Use of internal endoconduits as an adjunct to endovascular aneurysm repair in the setting of challenging aortoiliac anatomy

Impact of iliac access in elective and non-elective endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm

Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) is nowadays the establishment treatment for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) both in elective and urgent setting. Despite the large applicability and satisfactory results, the presence of hostile iliac anatomy affects both technical and clinical success. This narrative review aimed to report the impact of iliac access and related adjunctive procedures in patients undergoing EVAR in elective and non-elective setting. Hostile iliac access can be defined in presence of narrowed, tortuous, calcified, or occluded iliac arteries. These iliac characteristics can be graded by the anatomic severity grade score to quantitatively assess anatomic complexity before undergoing treatment. Literature shows that iliac hostility has an impact on device navigability, insertion and perioperative and postoperative results. Overall, it has been correlated to higher rate of access issues, representing up to 30% of the first published EVAR experience. Recent innovations with low-profile endografts have reduced large-bore sheaths related issues. However, iliac-related complications still represent an issue, and several adjunctive endovascular and surgical strategies are nowadays available to overcome these complications during EVAR. In urgent settings iliac hostility can significantly impact on particular time sensitive procedures. Moreover, in case of severe hostility patients might be written off for EVAR repair might be inapplicable, exposing to higher mortality/morbidity risk in this urgent/emergent setting. In conclusion, an accurate anatomical evaluation of iliac arteries during preoperative planning, materials availability, and skilled preparation to face iliac-related issues are crucial to address these challenges.

Peri-Operative Management of Patients Undergoing Fenestrated-Branched Endovascular Repair for Juxtarenal, Pararenal and Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysms: Preventing, Recognizing and Treating Complications to Improve Clinical Outcomes

The advent and refinement of complex endovascular techniques in the last two decades has revolutionized the field of vascular surgery. This has allowed an effective minimally invasive treatment of extensive disease involving the pararenal and the thoracoabdominal aorta. Fenestrated-branched EVAR (F/BEVAR) now represents a feasible technical solution to address these complex diseases, moving the proximal sealing zone above the renal-visceral vessels take-off and preserving their patency. The aim of this paper was to provide a narrative review on the peri-operative management of patients undergoing F/BEVAR procedures for juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (JAAA), pararenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (PRAA) or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurism (TAAA). It will focus on how to prevent, diagnose, and manage the complications ensuing from these complex interventions, in order to improve clinical outcomes. Indeed, F/BEVAR remains a technically, physiologically, and mentally demanding procedure. Intraoperative adverse events often require prolonged or additional procedures and complications may significantly impact a patient's quality of life, health status, and overall cost of care. The presence of standardized preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative pathways of care, together with surgeons and teams with significant experience in aortic surgery, should be considered as crucial points to improve clinical outcomes. Aggressive prevention, prompt diagnosis and timely rescue of any major adverse events following the procedure remain paramount clinical needs.

Iliac Artery Endoconduits Should be the Preferred Adjunctive Access Procedure to Facilitate Complex Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair

BACKGROUND

Iliac artery anatomy can have a dramatic impact on the success of endovascular complex aortic aneurysm (CAA) procedures as endograft delivery systems need to be advanced and manipulated through these access vessels. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of iliac artery conduits with emphasizes on open vs endovascular conduits performed to facilitate CAA endovascular repair.

METHODS

All patients who had open or endovascular iliac conduits prior to endovascular CAA repair to treat thoracoabdominal, juxtarenal, or suprarenal aneurysms at the University of Colorado Hospital from January 2009 through January 2019 were included. Patients who presented with symptomatic or ruptured aortic aneurysms were excluded. Outcomes of interest included postoperative complications and mortality in patients undergoing iliac conduits.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven patients with a total of 42 conduits were included in the study. The majority of patients (N = 15, 56%) were female and the average age was 72 ± 9 years. The calculated VQI cardiac index was .6% (range, .3%-.8%). Eighteen (43%) endovascular and 24 (57%) open iliac conduits were performed during the study period. Thirty (71%) conduits were performed in a staged fashion, while 12 (29%) were performed at the same time as endovascular CAA repair. The mean time between conduit and definitive aneurysm repair surgery was 130 ± 68 days in the endovascular and 107 ± 79 days in the open groups (P = .87). No aneurysm rupture occurred during the staging period in either group. The median follow-up for the entire cohort was 18 ± 22 months. The median length of hospital stay for patients undergoing endovascular and open ICs was 6 (ranging, 1-28 days) and 7 days (ranging, 3-18 days), respectively. Patients undergoing open conduits had significantly more complications than those undergoing endovascular conduit (endoconduit) creation. A total of 4 (15%) patients died within 30 days after aneurysm repair. Out of 23 survivors, 18 (78%) patients were discharged home, 4 (18%) patients were discharged to a skilled nursing facility, and 1 (4%) patient was discharged to an acute rehabilitation facility. No mortality difference based on type of conduit was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall complication rate associated with creation of open iliac artery conduits is not negligible. Endoconduits, which carry less morbidity than open conduits, are preferred as a first-line adjunctive access procedure to facilitate complex endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.

