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Background: To evaluate the clinical outcomes and the validity of the in situ needle fenestration (ISNF) technique during thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for patients with aortic arch conditions., Methods: A total of 115 patients with aortic arch conditions treated with ISNF during TEVAR between January 2018 and December 2021 were incorporated., Results: The median age of the patients was 62.0 years, and 10.4% (12/115) were female. The median follow-up time was 31.0 months. A total of 175 supra-arch branches were reconstructed. A single branch was fenestrated in 80 patients, while the left subclavian artery (LSA) and left common carotid artery (LCCA) were fenestrated simultaneously in 11 patients, and all supra-arch branches were fenestrated in 24 patients. The rate of technical success was 100%, 30-day mortality was 3.5% (4/115), overall mortality was 8.7% (10/115), and aortic-related mortality was 2.6% (3/115). Aortic-related reintervention was required in 7.8% (9/115) of patients. Among the major postoperative complications, four patients developed retrograde type A dissection requiring emergent open surgery, three patients had cerebrovascular accidents, and one patient had an endoleak. No occlusions or stenoses of the main or branch aortic stents were observed., Conclusions: The mid-term results of the ISNF technique during TEVAR for aortic arch conditions were within the acceptable range; however, further follow-up results are needed and long-term stability and durability needs to be assessed. Related fenestration devices also require further development., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: When performing thoracic aortic endovascular repair (TEVAR) on lesions of the aortic arch, physician-modified fenestration or in situ fenestration is often used to maintain patent branches. We designed a new adjustable prefenestration aortic stent graft that can both isolate pathologies in the aortic arch and obtain patent branches simultaneously. In this study, we use this new type of stent to perform fenestrated TEVAR in a canine’s aorta. This study aims to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the new device, which may provide preliminary data for potential human application., Methods: Eight Labrador Retriever canines underwent fenestrated TEVAR using the new stent device. Digital subtract angiography (DSA) was performed before and after fenestrated TEVAR to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the procedure. For the device deployment, at the “large curvature” side in the endograft, there is a rectangular prefenestration area (2 × 5 cm) without the polytetrafluoroethylene membrane, and at both longer side edges of the fenestration, there are two slide rails. A moveable membrane that covers the same area as the prefenestration area is initially set at the prefenestration position. A stay line is connected from the distal site of the moveable membrane that controls it to the distal position along the slide rail, which releases the fenestration. After the positioning of the prefenestration is determined, the outer sheath of the delivery system is released, and the stay line at the end of the delivery system is pulled outside the body. The animals were divided into a 1-month group (n = 4) and a 3-month group (n = 4) after the fenestrated TEVAR. Computed tomography (CT) was performed before euthanasia, and video of the DSA during the procedures and CT angiography (CTA) images were then studied., Results: The procedure success rate was 100%, but the total survival rate was only 87.5%. There were no aortic-related deaths during follow-up, and during the operation, there were no stent-graft-related accidents. In addition, no stent-graft migrations were observed in the CTA, and all branch arteries were kept patent by the adjustable fenestration. Finally, histological examination and electron microscope results showed no obvious vascular injury or inflammation., Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, we judge the safety and feasibility of the use of the newly designed adjustable prefenestration aortic stent graft in a fenestrated-TEVAR canine model to be acceptable. Our preliminary data may serve as an initial reference for evaluating the potential application of the new stent in humans., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest disclosure: The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Introduction: We present a case of late endograft infection that progressed to the left iliac and femoral arteries, leading to left lower extremity gangrene, and the patient's death., Case: A 65-year-old male with a history of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) developed left acute limb ischemia (Rutherford category III) and abdominal pain. A CT scan showed significant gas formation around the endograft and complete occlusion of the left distal iliac artery to the femoral arteries. Despite undergoing hip disarticulation and wound care, aortic endograft removal was not possible due to a lack of replacement grafts. Microbiological cultures from arterial pus and urine identified multiple antibiotic-resistant extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli. Histopathological analysis of the common femoral artery specimen indicated chronic medium-sized arteritis characterized by endothelial erosion, fibrotic myocytes in the tunica media, and fibrosis of the adventitial layer with inflammatory cell infiltration. The patient succumbed in the ICU 6 days later due to uncontrolled sepsis., Discussion: Although the incidence of endograft infection after EVAR is low (20-75% morbidity and mortality), it poses significant risks. Sources are often hematogenous, stemming from urinary or respiratory tract infections, and infections extending to subsequent arteries are very rare; they could cause chronic arterial inflammation and, in the long term, may lead to thrombosis and limb ischemia. This case highlights a low-grade infection that emerged 3 months post-procedure. Diagnosis typically involves CT angiography to detect periaortic gas or fluid. Management of high-grade infections necessitates complete endograft removal and graft replacement with infection-resistant options., Conclusion: Endograft infections after EVAR, while rare, can have severe outcomes. Early diagnosis based on symptoms and CT-Scan. In high-grade infections, endograft removal is the gold-standard therapy, with ongoing follow-up post-EVAR being essential for prevention., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2024 Djajakusumah et al.)

Background: The objective of the study was to analyze mid-term results of unselected patients treated with the TREO (Terumo Aortic, Florida, USA) device at six German hospital sites. Methods: A multicenter, retrospective analysis of patients treated within and outside instructions for use (IFU) from January 2017 to November 2020 was performed. Primary outcomes were technical success, mortality and endograft related complications according to IFU status. Secondary outcomes were aneurysm/procedure related re-interventions. Results: 150 patients (92% male, mean age 73 ±8 years) were treated (within IFU 84% vs. outside IFU 16%) with the TREO device for abdominal aortic aneurysms (n=127 intact, n=17 symptomatic and n=6 ruptured; p=0.30). Technical success was achieved in 147/150 (within IFU 99% vs. outside IFU 92%, p=0.08). 30-day mortality was 2%, one year and overall mortality was 3% and 5%. During a mean follow-up of 28.4 months (range: 1-67.4 months), 35 (25%; within IFU 23% vs. outside IFU 35%, p=0.23) patients suffered from endoleaks. The majority were endoleaks type II (n=33), the remaining type Ia (n=5) and type Ib (n=3). No endoleaks type III-V, migrations or aneurysm ruptures occurred. Overall, 19 patients (13%; within IFU 13% vs. 15% outside IFU, p=0.70) received a secondary intervention: nine endoleak related endovascular procedures, three open conversions, two endograft limb related interventions, four surgical revisions of the femoral access sites and two bowl ischemia related procedures, respectively. Conclusions: This non industry-sponsored, multicenter trial indicates that using the TREO device in a real-world setting (both within and outside IFU) seems feasible in the treatment of patients suffering from AAA. While the rate of complications and secondary interventions is in line with previously published data, the findings highlight the fact that standard EVAR is associated with serious adverse events.

