Journal of Endovascular Therapy最新文献

Purpose: To measure the long-term proximal aortic neck dilatation (AND) after elective endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) with a variety of contemporary, third-generation, endograft devices.

Materials and methods: This is a noninterventional prospective cohort study of 157 patients that underwent standard EVAR with self-expanding abdominal endografts. Patients' recruitment lasted from 2013 to 2017, and postoperative follow-up was up to 5 years. A computed tomography angiography (CTA) was performed at the first month and then at 1, 2, and 5 years. Proximal aortic neck's (PAN) basic morphological characteristics (diameter, length, angulation) were measured based on the analysis of CTA in a standardized fashion. Neck-related adverse events, such as migration, endoleak or rupture, and reinterventions were recorded.

Results: Significant straightening of the PAN was evident even in the first-month CTA with concurrent neck shortening that became significant at 5 years. Both the suprarenal aorta and the PAN significantly dilated overtime, with PAN dilating more progressively. Mean neck dilatation at the juxtarenal level was 0.8±0.4 mm at 1 year, 1.8±0.8 mm at 2 years, and 3.9±1.7 mm at 5 years, with a mean neck dilatation rate of 0.07 mm/month overall. The incidence of AND ≥2.5 mm was 37.2% at 2 years and 58.1% at 5 years after EVAR and was considered important (≥5 mm) in 11.5% of patients at 2 years and 30.6% of patients at 5 years. A multivariate analysis performed showed that the endograft oversizing, the preoperative neck diameter, and the preoperative abdominal aortic aneurysm sac diameter served as independent predictors of AND at 5 years. At the 5-year follow-up, 8 late type Ia endoleaks (6.5%) and 7 caudal migrations (5.6%) were identified, while no late ruptures were reported. In total, 11 late endovascular reinterventions (8.9%) were performed. Overall, proximal neck-related adverse outcomes (5/7 migrations and 5/8 endoleaks) and reinterventions (7/11) were significantly associated with the presence of important late AND.

Conclusion: Proximal AND after EVAR is common. It can influence the long-term durability of proximal endograft fixation and is significantly associated with adverse outcomes, often leading to reinterventions. A systemic and extended surveillance protocol is needed for maintenance of good long-term results.

Clinical impact: This is a thorough and systematic analysis of the long-term geometric remodeling of the proximal aortic neck after EVAR, that highlights the importance of a strict, and extended surveillance protocol for maintenance of good long-term results of EVAR.

Clinical impact: Large thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms due to chronic aortic dissection in patients with connective tissue disorders such as Loeys-Dietz syndrome present a challenging scenario, particularly in cases of variant anatomy and when patients are not candidates for conventional open repair. We demonstrate how by combining and modifying off-the-shelf devices during a hybrid procedure, one can create an endovascular solution tailored to the patient's complex anatomy, making use of an aberrant right subclavian artery, and allow for good clinical outcomes.

Objective: To report demographics and clinical, laboratory, and imaging features of acute renal infarction (ARI) due to symptomatic isolated spontaneous renal artery dissection (SISRAD) and to analyze outcomes after the initial therapy for SISRAD.

Methods: Thirteen patients with ARI due to SISRAD between January 2016 and March 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective study. We reviewed the demographics, clinical, laboratory, and imaging features (location of the infarct kidney, the branch artery involved by dissection, true lumen stenosis, false lumen thrombosis, and aneurysm), treatment modalities, and follow-up results; analyzed the difference between SISRAD and other causes of ARI; and propose an appropriate therapy strategy for SISRAD based on our data and literature.

Result: Patients with ARI due to SISRAD were mostly young men (43 [24-53] years; 12/13 [92%]). No patients had atrial fibrillation or acute kidney injury at admission (0/13). All 13 patients received conservative treatment as the initial treatment. Sixty-two percent (8/13) of patients progressed, and 88% (7/8) of them had dissection aneurysm on the admission computed tomographic angiography (CTA) image. Seventy-five percent (6/8) of patients underwent endovascular intervention as follows, stent placement in 1 patient, renal artery embolization in 1, and stent placement with embolization in 4. Two patients with disease progression died: 1 during the conservative treatment period and 1 after the stent placement. Thirty-eight percent (5/13) of patients in remission continued to receive conservative treatment, none of whom had dissection aneurysm on the admission CTA.

Conclusion: Symptomatic isolated spontaneous renal artery dissection is a rare and fatal disease. For young ARI patients with no previous history of tumors and cardiogenic diseases, CTA examination is recommended to exclude SISRAD. Dissection aneurysm seems to be a risk of progression for SISRAD in this series. Conservative treatment, a recognized initial treatment, has a good effect on patients without dissection aneurysm, and we recommend endovascular intervention as the initial treatment for the patient with dissection aneurysm at admission. Multicenter clinical studies are needed to explore a more-appropriate treatment for patients with SISRAD.

Clinical impact: This article report the related factors, risks, demographics and laboratory data of Acute renal infarction (ARI) due to Symptomatic isolated spontaneous renal artery dissection (SISRAD) and explore a better initial therapy strategy for SISRAD. It will help improve the effectiveness of SISRAD treatment and reduce the mortality rate from this rare but lethal disease.