En Bloc AngioVac Removal of Thoracic Aortic Mass

The AngioVac system, designed for suction during extracorporeal bypass, is used to aspirate masses, thrombi, and other undesirable material from the cardiovascular system. To date, it has been used extensively in the venous system and right side of the heart; however, its use in the arterial system has been limited because of smaller vessel sizes and the requirement for a 26F sheath. We report the case of a 45-year-old woman with a history of angiosarcoma who presented with acute embolic events that affected her spleen and lower extremities. We removed a large mobile mass en bloc from her distal thoracic aorta by using the AngioVac system as an alternative to surgical resection. The patient recovered with no recurrence. We discuss the benefits and challenges of using the AngioVac within small vessels of the arterial system.

Endovascular repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm using bifurcated stent-graft in a patient with bilateral external iliac artery occlusion

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in association with external iliac artery (EIA) occlusion is a rare entity which may limit endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) feasibility. We describe the case of an 84-year-old man affected by a 64mm infrarenal inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm with complete bilateral occlusion of EIA and patency of both common and internal iliac arteries. The common femoral arteries (CFA) were patent, and the patient was asymptomatic for lower limb claudication. The treatment was performed by EVAR using a bifurcated stent-graft after the recanalization of the left EIA, achieving technical success.

Management of Difficult Access during Endovascular Aneurysm Repair

BACKGROUND

To describe a large single-institutional experience in managing challenging access situations during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).

METHODS

Data from all patients undergoing EVAR at a tertiary academic medical center between 2009 and 2013 were collected retrospectively, including demographics, size of iliac arteries, type of device used, approach to managing difficult access (DA), and outcomes. The median follow-up was 38 months. DA was defined as iliac arteries with a diameter of less than 7 mm bilaterally. Fenestrated and snorkel repairs were excluded.

RESULTS

Of 400 EVARs performed during the study period, 191 (48%) were done in patients with DA. Of the DA patients, 35 (18.3%) underwent 42 adjuncts before the introduction of the main body device: including 15 dilators, 11 balloon angioplasties, 9 aortouniiliac devices, 3 SoloPath sheaths, 1 retroperitoneal cutdown, and 3 iliac stents. In another 29 patients, iliac stents were used to correct stenoses or kinks in the limbs after EVAR devices were deployed. The average diameter of the iliac artery used to deliver main body component was 4.6 mm in the group of patients requiring adjuncts and 5.4 mm in the remainder of the patients with small iliac arteries (P = 0.008). The median size of the main body device was 28 mm. Two cases were aborted due to inability to deliver the device. Other complications included 7 (3.6%) iliac ruptures, 3 (1.6%) instances of limb ischemia, and 5 (2.6%) patients needed early reoperation (within 30 days). Two patients (1%) had type I endoleaks at the conclusion of EVAR. During follow-up, 12 (6.3%) patients required EVAR revisions. Seven patients (3.6%) had limb thrombosis which occurred only in patients who did not have adjective procedures during the initial EVAR. Limb thrombosis and rate of revisions in patients with DA were not significantly different from the rates observed in non-DA patients. Perioperative mortality after elective repairs was 1.6% in DA patients and 0% in non-DA patients (P = 0.12).

CONCLUSIONS

EVAR can be successfully performed in patients with bilateral small iliac arteries. Adjunctive procedures might increase the technical success rate of EVAR in these patients and should definitely be considered in patients with iliac arteries less than 5 mm in diameter. Next generation and "low-profile" devices might minimize the need for adjunctive procedures and facilitate EVAR in these patients.

Perioperative Outcomes in Patients Requiring Iliac Conduits or Direct Access for Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

BACKGROUND

Iliac conduit or direct iliac access (ICDA) can be used when anatomy is unfavorable for femoral access during abdominal endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). The impact of this approach has not been adequately addressed. The objective of this study was to analyze perioperative outcomes of patients requiring use of ICDAs for EVAR.

METHODS

Patients undergoing EVAR with and without ICDA were identified in the 2005-2012 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data sets. Perioperative morbidity and mortality were assessed by crude comparison of matched groups and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Of 15,082 patients undergoing infrarenal EVAR 147 (1%) required ICDA. The ICDA group had a higher proportion of females (25.9% vs. 17.8%, P = 0.017), peripheral vascular disease (12.9% vs. 5.5%, P = 0.001), and patients with a history of dyspnea (31.3% vs. 23.1%, P = 0.024). There was no difference in age (74.5 ± 8.4 conduit vs. 73.5 ± 8.5). On multivariate analysis, the ICDA cohort had a higher rate of mortality (odds ratio [OR], 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-5.4; P = 0.004) and an increase in other major complications including cardiac arrest and/or myocardial infarction (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.3-6.3; P = 0.007), pulmonary complications (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2-3.9; P = 0.013), and postoperative length of stay (means ratio, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4; P = 0.001). There was a trend toward increased bleeding complications with ICDA. Matched analyses of comorbidities revealed that patients requiring ICDA had higher perioperative mortality (6.8% vs. 2.3%, P = 0.008), cardiac (4.8% vs. 1%, P = 0.004), pulmonary (8.8% vs. 3.4%, P = 0.006), and bleeding complications (10.2% vs. 4.6%, P = 0.016).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that the use of ICDA during EVAR is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. In situations where anatomy mandates the use of iliac conduits or access for EVAR, surgeons should consider this increased risk. Open repair or the use of lower profile devices, if possible, should be considered as options for these patients.

Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm using bifurcated stent-graft in a patient with complete occlusion from the common to the external iliac artery

Extensive iliofemoral occlusive disease can limit the use of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR), and the treatment strategy varies depending on severity of the lesion. In cases of mild iliac artery (IA) stenosis, predilation using a balloon catheter before EVAR is relatively common, and for severe IA stenosis, the technique of internal endoconduits has been reported with good results. In contrast, EVAR using an aortouni-iliac stent graft with femorofemoral crossover bypass has traditionally been used for abdominal aortic aneurysm with IA occlusion. However, EVAR using a bifurcated stent graft has some clear advantages over aortouni-iliac stent grafts. In this report, we describe and discuss technical aspects and feasibility of chronically occluded iliac artery recanalization before EVAR to facilitate the use of bifurcated stent grafts in a patient with concomitant complete common to external IA occlusion.

Antegrade, covered, self-expanding stent as an iliac extension in a bifurcated endograft: a feasible technical maneuver for challenging aortoiliac aneurysmal anatomy

BACKGROUND

Aneurysmal and occlusive aortoiliac disease can make the process of introducing large delivery catheters for endovascular repair challenging. We describe the case of a patient who could be treated by a bifurcated stent-graft despite having a unilateral external iliac occlusion.

METHODS AND RESULTS

From a brachial access, a covered self-expanding stent was deployed antegradely through the distal gate of the stent-graft into the common iliac artery. This technical choice helped to overcome the problem of an external iliac occlusion, so as to maintain an antegrade flow into the internal iliac and avoid the need for an interfemoral bypass.

CONCLUSION

Auto-expandable covered stent-graft with a thinner shaft can be used through a brachial access as an iliac extension of a bifurcated aortic endograft. However, a longer follow-up duration and more cases are necessary to warrant the safety and the durability of such an "off-label" endovascular material assemblage.

Open stent grafting for abdominal aortic aneurysm in a patient with a severely calcified abdominal aorta

We describe a 74-year-old male who underwent open stent repair for an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm with a severely calcified aortic neck. The stent graft was constructed by covering a 50-mm long Gianturco Z stent (diameter: 20 mm) with a Dacron prosthesis (diameter: 20 mm). The stented Dacron graft was inserted into the calcified aortic neck, was then sutured to the trimmed aneurysmal wall, and was anastomosed to a bifurcated prosthesis. The distal ends of the bifurcated prosthesis were anastomosed to both common femoral arteries, and the terminal aorta was closed. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course. This procedure may be a feasible and safe way to repair infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm with a severely calcified aortic neck.

Endovascular repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm in a patient with stenosis of bilateral common iliac artery stents

BACKGROUND

The explosion in endovascular interventions for peripheral vascular disease has resulted in procedures being used by a multitude of specialties. Nonvascular surgeons performing these interventions can create scenarios that may make future vascular interventions difficult. In this article, we present a case report illustrating this point.

METHODS

A 68-year-old man with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease with prior myocardial infarction, and multiple abdominal operations presented with an abdominal aortic aneurysm. In our opinion, this patient was at a prohibitive operative risk for open repair. Review of his imaging results revealed a 6.7-cm infrarenal aneurysm with bilateral common iliac artery (CIA) stents (right: 8 mm; left: 6 mm) and 6-mm self-expanding stents extending from the right external iliac artery through the common femoral artery. A Cook Zenith Renu (30 × 108 mm) graft (Cook Medical Inc., Bloomington, IN) was advanced after serial dilation and balloon angioplasty of the stenotic right CIA stent. Left brachial access was used for arteriographic imaging. The left common femoral artery was accessed and the left CIA was coil-embolized to prevent backbleeding. A femoro-femoral artery crossover bypass was then performed after segmental resection of the right common femoral artery stent.

RESULTS

The patient tolerated the procedure well and was discharged home on postoperative day 3. Subsequent postoperative computed tomography arteriogram after 1 month showed palpable pulses and no evidence of endoleak with flow in the femoro-femoral graft on clinical exam.

CONCLUSIONS

This case demonstrates an endovascular intervention which limited the potential options available for aneurysm repair. Similar problems may become increasingly common as more providers offer endovascular interventions, thus emphasizing the importance of a collaborative approach to the patient with complex aorto-iliac occlusive disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm. It is the duty of the vascular surgeon to offer his vital expertise and leadership in the care of these patients.