Objective: To investigate the role of the Omniflow II prosthesis in the prevention of vascular graft infection (VGI) in patients with peripheral arterial disease and to report on short-and mid-term graft-related morbidity., Material and Methods: Patients were included in prospective registry between October 2019 and March 2023. The primary endpoint was to report infection-related problems, operation-related wound problems, and short- and mid-term graft-related morbidity. Secondary endpoint was to report the bypass patency rates and limb salvage rates., Results: A total of 146 Omniflow II grafts were implanted in 125 patients. Sixty-seven patients (45.9%) received a femoral interposition graft, and 77 patients (52.7%) underwent ipsilateral bypass surgery (femoropopliteal or femorocrural). Forty-one patients (28.1%) underwent crural bypass surgery. Seventy-six patients (52.1%) had previous vascular operation in the groin. The mean follow-up time was 352 days (range 0-1108 days). 3.4% of the patients suffered a wound infection limited to the dermis, and in 8.2%, the subcutaneous tissue was involved. Five early VGI (3.4%) and one late VGI (0.7%) occurred. One year primary patency rate of above-the-knee bypass was significantly better compared to the bypass below the knee (74.5% ± 0.131 versus 54% ± 0.126 (P = 0.049)). This difference was not significantly different when below-the-knee bypass surgery was compared with crural bypass surgery (54% ± 0.126 versus 23.8% ± 0.080 (P = 0.098))., Conclusions: The performance of the Omniflow II prosthesis in the preventive setting is highly influenced by the anatomic location of the distal anastomosis. No influence on the incidence of postoperative wound problems could be observed. The rate of Omniflow II VGI in a high-risk population is similar to reported outcomes in other prosthetic grafts., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been identified as an independent predictor of poorer long-term prognosis after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for complex abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). However, its impact on short-term perioperative outcomes is conflicting, which can be important for preoperative risk stratification. This study aimed to evaluate the 30-day outcomes of patients with CKD following non-ruptured complex EVAR in a national registry., Methods: Patients who had EVAR for complex AAA were identified in ACS-NSQIP targeted database from 2012-2022. Complex AAA included juxtarenal, suprarenal, or pararenal proximal extent, Type IV thoracoabdominal aneurysm, and/or aneurysms treated with Zenith Fenestrated endograft. Exclusion criteria included age<18 years, ruptured AAA, acute intraoperative conversion to open, emergency presentation, and dialysis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare 30-day postoperative outcomes of CKD and non-CKD patients, where demographics, baseline characteristics, aneurysm diameter, distant aneurysm extent, anesthesia, and concomitant procedures were adjusted., Results: There were 695 (39.33%) and 1072 (60.67%) patients with and without CKD, respectively, who underwent EVAR for complex AAA. Patients with and without CKD have comparable 30-day mortality (aOR = 1.165, 95 CI = 0.646-2.099, P = 0.61). However, CKD patients had a higher risk of renal complications (aOR = 2.647, 95 CI = 1.399-5.009, P < 0.01) including higher progressive renal insufficiency (aOR = 3.707, 95 CI = 1.329-10.338, P = 0.01) and acute renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy (aOR = 2.533, 95 CI = 1.139-5.633, P = 0.02). All other 30-day outcomes were comparable between CKD and non-CKD patients., Conclusion: Patients with CKD had similar 30-day mortality and morbidity rates but a higher risk of postoperative renal complications. Therefore, meticulous preoperative planning and postoperative management, which may include optimal hydration, appropriate contrast use, and close renal function monitoring, are essential for patients with CKD after complex EVAR., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Narrow and tortuous iliac axes are the second most common reason the feasibility of endovascular aortic repair (EVAR), and low-profile endografts were conceived to overcome the limitation of narrow and tortuous iliac axes. This study aims to report the initial results of EVAR performed with the ultra-low-profile Minos® abdominal endograft through a retrospective study conducted across 3 high-volume centers., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a prospectively maintained database collecting all consecutive EVAR performed with the Minos endograft across 3 Centers of Vascular Surgery between 2020 and 2023. Patients' clinical and operative data, perioperative, and postoperative outcomes were recorded., Results: Ninety patients received EVAR with the Minos endograft. Assisted technical success was 100%, with 6 unplanned adjunctive procedures. Two perioperative complications required reinterventions: 1 access site surgical bleeding and an iliac limb occlusion. All unplanned adjunctive procedures and early reinterventions (8 in 7 patients) occurred in abdominal aortic aneurysms with hostile iliac arteries or narrow carrefour. Over a mean follow-up of 14.2 ± 9.6 months, no deaths were observed, and all patients completed the scheduled surveillance protocol. Late reinterventions were 6 (6.7%): 2 type IA endoleaks (ELs), 1 type IB EL, 1 type II EL, and 2 limb occlusions. There was no significant difference in reintervention rates between aneurysms with hostile and standard anatomy., Conclusions: The Minos endograft is safe and effective in treating aneurysms with hostile and standard anatomy, and its results are maintained at a mean follow-up of 14 months. A larger sample size and a longer follow-up are necessary to assess the results on the longer term., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Endovascular repair of thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) in elective settings has demonstrated successful clinical outcomes. However, life-threatening conditions such as rupture are more often managed with open surgical repair due to the high complexity of arch endovascular repair, lack of available off-the-shelf devices, and limited long-term data., Case Summary: A 49-year-old female with a recent history of prior ascending aortic repair for Type A 10 aortic dissection presented with chest pain and dyspnea. Chest computed tomography angiogram (CTA) revealed acute bilateral pulmonary emboli and a 6.2 cm post dissection aneurysm of the posterior aortic arch with the dissection extending to the right iliac artery. She was treated with thrombolysis and subsequently became hemodynamically unstable. Repeat CTA revealed a massive left hemithorax with concern for aortic arch rupture. Given significant cardiorespiratory compromise and recent open repair, she was considered unfit for redo open repair. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) with a physician-modified endograft (PMEG) was planned. An Alpha Zenith endograft was modified adding an internal branch for the innominate artery and a fenestration for the left common carotid artery. The left subclavian artery was occluded with a microvascular plug and coil embolization up to the level of the vertebral artery. TEVAR PMEG extension to the celiac artery was performed followed by deployment of a Zenith dissection stent to the aortic bifurcation. Completion angiogram demonstrated successful aneurysm exclusion and patency of target vessels., Conclusion: Endovascular treatment of ruptured TAA with PMEGs is feasible. This approach may be an alternative for unfit patients for open repair in emergent settings., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: M.L.K. is a consultant for W. L. Gore & Associates. M.S.B. has received research support from Cook Medical Inc, W.L. Gore & Associates. C.H.T. has been a consultant for and received research support from Cook Medical Inc, W.L. Gore & Associates and Phillips Healthcare.