Purpose: The aim was to assess the mid-term aortic remodeling and bare-metal stent (BMS) integrity of the restricted bare stent (RBS) technique reconstruction in aortic dissections.

Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study included prospectively collected patients treated with the modified RBS technique between 2017 and 2020. The preoperative, postoperative, and last follow-up computed tomographic (CT) scans were analyzed in the centerline at the mid-descending, celiac trunk (CeT), and the mid-abdominal levels for false lumen (FL) patency, aortic diameter, and true lumen (TL) diameter changes. Bare-metal stent integrity was assessed in the 3-dimensional multiplanar reformats.

Results: The median follow-up of the cohort (n=17) was 26 (11, 45) months. The procedure was mainly performed with the Relay NBS endograft (15/17; 88%) + E-XL BMS (17/17; 100%). Postoperative mortality, paraplegia, stroke, renovisceral vessel loss, and type I and III endoleaks were not observed. BMS fractured in 6 patients (6/17; 36%), damaged the dissection flap in 4/17 (24%), and led to the reperfusion of the FL and re-interventions with TEVAR (4/17; 24%). Two patients without FL reperfusion showed stable CT follow-ups 13 and 17 months after the fracture diagnosis. The TL expansion was seen at all landmarks and peaked in the thoracic aorta (+10; 6, 15; p<0.001). The FL thrombosis after modified RBS was only relevant in the thoracic aorta (p<0.001) and at CeT (p=0.003). The aortic diameter was stable in the thoracic aorta and increased at distal landmarks (CeT [+5; 1, 10; p=0.001]; mid-abdominal [+3; 1, 5; p=0.004]).

Conclusion: The modified RBS technique could not stop aortic growth below the diaphragm and prevent new membrane rupture due to the fractures of the BMS and consecutive flap damage with the reperfusion of the FL.

Clinical impact: The treatment of complicated type B aortic dissections with TEVAR has become a standard. Particularly, patients with true lumen collapse and malperfusion may benefit from a more aggressive treatment strategy including proximal TEVAR and distal bare-metal stent implantation to re-open the true lumen and to prevent distal stent-induced new entry. However, this study reports the challenges of this approach with a high rate of bare-metal stent fractures during the follow-up. The fractures that occurred at the site of vertical nitinol bridges led to the dissection membrane ruptures and the reperfusion of the false lumen with consecutive dilatation. A close follow-up is mandatory to detect this complication and to treat the patients with TEVAR extension.

Purpose: To describe the concept of aortic elastic deformation (ED) measurement using duplex ultrasonography (DUS) as a tool for detection of high aneurysm sac pressure following endovascular aortic repair (EVAR).

Technique: High aneurysm sac pressure, with or without proven endoleak, will result in a less compressible aneurysm. Using the dual image function in B-mode of the DUS device and a standardized amount of applied probe pressure, ED can be measured. It is defined as the percentage of deformation of the aneurysm sac on probe pressure application. We hypothesize that less ED of the aneurysm sac can be related with high aneurysm sac pressure and possibly the presence of clinically relevant endoleak. In this note, we describe the technical details of the procedure and report on the applicability and results of ED measurements in the framework of aortic aneurysm and EVAR follow-up in a cohort of 109 patients.

Conclusion: ED measurement is the first noninvasive pressure-based method in the quest to find a practical and reliable diagnostic tool to exclude high aneurysm sac pressure. In our patient cohort, patients with proven endoleak showed a smaller ED (less compressible), implying the presence of high aneurysm sac pressure. Further research should confirm whether ED measurement using DUS could reliably exclude endoleak after EVAR and further explore its potential for clinical application in EVAR follow-up.

Clinical impact: For the first time, a simple, fast, and inexpensive diagnostic tool is presented in this study for detecting high sac pressure following EVAR. High sac pressure is typically caused by clinically significant endoleaks, which can have significant consequences. Currently, computed tomography scanning is the most common method used to identify and characterize endoleaks. However, measuring elastic deformation may potentially replace more invasive and expensive modalities, such as the computed tomography in the future.

Purpose: Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) is the method of choice for most abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients requiring intervention. However, chronic aortic neck dilatation (AND) following EVAR progressively weakens the structural seal between vessel and endograft and compromises long-term results of the therapy. This experimental ex vivo study seeks to investigate mechanisms of AND.

Materials and methods: Porcine abdominal aortas (n=20) were harvested from slaughterhouse pigs and connected to a mock circulation. A commercially available endograft was implanted (n=10) or aortas were left untreated as controls (n=10). Vascular circumferential strain was assessed via ultrasound in defined aortic segments as a parameter of aortic stiffness. Histology and aortic gene expression analysis were performed to investigate potential changes of aortic wall structure and molecular differences due to endograft implantation.

