conversion to complete femoral artery exposure and endarterectomy. Operatory time and length of in-hospital stay were comparable to the outcomes of the major studies reporting on percutaneous access, saving the costs of the closure devices. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive surgical access is safe and feasible for endovascular aortic procedures. Compared to the costs of percutaneous access found in literature, it is cost-effective. It can be chosen whenever the percutaneous approach is not feasible or at a high risk of complications.

Characteristics of Venous Thromboembolism in COVID-19 Patients: A Multicenter Experience from Northern Italy.

BACKGROUND: The liability of patients affected by novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to develop venous thromboembolic events is widely acknowledged. However, many particulars of the interactions between the two diseases are still unknown. This study aims to outline the main characteristics of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in COVID-19 patients, based on the experience of four high-volume COVID-19 hospitals in Northern Italy. METHODS: All cases of COVID-19 in-hospital patients undergoing duplex ultrasound (DUS) for clinically suspected DVT between March 1st and April 25th, 2020, were reviewed. Demographics and clinical data of all patients with confirmed DVT were recorded. Computed tomography pulmonary angiographies of the same population were also examined looking for signs of PE. RESULTS: Of 101 DUS performed, 42 were positive for DVT, 7 for superficial thrombophlebitis, and 24 for PE, 8 of which associated with a DVT. Most had a moderate (43.9%) or mild (16.9%) pneumonia. All venous districts were involved. Time of onset varied greatly, but diagnosis was more frequent in the first two weeks since in-hospital acceptance (73.8%). Most PEs involved the most distal pulmonary vessels, and two-thirds occurred in absence of a recognizable DVT. CONCLUSIONS: DVT, thrombophlebitis, and PE are different aspects of COVID-19 procoagulant activity and they can arise regardless of severity of respiratory impairment. All venous districts can be involved, including the pulmonary arteries, where the high number and distribution of the thrombotic lesions without signs of DVT could hint a primitive thrombosis rather than embolism.

Parallel graft techniques for urgent complex aortic diseases: Mid-term results of 12 cases.

OBJECTIVES: Open repair is still the first choice for thoraco-abdominal and para-renal aortic aneurysms, but surgical treatment is burdened by significant morbidity and mortality, especially in urgent setting. Endovascular treatment by fenestrated or branched endografts is feasible and safe; but in urgent/emergent settings, custom-made endografts are hardly available in due time, and the repair with standard multibranched devices is still debated in cases with complex anatomy. Parallel grafting, on the other hand, which exploits covered stents to preserve patency of the visceral vessels, has been shown as a valuable option and can be performed in urgency, though some concerns still remain regarding its durability and complications. The purpose of this case series is to review the outcomes of all consecutive cases of complex aortic diseases treated with this technique in emergent/urgent setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All cases of endovascular aortic repair of thoraco-abdominal and para-thoraco-abdominal performed in urgency or emergency from 2016 to June 2019 were retrospectively reviewed, recording clinical records, operative technique, primary technical success, and long-term outcomes. Each patient was followed-up by computed tomography angiography three months after the procedure and yearly thereafter. RESULTS: Twenty consecutive patients (median age: 68, range: 47-89, male/female ratio: 16:4) affected by para-thoraco-abdominal (12) or thoraco-abdominal (8) were treated in urgent or emergent setting by chimney and/or periscope technique. A total number of 37 visceral vessels were stented (29 renal arteries, 1 polar artery of the kidney, 3 superior mesenteric arteries, and 4 coeliac trunks). Primary technical success was 100%, with one perioperative death. One patient died on post-operative month III for unrelated cause. Two type II endoleaks were detected at the first post-operative imaging studies and were managed conservatively. One type IB endoleak was treated by endovascular repair with a custom-made endograft (overall re-intervention rate: 5%). Over a median 22 months follow-up (range: 4-40, interquartile range: 12 months), all stentgrafts were patent. CONCLUSION: Parallel graft is a feasible and safe option that should be considered in urgent and emergent treatment of para-thoraco-abdominal and thoraco-abdominal, when fenestrated and branched endografts cannot be used.

Endovascular Treatment of a Ruptured Pararenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in a Patient With Coronavirus Disease-2019: Suggestions and Case Report.

The aim of this report is to discuss emergent repair for complex aortic diseases in patients affected by novel coronavirus pneumonia (coronavirus disease-2019 [COVID-19]), describing a case of ruptured pararenal aortic aneurysm. An eighty-year-old man with COVID-19 was admitted for ruptured aneurysm of the pararenal aorta and hemorrhagic shock. Endovascular repair was chosen, and a proximal extension of the previous abdominal endograft was performed with parallel stents in the right renal artery and the superior mesenteric artery. Endovascular treatment and early anticoagulation are the key for success for vascular emergencies in patients with COVID-19, despite the risk of late endoleak.