Endovascular stent grafting is becoming more common in treating complex thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. When it becomes necessary to cover the supra-aortic vessels, maintaining blood supply through the supra-aortic branches can be achieved by performing in situ needle fenestration. We present a case of a 65-year-old man with a type B aortic dissection that extended from the origin of the left subclavian artery. A stent graft was inserted into the thoracic aorta distally of the origin of the left common carotid artery. Due to the stent graft moving distally and not adequately sealing the subclavian artery, a second stent graft was placed more proximally. Both stent grafts were successfully in situ fenestrated using a needle, and a stent graft was inserted into the subclavian artery. In conclusion, during thoracic endovascular aortic repair, in situ needle fenestration can be successfully carried out on two overlapping thoracic stent grafts., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: To report outcomes of urgent juxtarenal/pararenal aneurysms (J/P-AAAs) managed by off-the-shelf multibranched thoracoabdominal endografts (Cook, T-branch)., Methods: In this observational, multicenter, retrospective study, patients with J/P-AAAs treated by urgent endovascular repair by T-branch in 23 European aortic centers, from 2013 to 2023, were analyzed. Contained J/P-AAAs rupture, presence of related symptoms, and aneurysm diameter of >70 mm were considered as indication for urgent repair. Technical success (TS), spinal cord ischemia (SCI), and 30-day/hospital mortality were assessed as early outcomes. Survival, freedom from reinterventions, and target artery instability (TAI) were evaluated during follow-up., Results: Overall, 197 patients (J-AAAs, n = 64 [33%]; P-AAAs, n = 95 [48%]; previous failed endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), n = 38 [19%]) were analyzed. The mean age and aneurysm diameter was 75 ± 8 years and 76 ± 4 mm, respectively. The American Society of Anesthesiologists score was 3 and 4 in 118 (60%) and 79 (40%) patients. Rupture, symptoms, and diameter of >70 mm were present in 51 (26%), 110 (56%), and 53 (27%) patients, respectively. An adjunctive proximal thoracic endograft was used in 28 cases (14%). The mean aortic coverage between the upper portion of the endograft and the lowest renal artery was 154 ± 49 mm. Single-stage repair and cerebrospinal fluid drainage were reported in 144 (73%) and 53 (27%) cases, respectively. TS was achieved in 182 (92%) cases (rupture, 84% vs no rupture, 95%; P = .02). Failures consist of TA loss (11 [6%]: renal artery, 9; celiac trunk, 2), type I to III endoleaks (2 [1%]), and 24-h mortality (2 [1%]). Rupture was a risk factor for technical failure (P = .02; odds ratio [OR], 3.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-12.1). Overall, 15 patients (8%) had persistent SCI (rupture, 14% vs no rupture, 5%) with 11 (6%) , of paraplegia (rupture, 10% vs no rupture, 5%; P = .001). Rupture (P = .04; OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.1-8.9) and adjunctive proximal thoracic endograft (P = .01; OR, 4.1; 95% CI, 1.3-12.9) were risk-factors for SCI. Twenty-two patients (11%) died within 30 days or during a prolonged hospitalization. Previous failed EVAR (P = .04; OR, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.1-12.3), paraplegia (P < .001; OR, 9.9; 95% CI, 1.6-62.2) and postoperative mesenteric complications (P = .03; OR, 10.4; 95% CI, 1.2-93.3), as well as cardiac (P = .03; OR, 8.2; 95% CI, 2.0-33.0) and respiratory (P < .001; OR, 10.1; 95% CI, 2.9-35.2) morbidities were associated with 30-day/hospital mortality. The mean follow-up was 19 ± 5 months. The estimated 3-year survival and freedom from reinterventions was 58% and 77%, respectively. TAI occurred in 27 patients (14%) (occlusion, 15; endoleak, 14) with an estimated 3-year freedom from TAI of 72%., Conclusions: Urgent repair of J/P-AAAs by T-branch is feasible and effective with satisfactory TS and 30-day/hospital mortality in high-risk patients. However, extensive aortic coverage is necessary, leading to a non-negligible SCI rate, especially in case of aortic rupture or when adjunctive thoracic endografts are necessary. Previous failed EVAR and postoperative mesenteric complications, as well as cardiac and respiratory morbidities were associated with 30-day/hospital mortality and should be subjected to more research for the purposes of improving outcomes., Competing Interests: Disclosures E.G., G.F., M.A., N.T., G.M., G.S., A.K., K.O., K.M., L.M.P., and M.G. are proctors for Cook Medical and received travel, educational grants, or speaker's fees. T.K., N.D., and S.H. are consultants for Cook Medical and they have intellectual property with Cook Medical and received speaking fees, and research, travel, and educational grants., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Thoracic aortic aneurysms evolving within a type IIIb chronic aortic dissection are mostly treated with the deployment of an endograft. However, several cases of dissecting aneurysms are associated with a significant dilatation of the aortic arch. These cases are usually managed in 2 steps: arch reconstruction or supra-aortic trunk debranching at first and a secondary graft deployment for the descending thoracic aorta. We present through this case series an alternative approach for this severe condition which consists in the replacement of the thoracic aorta from its hemi-arch to the distal thoracic or visceral aorta using a left thoracotomy. We deliberately neglected the remaining dissecting aorta if its diameter was below 45 mm, hypothesizing its nonevolution after repair. From 2012 to 2021, 9 patients have been treated for a thoracic aneurysm evolving after a IIIb chronic aortic dissection using a left thoracotomy and a 19°C circulatory arrest. Immediate postoperative results show no mortality or neurological disorders, and the 7 years follow-up for all of these 9 cases enlightened the absence of aneurysmal evolution especially for the distal anastomosis and the remaining dissected aorta. This work suggests that this direct approach strategy can definitively treat a thoracic dissecting aneurysm unsuitable for a simple endovascular treatment., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fenestration configuration and fenestration gap on renal artery outcomes during fenestrated-branched endovascular aortic repair (F/BEVAR)., Methods: A retrospective multicenter analysis was performed, including patients with complex aortic aneurysms treated with F/BEVAR that incorporated at least one small fenestration to a renal artery. The renal fenestrations were divided into groups 1 (8 × 6 mm) and 2 (6 × 6 mm). Primary patency, target vessel instability (TVI), freedom from secondary interventions (SIs), occurrence of type IIIc endoleak, all related to the renal arteries, were analyzed at 30-day, 1-year, and 5-year landmarks. The fenestration gap (FG) distance was analyzed as a modifier, and clustering was addressed at the patient level., Results: A total of 796 patients were included in this study, 71.7% male, with a mean age of 73.3 ± 8.1 years. The mean follow-up was 30.0 ± 20.6 months. Of the 1474 small renal fenestrations analyzed, 47.6% were 8 × 6 mm, and 52.4% were 6 × 6 mm. At the 30-day landmark, primary patency (99.9% vs 98.0%; P value < .001 for groups 1 and 2, respectively), freedom from TVI (99.6% vs 97.1%; P value < .001 