Results: We found that endograft implantation acutely induces a significant stiffness gradient directly at the interface between stented and unstented aortic segments under pulsatile pressure. Comparing stented aortas with unstented controls, we detected increased aortic expression levels of inflammatory cytokines (Il6 and Ccl2) and matrix metalloproteinases (Mmp2 and Mmp9) after 6 hours of pulsatile pressurization. This effect, however, was abolished when repeating the same experiment under 6 hours of static pressure.

Conclusions: We identified endograft-induced aortic stiffness gradients as an early trigger of inflammatory aortic remodeling processes that might promote AND. These results highlight the importance of adequate endograft designs to minimize vascular stiffness gradients and forestall late complications, such as AND.

Clinical impact: AND may compromise the long-term results following endovascular aortic repair. However, the mechanisms behind the underlying detrimental aortic remodeling are still unclear. In this study we find that endograft-induced aortic stiffness gradients induce an inflammatory aortic remodeling response consistent with AND. This novel pathomechanistic insight may guide the design of new aortic endografts that minimize vascular stiffness gradients and forestall late complications such as AND.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to ascertain endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) suitability in relation to stent-graft-specific instructions for use (IFU) in patients with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA).

Materials and methods: Using the preoperative computed tomography angiography (CTA), the aortic morphology of patients undergoing surgical repair of a RAAA in 2 Dutch hospitals between January 2014 and December 2019 was retrospectively assessed. Three-dimensional and central luminal line reconstructions were used. Anatomical suitability was defined according to the IFU of the stent graft system used.

Results: Of 128 included patients, 112 (88%) were men and the mean age was 74.1 (SD=7.6) years. Anatomy within IFU for EVAR was present in 31 patients (24%). Overall, 94 patients (73%) were treated with open surgical repair (OSR) and 34 patients (27%) were treated with EVAR. Anatomy within IFU was present in 15 OSR patients (16%) and 16 EVAR patients (47%). In patients with anatomy outside of IFU, 90% (87/97) had unsuitable neck anatomy and 64% (62/97) had insufficient neck length. An unsuitable distal iliac landing zone was observed in 35 patients. Perioperative mortality was 27% (34/128), with no difference between OSR and EVAR (25/94 vs 9/34; p=0.989).

Conclusion: Most RAAA patients in this series did not have aortic anatomy within IFU for EVAR, mainly due to insufficient neck length. However, whether anatomy outside of IFU equates to unsuitability for EVAR in an emergency setting remains a matter of debate and warrants further research.

Clinical impact: The treatment of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm can consist of endovascular repair or open repair. Retrospective anatomical assessment shows that most patients do not have anatomy inside the instructions for use for endovascular aneurysm repair, mainly due to insufficient neck length. Whether anatomy outside the instructions for use equates unsuitability for endovascular aneurysm repair remains a matter of debate.

Purpose: Hybrid thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for aortic arch aneurysms is a minimally invasive procedure with improved results. This study aimed to clarify the effectiveness and expand the possibilities of zone 1 and 2 landing TEVAR for type B aortic dissection (TBAD) using our treatment strategy.

Methods: This retrospective, single-center, observational cohort study included 213 patients (TBAD, n=69; thoracic arch aneurysm [TAA], n=144; median age, 72 years; median follow-up period, 6 years) from May 2008 to February 2020. The following conditions were satisfied before performing zone 1 and 2 landing TEVAR: TBAD; proximal landing zone (LZ): diameter <37 mm, length >15 mm, and nondissection area, proximal stent-graft: size ≤40 mm and oversizing rate: 10% to 20%, and TAA; proximal LZ: diameter ≤42 mm and length >15 mm, proximal stent-graft: size ≤46 mm and oversizing rate: 10% to 20%. Of the 69 patients in the TBAD group, 34 (49.3%) had patent false lumen (PFL), and 35 (50.7%) had false lumen partial thrombosis (FLPT), including ulcer-like projections. Emergency procedures were performed in 33 (15.5%) patients.

Results: There were no significant differences in the in-hospital mortality (TBAD: 1.5% vs TAA: 0.7%, p=0.544) or the in-hospital aortic complications (TBAD: n=1 vs TAA: n=5, p=0.666). Retrograde type A dissection was not observed in the TBAD group. The aortic event-free rates at 10 years were 89.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 78.7%-95.3%) and 87.9% (95% CI: 80.3%-92.8%) in the TBAD and TAA groups, respectively (log-rank p=0.636). In the TBAD group, the early and late outcomes were not significantly different between the PFL and FLPT groups.

Conclusion: Satisfactory early and long-term results were obtained with zone 1 and 2 landing TEVAR. The TBAD cases had the same good results as the TAA cases. Using our strategy, we especially might reduce complications and be an effective treatment for acute complicated TBAD.

Clinical impact: This study aimed to clarify the effectiveness and expand the possibilities of zones 1 and 2 landing TEVAR for type B aortic dissection (TBAD) using our treatment strategy. Satisfactory early and long-term results in the TBAD and thoracic arch aneurysm (TAA) groups were obtained with zones 1 and 2 landing TEVAR. The TBAD cases had the same good results as the TAA cases. Using our strategy, we especially might reduce complications and be an effective treatment for acute complicated TBAD.