Double fenestrated physician-modified stent-grafts for total aortic arch repair in 50 patients.
Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the early- and medium-term outcomes of using double fenestrated physician-modified endovascular grafts (PMEGs) for total endovascular aortic arch repair.
Methods: The present single-center retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data included 50 patients from January 2017 through October 2019, who had undergone thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). The fenestrations were a proximal larger fenestration that incorporated the brachiocephalic trunk and left common carotid artery and a distal smaller fenestration for the left subclavian artery (LSA). Only the LSA fenestration was stented.
Results: The median duration for stent graft modification was 26 ± 6 minutes. Of the 50 patients, 41 were men. The mean patient age was 68 ± 11.5 years. The indications for treatment included degenerative aortic arch aneurysm (n = 17), dissecting aortic arch aneurysm after type A dissection (n = 13), type B dissection (n = 13), aortic ulcer (n = 3), and other pathologies (n = 4). The technical success rate was 94% (47 of 50) overall, and 100% (28 of 28) after a technical modification incorporating a preloaded guide wire for the LSA fenestration (P < .05). The 30-day mortality was 2% (n = 1). Two patients (4%) had a minor stroke with full recovery. One patient (2%) had a type IB and two patients (4%) had a type II endoleak from the LSA. Four patients (8%) required reintervention: one because of a type IB endoleak and three because of access-related complications. All supra-aortic trunks were patent. During a mean follow-up of 16 ± 8.3 months, no conversions to open surgical repair were required and no aortic rupture, paraplegia, or retrograde dissection occurred.
Conclusions: Using double fenestrated PMEGs for TEVAR is both feasible and effective for total endovascular aortic arch repair, avoiding the need for anatomic and extra-anatomic surgical revascularization. The absence of brachiocephalic trunk stenting was not associated with endoleaks or treatment failure and resulted in a lower stroke risk than alternative strategies. The midterm results suggest that stenting of the brachiocephalic trunk and right common carotid artery might not be necessary for a large proportion of patients undergoing total endovascular aortic arch repair. The persistence of the seal and ongoing durability require assessment in studies with long-term follow-up data available.