for groups 1 and 2, respectively), and freedom from SI (99.8% vs 98.4%; P value = .022 for groups 1 and 2, respectively) were higher in 8 × 6 compared with 6 × 6 fenestrations, and the incidence of acute kidney injury was similar across the groups (92.6% vs 92.7%; P value = .953 for groups 1 and 2 respectively). The primary patency at 1 and 5 years was higher in 8 × 6 fenestrations (1-year: 98.8% vs 96.9%; 5-year: 97.8% vs 95.7%, for groups 1 and 2, respectively, P values = .010 and .021 for 1 and 5 year comparisons, respectively). The freedom from SIs was significantly higher among 6 × 6 fenestrations at 5 years (93.1% vs 96.4%, for groups 1 and 2, respectively, P value = .007). The groups were equally as likely to experience a type Ic endoleak (1.3% and 1.6% for 8 × 6 and 6 × 6mm fenestrations, respectively, P = .689). The 6 × 6 fenestrations were associated with higher risk of kidney function deterioration (17.8%) when compared with 8 × 6 fenestrations (7.6%) at 5 years (P < .001). The risk of type IIIc endoleak was significantly higher among 8 × 6 fenestrations at 5 years (4.9% and 2% for 8 × 6 and 6 × 6 mm fenestrations, respectively; P = .005). A FG ≥5 mm negatively impacted the cumulative 5-year freedom from TVI (group 1: FG ≥5 mm = 0.714, FG <5 mm = 0.857; P < .001; group 2: FG ≥5 mm = 0.761, FG <5 mm = 0.929; P < .001) and the cumulative 5-year freedom from type IIIc endoleak (group 1: FG ≥5 mm = 0.759, FG <5 mm = 0.921; P = .034; group 2: FG ≥5 mm = 0.853, FG <5 mm = 0.979; P < .001) in both groups and the cumulative 5-year patency in group 2 (group 1: FG ≥5 mm = 0.963, FG <5 mm = 0.948; P = .572; group 2: FG ≥5 mm = 0.905, FG <5 mm = 0.938; P = .036)., Conclusions: Fenestration configuration for the renal arteries impacts outcomes. The 8 × 6 small fenestrations have better patency at 30 days, 1 year, and 5 years, whereas 6 × 6 small fenestrations are associated with lower rates of SIs, primarily due to a lower incidence of type IIIc endoleaks. FG ≥5 mm at the level of the renal arteries significantly impacts the freedom from TVI, freedom from type IIIc endoleak, and 5-year patency independently of the fenestration size or vessel diameter., Competing Interests: Disclosures F.E.P. reports stock options from Centerline Biomedical. G.O. reports consulting for Gore, Cook, GE, and Centerline Biomedical. B.M. reports research funding from Gore and Cook; and aortic advisory board for Medtronic (all paid to Mayo Clinic). M.A.F. reports consulting and clinical trial support from WL Gore; consulting for Getinge; research support and clinical trial support from Cook; consulting and clinical trial support from ViTTA; and stock options and clinical trial support from Centerline Biomedical., (Copyright © 2024 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) requires extensive preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative imaging for planning, surveillance, and detection of endo-leaks. There have been manyadvancements in imaging modalities to achieve this purpose. This review discussed different imaging modalities used at different stages of treatment of complex EVAR., Methods: We conducted a literature review of all the imaging modalities utilized in EVAR by searching various databases., Results: Preoperative techniques include analysis of images obtained via modified central line using analysis software and intravascular ultrasound. Fusion imaging (FI), carbon dioxide (CO2) angiography, intravascular ultrasound, and Fiber Optic RealShape (FORS) technology have been crucial in obtaining real-time imaging for the detection of endo-leaks during operative procedures. Conventional imaging modalities like computed tomography (CT) angiography (CTA) and magnetic resonance (MR) angiography are still employed for postoperative surveillance along with computational fluid dynamics and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). The advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have been the breakthrough in developing robust imaging applications., Conclusions: This review explains the advantages, disadvantages, and side-effect profile of the abovementioned imaging modalities., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device is emerging as a novel therapy for intracranial aneurysms, but its use for off-label indications requires further study. Using machine learning, we aimed to develop predictive models for complete occlusion after off-label WEB treatment and to identify factors associated with occlusion outcomes., Methods: This multicenter, retrospective study included 162 patients who underwent off-label WEB treatment for intracranial aneurysms. Baseline, morphological, and procedural variables were utilized to develop machine-learning models predicting complete occlusion. Model interpretation was performed to determine significant predictors. Ordinal regression was also performed with occlusion status as an ordinal outcome from better (Raymond Roy Occlusion Classification [RROC] grade 1) to worse (RROC grade 3) status. Odds ratios (OR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were reported., Results: The best performing model achieved an AUROC of 0.8 for predicting complete occlusion. Larger neck diameter and daughter sac were significant independent predictors of incomplete occlusion. On multivariable ordinal regression, higher RROC grades (OR 1.86, 95 % CI 1.25-2.82), larger neck diameter (OR 1.69, 95 % CI 1.09-2.65), and presence of daughter sacs (OR 2.26, 95 % CI 0.99-5.15) were associated with worse aneurysm occlusion after WEB treatment, independent of other factors., Conclusion: This study found that larger neck diameter and daughter sacs were associated with worse occlusion after WEB therapy for aneurysms. The machine learning approach identified anatomical factors related to occlusion outcomes that may help guide patient selection and monitoring with this technology. Further validation is needed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An abnormal fistulation occurring between a prosthetic dialysis graft and an adjacent native vein is a rare complication. However, in our patient, this abnormality ended up preserving the patency of his hemodialysis vascular access. We present a case of an unconventional hemodialysis vascular access making use of the graft-vein fistula., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of urgency on early and midterm outcomes of the Candy-Plug (CP) technique for distal false lumen (FL) occlusion in thoracic endovascular aortic repair for aortic dissection., Methods: The CP registry was reviewed, and patients were categorized into elective and urgent/emergent groups for analysis. End points included technical success, clinical success, early (30-day) computed tomography angiography findings, early (30-day) mortality, adverse events, and aortic remodeling in patients with available computed tomography angiography follow-up and reintervention., Results: A total of 155 patients received a custom-made CP, of whom 32 patients (44% male, mean age 61 ± 9 years) were treated urgently and 123 patients (63% male, mean age 62 ± 11 years) electively. The primary CP rate was higher in the urgent group (28/32, 88%, in the urgent group vs 96/123, 78%, in the elective group, P = .051). The mean contrast volume was higher in the urgent group (157 ± 56 mL in the urgent group vs 130 ± 71 mL in the elective group, P = .017). Technical success was achieved in all patients in both groups. Clinical success was achieved in 25 of 32 (78%) patients in the urgent group vs 113 and 123 (92%) in the elective group (P = .159). The early mortality rate was 13% (4 of 32 patients) in the urgent group vs 1% (1 of 123 patients) in the elective group (P = .120). There was no statistically significant difference regarding the early adverse events between the urgent and elective CP groups. Early aortic-related reinterventions were required in 6 of 32 (19%) patients in the urgent group vs 6 of 123 (5%) in the elective group (P = .094). Thoracic aortic aneurysm sac