Undersized Stentgraft Placement for Traumatic Descending Aorta Rupture, and What Is Next?

BACKGROUND Traumatic injury of the thoracic aorta is proving to be not only the most lethal of traumatic injuries, but also the most urgent reason for vascular intervention among all trauma patients. Endovascular aortic repair is used increasingly often to treat traumatic injuries. We report a case of endovascular treatment and its use as a delayed correction (two-stage treatment) for a traumatic aortic isthmus rupture. CASE REPORT A 20-year-old Asian male was admitted to our department after a car accident presenting symptoms of ischemic shock. Among multiple injuries, a traumatic descending aorta rupture was diagnosed. The patient was referred directly to the operating room for a thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). The patient's other trauma-related injuries required additional interventions in the following days. Thirty days after the emergent TEVAR operation, the patient required reintervention due to a major type-I endoleak. Computed tomography angiography revealed a failed stentgraft deployment. We removed the mismatched endovascular equipment and deployed an appropriately sized stentgraft during a hybrid procedure, excluding the ruptured aortic wall altogether. CONCLUSIONS Endovascular treatment of both children and small-framed adults remains a challenge for operating teams. First, no dedicated equipment can be found on the market. Second, measuring and fitting endovascular equipment constitutes a sore point in treatment, so in emergency situations, only off-the-shelf tools are accessible. We assert that, in such cases, the primary procedure should be understood as a lifesaving intervention, awaiting a final and long-lasting solution.