Secondary procedures after aortic aneurysm repair with fenestrated and branched endografts.

PURPOSE

To investigate the secondary procedures in patients with previous endovascular aortic repair by fenestrated or branched stent-grafts for aneurysms involving the renal and visceral vessels.

METHODS

Between January 2001 and May 2010, 107 consecutive high-risk patients (97 men; mean age 73 years, range 50-86) with aortic aneurysms involving the renal and visceral arteries were treated with endovascular techniques. A custom-made Zenith graft was used in all patients. All secondary graft-related procedures performed in the perioperative period and during follow-up were analyzed. Estimates of survival, freedom from migration/type I endoleak, and freedom from any device-related secondary procedures were assessed with Kaplan-Meier analyses.

RESULTS

The 30-day mortality rate was 1.9%. During follow-up (mean 25 months, range 1-94), 34 secondary procedures were performed in 28 (26.2%) patients for 6 (17.6%) limb graft stenoses/thromboses (5.6% of 107 cases), 8 (23.5%) in-stent visceral vessel stenoses/occlusions (7.5% of 107 cases), 8 (23.5%) migrations/type I endoleaks with/without visceral stent fractures (7.5% of 107 cases), and 12 (35.3%) type III endoleaks (9.3% of 107 cases). The mean interval between the primary and secondary procedures was 12.9 months (range 1-68). In 26 (76.5%) of 34 cases, a secondary endovascular procedure was performed; in the remaining 8 (23.5%) cases, the complication was treated surgically. The secondary procedure was unsuccessful in 9 cases of visceral vessel compromise (failure to cannulation, stent fracture/migration, in-stent stenosis/occlusion). Estimated 3-year survival was 77%, while the 3-year rate for freedom from any device-related secondary procedure was 75.5%.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of early and late complications requiring a secondary procedure after treatment with fenestrated or branched devices was not negligible. Endoleak type III represented the most common cause for reintervention during follow-up. Secondary procedures performed for visceral vessel compromise had high rates of treatment failure. Accurate preoperative planning, the advent of new materials/techniques, and strict follow-up could be the key factors to improving the results of fenestrated or branched stent-graft interventions and to reduce the rate of secondary procedures.