regression was lower in the urgent group (5/28, 18%, in the urgent group vs 63/114, 55%, in the elective group, P = .001). Stable thoracic aortic aneurysm sac was higher in the urgent group (22/28, 79%, in the urgent group vs 47/114, 41%, in the elective group, P = .000). An increase in thoracic aortic aneurysm sac occurred in 1 of 28 (4%) patients in the urgent group vs 4 of 114 (4%) patients in the elective group (P = .096)., Conclusions: The urgent use of the CP technique for distal FL occlusion in aortic dissection was feasible and effective. The decrease in aortic FL sac diameter may be affected by the urgent use of CP due to limited sizing availability. However, it achieved a high rate of aortic remodeling., Competing Interests: Disclosures T.K. has intellectual property with Cook Medical; and receives royalties, research, travel and educational grant, speaking fees from and is a consultant and proctor for Cook Medical. S.H. is a consultant for Cook Medical, GE Healthcare, and Bentley. L.B. is a proctor and consultant for Cook Medical. S.T. is a consultant and speaker for WL Gore and Medtronic. T.L. is a proctor and consultant for Cook Canada. T.J. has travel grants, consultation fees, and proctorship fees from Cook Medical and Hammered (Polish representative of Cook Medical). J.S. is a speaker, proctor, and consultant for Cook Medical. N.T. is a proctor for Cook Medical and receives institutional grant from Cook Medical. G.P. is a proctor for Cook Medical. The remaining authors report no conflicts., (Copyright © 2024 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare and evaluate early and midterm outcomes of a novel no cross approach with short tip vs. standard tip introducer systems for all distal components to prevent target vessel bridging stent kink or collapse during fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (FEVAR)., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on all patients who underwent FEVAR at a tertiary referral centre between October 2016 and July 2022. The inclusion criterion was the use of renal artery fenestrations. Patients who had chronic dissections were included. Endpoints were analysed in two groups comprising the no cross group and the standard group, with all cases being consecutive in their respective groups. Cone beam computed tomography was used intra-operatively in all cases, and post-operative computed tomography angiograms and re-interventions were reviewed. Primary endpoints included technical success, intra-operative adjunctive procedures, adverse events related to the fenestration, and re-interventions, while secondary endpoints were secondary interventions and overall mortality rate., Results: Seventy patients (35 in each group) were enrolled in the study, with 64 (91%) having juxtarenal aneurysms. There were no differences in demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, or aneurysm characteristics between the two groups. The no cross group demonstrated a significantly higher technical success rate (100% in all cases) compared with the standard group (29 cases, 83%; p = .010). Additionally, there were statistically significantly fewer intra-operative adjunctive procedures required in the no cross group (1.5% of fenestrations) compared with the standard group (8.2% of fenestrations) (p = .013). The overall median follow up was 32 months (interquartile range 22, 62 months)., Conclusion: Implementation of a novel no cross concept during FEVAR, using a short dilator introducer tip on the distal bifurcated component and iliac extensions, significantly reduced intra-operative fenestration related adverse events and enhanced technical success. Further studies with larger patient populations and longer follow up are needed to confirm these findings., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: To investigate impact of frozen elephant trunk (FET) on long-term distal aortic remodeling in acute A aortic dissection (AAD) according to the latest recommended standards from the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS)/Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)., Methods: Clinical data and imaging of patients who underwent FET to treat acute AAD over the last 8 years were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were included if a pre and postoperative computed angio tomographies at least 30 days from surgery was available for comparison. Contrasted postprocessed imaging were analyzed with Aquarius iNtuition (TeraRecon Inc., Foster City, CA, USA) to analyze long-term positive aortic remodeling, false lumen thrombosis, and aortic expansion according to the SVS or STS recommendations. Secondary endpoints were the rate of in-hospital and long-term mortality, spinal cord ischemia (SCI), and aortic-related reinterventions., Results: Out of 75 patients who underwent FET for type A AAD, n = 41 (54.6%) were included. Significant positive aortic remodeling was reported in Ishimaru zone 1-4 but not in visceral or infrarenal aorta (P < 0.001), and the overall rate of false lumen thrombosis was 95.1% (n = 39). Aortic expansion rates were as follows: 4.9% in zones 1-4, 8.3% in zones 5-6, and 15% in zone 7. The rates of in-hospital mortality and long-term mortality were 7.3% (n = 3) and 9.7% (n = 4), respectively. At a median follow-up of 11 months (range 1-141, reintervention rate was 17.1%., Conclusions: We report positive aortic remodeling of the distal thoracic aorta in patients who underwent FET for acute AAD according to the SVS or STS reporting standards. The positive effect on the distal aorta is limited to the thoracic segments but not in the visceral aorta., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aimed to determine the influences of varying severity of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) on the outcomes after thoracic endovascular aorta repair (TEVAR) in patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection (TBAD)., Methods: This observational study focused on individuals with TBAD plus SAS who received TEVAR between January 2018 and December 2022. Patients were divided into groups according to the results of the portable sleep-breathing monitoring systems: mild SAS (MSAS) and moderate-to-severe SAS (MSSAS). Clinical profiles were collected and analyzed., Results: A total of 121 cases with TBAD plus SAS who underwent TEVAR were enrolled in this study. Two groups were formed by stratifying these cases: MSAS (74 cases) and MSSAS (47 cases). The MSSAS cases were found to be older relative to MSAS cases (51.7 ± 8.3 years vs 57.1 ± 12.8 years; P = .012) and had a higher body mass index (BMI; 25.7 ± 2.3 kg/m 2 vs 27.0 ± 2.3 kg/m 2 ; P = .038). The investigation did not find any appreciable differences between the MSAS and MSSAS groups in terms of complications (endoleak, P = .403; stent-induced new entry, P >.999; and stent displacement: P >.999). However, the MSSAS group exhibited a significantly higher overall mortality rate compared with the MSAS group (log-rank P = .027). The tendency continued when examining cases with Marfan syndrome combined with MSSAS, where the overall mortality rate was significantly greater compared with Marfan syndrome cases with MSAS (log-rank P = .037). The absence of a significant difference was noteworthy in the freedom from reintervention between the MSAS and MSSAS groups (log-rank P = .278). The overall mortality rate was significantly higher in MSSAS group even after adjusting for varying potential confounders in the multivariate cox regression analysis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.875; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.238-2.586; P = .012). A markedly higher rate of distal stent dilation in the MSSAS group was also observed compared with the MSAS group (HR, 2.5 mm/year [95% CI, 2-3 mm/year] vs HR, 4 mm/year [95% CI, 2.0-5.5 mm/year]; P = .029)., Conclusions: MSSAS is associated with a significantly higher risk of overall mortality and dilation rate of the distal stent after TEVAR for TBAD patients. Hence, aggressive