ENDOVASCULAR STENT GRAFT REPAIR OF AORTIC-ANEURYSMS

Vascular surgeons are increasingly encountering older patients with la rge aneurysms associated with severe comorbid conditions. This situati on can increase operative morbidity and elevate the mortality rate of aortic surgery over 60%. With some frequency many patients will repres ent a prohibitive risk for conventional graft replacement. The endolum inal treatment of 110 patients has proved to be feasible and may repre sent an alternative solution. One hundred six of the patients had an a bdominal aortic aneurysm and in four patients, the thoracic aorta was involved. Ail of them underwent endoluminal repair for the aortic path ology using the combination of stents and grafts in aorto-aortic or ao rto-iliac position, with straight, tapered, or bifurcated stent-graft devices. The results are as follows: Initial success was 84% in aorto- aortic abdominal devices and 100% in aorto-aortic thoracic devices. In aortoiliac devices, initial success was 75%. Late success rates were 62% of the initial group and 80% of the initially successful group.