efforts to reverse the severity of SAS in time in these individuals seem to be necessary., Competing Interests: Disclosures None., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is a rare and aggressive mesenchymal tumor, with less than 400 reported cases to date. Complete resection of the tumor with clear margins is the only proven curative treatment, providing survival benefits. Nonetheless, leiomyosarcomas in the middle segment or those extending up to it within the inferior vena cava (IVC) frequently necessitate renal reimplantation or nephrectomy, with rates varying between 56% and 75%. In this case report, we present a 65-year-old female with lower segment IVC leiomyosarcoma with middle segment extension, successfully resected and reconstructed while avoiding associated renal reimplantation or nephrectomy morbidity., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze early and midterm results of custom-made proximal scallop and fenestrated stent grafts for thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) with a proximal landing zone (PLZ) in the aortic arch., Methods: All consecutive patients treated with the custom made proximal scalloped and fenestrated Relay stent grafts (Terumo Aortic Bolton Medical Inc.) in 10 Italian centers between January 2014 and December 2022 were included. The primary end points were technical success, incidence of intraoperative major adverse events, deployment accuracy, and rate of early neurological complications, endoleaks (ELs) and retrograde aortic dissection., Results: During the study period, 49 patients received TEVAR with Relay custom-made endograft in Italy were enrolled. The median patient age was 70.1 years (interquartile range, 23-86 years) and 65.3% were male. The indication for treatment was atherosclerotic aneurysms in 59.2% of cases and penetrating aortic ulcer in 22.4%. The endograft configuration was proximal fenestration in 55.1% and scallop in 44.9%. The proximal landing zone was zone 0 in 25 cases (51%), zone 1 in 14 cases (28.6%), and zone 2 in 10 cases (20.4%). The supra-aortic debranching procedures were 38 (77.5%). Technical success was 97.9% (48/49) owing to one case (2.0%) of inaccurate deployment. Intraoperatively, one (2.0%) type Ia and one (2.0%) type III EL were detected. There were no cases of in-hospital mortality, major adverse events, or retrograde dissection. Three minor strokes (6.1%) (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of ≤4) were observed. At a mean follow-up time of 36.3 ± 21.3 months the rate of types I to III ELs and reintervention was 4.1%, respectively. Four patients (8.2%) died during the follow-up period, one (2.1%) from abdominal aortic rupture and three (6.1%) from nonaortic causes., Conclusions: Our early and midterm outcomes suggest that scalloped and fenestrated TEVAR may provide an acceptable alternative treatment option for aortic arch pathologies. Large-scale studies are needed to assess the long-term durability of this technique., Competing Interests: Disclosures None., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To compare the safety and effectiveness of n-butyl cyanoacrylate (nBCA)-ethiodized oil (NE) mixture and nBCA-ethiodized oil-ethanol (NEE) mixture embolization for Type II endoleak (T2EL) after endovascular aortic repair., Materials and Methods: This study included 32 patients with 49 procedures who underwent T2EL embolization between January 2008 and June 2022. Cases with no follow-up after embolization, technical failure, treatment with coil only, Type I endoleak at the embolization, and re-embolization were excluded. The resultant final cohort included 24 patients (14 men and 10 women; mean age, 83.3 years [interquartile range, 77-89 years]) who underwent initial T2EL embolization, with 15 patients in the NE group and 9 patients in the NEE group. The 2 groups were compared in terms of adverse events (AEs), freedom from sac enlargement, and freedom from reintervention., Results: The follow-up period after embolization for T2EL was 960 days (SD ± 1,007) in the NE group and 484 days (SD ± 192) in the NEE group, without significant differences. No AEs above moderate were observed in either group. The rate of freedom from sac enlargement at 1 year was 65.0% in the NE group and 87.5% in the NEE group (P = .03). The rate of freedom from reintervention at 1 year was 69.2% in the NE group and 100.0% in the NEE group (P = .02)., Conclusions: The NEE group had significantly higher rates of freedom from sac enlargement and reintervention at 1 year compared with the NE group. These results suggest that T2EL embolization with NEE may be more effective than that with NE., (Copyright © 2024 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Late open conversion (LOC) following endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is a rare complication with a high morbidity and mortality and is often proposed as the last line of treatment after failure of endovascular reintervention of any type. This study aimed to highlights the limitations of EVAR follow-up imaging in characterizing endoleaks, which may contribute to the failure of endovascular reinterventions and lead to LOC., Methods: This retrospective cohort study recruited all EVAR implanted in Amiens University Hospital (France) between January 2008 and December 2022. Elective LOC was defined as surgical conversion >1 month after EVAR. The primary endpoint was the rate of wrong categorization of endoleaks by follow-up exams before LOC. Secondary endpoints were the morbidity and the mortality associated with LOC., Results: Seven hundred eight EVARs were performed in our institution, 30 required elective LOC. Twenty-five of them were treated for sac enlargement due to an endoleak (83.3%) (all types). Wrong categorization of the endoleak was noted in 13 patients (52.2%). Twelve of these recategorizations involved the preoperative diagnosis of a type II endoleaks (92.3%). The change in categorization in 7 out of 12 cases (58%) was in favor of a type I endoleak, other recategorization included 1 type III (8%) and 4 type IV (33%). One patient died during the 30-day postoperative period and 7 patients (28%) presented a major complication; the median length of stay was 13 days (interquartile range 9-21)., Conclusions: Routine follow-up examinations such as angioscanner and contrast Doppler ultrasound appear to be limited in their ability to categorize the type of persistent endoleak, which may increase the number of patients requiring LOC. New precision diagnostic imaging techniques, such as dynamic examinations, need to be developed to limit the need for LOC., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Several studies have reported short- and intermediate-term outcomes after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (DTAA); however, reports on long-term (10 years) outcomes are sparse. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze predictors impacting long-term outcome after TEVAR for DTAA., Methods: Databases from four academic institutions were reviewed and consecutive cases of TEVAR for DTAA between 1999 and 2021 were included in this retrospective multicenter study (case series). Ethical approval from the institutional review board was obtained and patient demographics and treatment data, as well as follow-up information were retrieved and analyzed., Results: We identified 305 patients (mean age, 72 ± 10 years) who were treated with TEVAR for degenerative DTAA with a mean aortic diameter of 64 mm. Altogether 445 endografts were implanted via femoral access (93%) with a technical success of 94%. Operative mortality, stroke rate, and rate of spinal cord ischemia were 6% (5% for intact, 12% for ruptured DTAA), 4%, and 3%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier estimates for overall survival rates were 76%, 59% and 34% at 1, 5 and 10 years and freedom from reintervention rates were 84%, 73% and 58% at 1, 5 and 10 years, respectively. In multivariate analysis, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 3 to 5 and nonelective case were identified as predictors for death, whereas as fusiform DTAA, proximal landing zone 2, and hypertension, but not device generation, were predictive for reintervention., Conclusions: This study is, to date, the largest reporting long-term (10 years) outcome on TEVAR for DTAA. We found acceptable rates for long-term survival and freedom from reintervention that were independent of endovascular device generation., Competing Interests: Disclosures B.D. received educational grants from Vascutek/Terumo Aortic and W. L. Gore & Associates and consultancy fees from Cook Medical. A.O. received an educational grant from Jotec; speaker and traveling fees from Cook Medical, Jotec, Lombard, Medtronic, W. L. Gore & Associates, and Endologix; and is proctor/part of the advisory board of Jotec. H.E.B. received an educational grant from W. L. Gore & Associates, and consultancy fees from Vascutek/Terumo Aortic., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Advanced endovascular techniques, such as fenestrated stent grafts, are nowadays available that permit minimally invasive treatment of complex abdominal aortic aneurysms. However, thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm patients have anatomic limitations to fenestrated stent-grafts given a large lumen, that is, the gap between the endograft and the inner aortic wall. This has led to the development of branched endovascular aneurysm repair as the ideal option for such patients. The Zenith t-Branch multibranched endograft (Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN), which has been commercially available in Europe to treat thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm since June 2012, represents a feasible off-the-shelf alternative for treatment of such pathologies, especially in the urgent setting, for patients who cannot wait the time required for manufacturing and delivery of custom-made endografts. The device's anatomical suitability should be considered, especially for female patients with smaller iliofemoral vessels. Several tips may help deal with particularly complex scenarios (such as, for instance, in case of narrow inner aortic lumens or when treating patients with failure of prior endovascular aneurysm repair), and a broad array of techniques and devices must be available to ensure technical and clinical success. Despite promising early outcomes, concerns remain particularly regarding the risk for spinal cord ischemia and further assessment of long-term durability is needed, including the rate of target vessel instability and need for secondary interventions. As the published evidence mainly comes from retrospective registries, it is likely that reported outcomes may suffer from an intrinsic bias as most procedures reported to date have been carried out at high-volume aortic centers. Nonetheless, with the never-ceasing adoption of new and refined techniques, outcomes are expected to ameliorate., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Endovascular repair of aortic dissections may be complicated by inadequate sealing zones, persistent false lumen perfusion, and limited space for catheter manipulation and target artery incorporation. The aim of this study was to describe the indications, technical success, and early outcomes of transcatheter electrosurgical septotomy (TES) during endovascular repair of aortic dissections., Methods: We reviewed the clinical data of consecutive patients treated by endovascular repair of aortic dissections with adjunctive TES in two centers between 2021 and 2023. End points were technical success, defined by successful septotomy without dislodgment of the lamella or target artery occlusion, and 30-day rates of major adverse events (MAEs)., Results: Among 197 patients treated by endovascular repair for aortic dissections, 36 patients (18%) (median age, 61.5 years (interquartile range, 55.0-72.5 years; 83% male) underwent adjunctive TES for acute (n = 3 [8%]), subacute (n = 1 [3%]), or chronic postdissection aneurysms (n = 32 [89%]). Indications for TES were severe true lumen (TL) compression (≤16 mm) in 28 patients (78%), target vessel origin from false lumen in 19 (53%), creation of suitable landing zone in 12 (33%), and organ/limb malperfusion in four (11%). Endovascular repair included fenestrated-branched endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) in 18 patients (50%), thoracic EVAR/EVAR/PETTICOAT in 11 (31%), and arch branch repair in 7 (19%). All patients had dissections extending through zones 5 to 7, and 28 patients (78%) underwent TES across the renal-mesenteric segment. Technical success of TES was 92% (33/36) for all patients and 97% (32/33) among those with subacute or chronic postdissection aneurysms. There were three technical failures, including two patients with acute dissections with inadvertent superior mesenteric artery dissection in one patient and distal dislodgement of the dissection lamella in two patients. There were no arterial disruptions. The mean postseptotomy aortic lumen increased from 13.2 ± 4.8 mm to 28.4 ± 6.8 mm (P < .001). All 18 patients treated by fenestrated-branched EVAR had successful incorporation of 78 target arteries. There was one early death (3%) from stroke, and three patients (8%) had major adverse events. After a median follow-up of 8 months (interquartile range, 4.5-13.5 months), 13 patients (36%) had secondary interventions, and two (6%) died from non-aortic-related events. There were no other complications associated with TES., Conclusions: TES is an adjunctive technique that may optimize sealing zones and luminal aortic diameter during endovascular repair of subacute and chronic postdissection. Although no arterial disruptions or target vessel loss occurred, patients with acute dissections are prone to technical failures related to dislodgement of the lamella., Competing Interests: Disclosures C.H.T. and M.S.B. are consultants for and received research support from Cook Medical Inc., W. L. Gore & Associates, and Philips Medical Systems Netherland BV; G.S.O. has received consulting fees and/or grants from W. L. Gore & Associates, Centerline Biomedical, and GE Healthcare. G.S.O. has consulting and scientific advisory board agreement with Cook Medical Inc., (Copyright © 2024 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Although arteriovenous fistula (AVF) continues to be the vascular access of choice for the hemodialysis, arteriovenous graft (AVG) can be the best choice in certain categories of patients and could have several advantages over AVF in a "patient centered approach" to vascular access. In the clinical management of prosthetic fistulas, color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) is the imaging method of choice for identifying stenosis and other AVG complications. In this review, besides highlighting the pivotal role of CDU in the diagnosis of AVG complications, we will underline the key role that ultrasound can play in identifying those stenosis most likely to cause AVG thrombosis. Furthermore, we will emphasize the support that CDU can play in distinguishing the different types of grafts and prosthetic devices such as stent-grafts, in identifying AVG with lower survival, CDU utilities and limitations in the evaluation of freshly-implanted grafts, the different sites available for AVG volume flow measurement and their use based on the configuration of the prosthesis, the time interval elapsed from the surgical intervention and the integrity of the prosthetic walls., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: Challenging infrarenal aortic neck characteristics have been associated with an increased risk of type Ia endoleak after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Short apposition (< 10 mm circumferential shortest apposition length [SAL]) on the first post-operative computed tomography angiography (CTA) has been associated with type Ia endoleak. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a model to predict post-operative SAL in patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm based on the pre-operative shape., Methods: A statistical shape model was developed to obtain principal component scores. The dataset comprised patients treated by standard EVAR without complications (n = 93) enriched with patients with a late type Ia endoleak (n = 54). The infrarenal SAL was obtained from the first post-operative CTA and subsequently binarised (< 10 mm and ≥ 10 mm). The principal component scores that were statistically different between the SAL groups were used as input for five classification models, and evaluated by means of leave one out cross validation. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were determined for each classification model., Results: Of the 147 patients, 24 patients had an infrarenal SAL < 10 mm and 123 patients had a SAL ≥ 10 mm. The gradient boosting model resulted in the highest AUC of 0.77. Using this model, 114 patients (77.6%) were correctly classified; sensitivity (< 10 mm apposition was correctly predicted) and specificity (≥ 10 mm apposition was correctly predicted) were 0.70 and 0.79 based on a threshold of 0.21, respectively., Conclusion: A model was developed to predict which patients undergoing EVAR will achieve sufficient graft apposition (≥ 10 mm) in the infrarenal aortic neck based on a statistical shape model of pre-operative CTA data. This model can help vascular specialists during the planning phase to accurately identify patients who are unlikely to achieve sufficient apposition after standard EVAR., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Global Iliac Branch Study (NCT05607277) is an international, multicenter, retrospective cohort study of anatomic predictors of adverse iliac events (AIEs) in aortoiliac aneurysms treated with iliac branch devices (IBDs)., Methods: Patients with pre-IBD and post-IBD computed tomography imaging were included. We measured arterial diameters, stenosis, calcification, bifurcation angles, and tortuosity indices using a standardized, validated protocol. A composite of ipsilateral AIE was defined, a priori, as occlusion, type I or III endoleak, device constriction, or clinical event requiring reintervention. Paired t-test compared tortuosity indices and splay angles pretreatment and post-treatment for all IBDs and by device material (stainless steel and nitinol). Two-sample t-test compared anatomical changes from pretreatment to post-treatment by device material. Logistic regression assessed associations between AIE and anatomic measurements. Analysis was performed by IBD., Results: We analyzed 297 patients (286 males, 11 females) with 331 IBDs (227 stainless steel, 104 nitinol). Median clinical follow-up was 3.8 years. Iliac anatomy was significantly straightened with all IBD treatment, though stainless steel IBDs had a greater reduction in total iliac artery tortuosity index and aortic splay angle compared to nitinol IBDs (absolute reduction -0.20 [-0.22 to -0.18] vs. -0.09 [-0.12 to -0.06], P < 0.0001 and -19.6° [-22.4° to -16.9°] vs. -11.2° [-15.3° to -7.0°], P = 0.001, respectively). There were 54 AIEs in 44 IBDs in 42 patients (AIE in 13.3% of IBD systems), requiring 35 reinterventions (median time to event 41 days; median time to reintervention 153 days). There were 18 endoleaks, 29 occlusions, and 5 device constrictions. There were no strong associations between anatomic measurements and AIE overall, though internal iliac diameter was inversely associated with AIE in nitinol devices (n AIE, nitinol  = 8)., Conclusions: Purpose-built IBDs effectively treat aortoiliac disease, including that with tortuous anatomy, with a high patency rate (91.5%) and low reintervention rate (9.1%) at 4 years. Anatomic predictors of AIE are limited., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Arteriovenous graft (AVG) is an alternative for hemodialysis (HD) patients with end-stage renal disease when their permanent vascular accesses fail. Since the last decades, the most widely used materials in these patients have been polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-AVGs. Recently, several studies have reported that early cannulation (EC)-AVG can be an alternative to PTFE-AVG. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the outcomes of EC-AVG and PTFE-AVG in HD patients. We searched the Ovid Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for the relevant studies published from 01.01.2000 to 19.12.2022 by keywords and free words. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational cohort studies comparing EC-AVG with PTFE-AVG were included. Ten studies were included in analysis: one RCT, six retrospective cohort studies, and three prospective cohort studies. The results showed shorter cannulation intervals (four studies, 1116 participants: mean difference -23.62 days, 95% CI [-32.03, -15.21], p  < 0.05) and less central venous catheter (CVC) usage (four studies, 733 participants: OR 0.20, 95% CI [0.04, 0.92], p  < 0.05) for EC-AVG compared with PTFE-AVG, while comparable outcomes of primary patency (eight studies, 1712 participants: HR 0.89, 95% CI [0.70, 1.12]), primary assisted patency (five studies, 1355 participants: HR 1.13, 95% CI [0.70, 1.84]), secondary patency (nine studies, 1920 participants: HR 0.93, 95% CI [0.66, 1.31]), and infection risk (four studies, 640 participants: HR 1.12, 95% CI [0.48, 2.58]). When compared to PTFE-AVG in HD patients, EC-AVG seems to exhibit shorter cannulation intervals, less CVC usage, and comparable outcomes of graft patency, and infection risk., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: Short distances between the lowest visceral/renal artery and the aortic bifurcation are technically challenging during complex endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR), particularly after previous infrarenal repair. Traditionally, inverted limb bifurcated devices have been used in addition to fenestrated-branched (FB) endografts, but short overlap, difficult cannulation, and potential crushing of bridging stents are limitations for their use. This study reviews the early experience of patient-specific company manufactured devices (PS-CMDs) with a unibody bifurcated FB design for complex EVAR., Methods: Consecutive complex EVAR procedures over a 34-month period with unibody bifurcated FB-devices as part of physician-sponsored investigational device exemption studies at two institutions were reviewed. Unibody bifurcated FB designs included FB bifurcated or fenestrated inverted limb devices. End points included technical success, survival, frequency of type I or III endoleaks, limb occlusion, and secondary interventions., Results: Among 168 patients undergoing complex EVAR, 33 patients (19.6%; 78.7% male; mean age, 77 years) received unibody bifurcated FB PS-CMDs. FB bifurcated and fenestrated inverted limb devices were used in 31 (93.9%) and 2 (6.06%) patients, respectively. The median maximum aneurysm diameter was 61 mm (interquartile range [IQR], 55-69 mm). Prior EVAR was reported by 29 patients (87.9%), of whom 2 (6.06%) had suprarenal stents. A short distance between the lowest renal artery and aortic bifurcation was demonstrated in 30 patients (90.9%), with median distance of 47 mm (IQR, 38-54 mm). Preloaded devices were used in 23 patients (69.7%). A total of 128 fenestrations were planned; 22 (17.2%) were preloaded with guidewires and 5 (3.9%) with catheters. The median operative time was 238 minutes (226-300 minutes), with a median fluoroscopy time of 65.5 minutes (IQR, 56.0-77.7 minutes) and a median dose area product of 147 mGy∗cm 2 (IQR, 105-194 mGy∗cm 2 ). Exclusive femoral access was used in 14 procedures (42.4%). Technical success was 100%. Target vessel primary patency was 100% at a median follow-up time of 11.7 months (IQR, 3.5-18.6 months). Two patients (6.06%) required reintervention for iliac occlusion; one patient required stenting and the other a femoral-femoral bypass. No aortic-related deaths occurred after the procedure. During follow-up, 11 type II endoleaks (33.3%) and 1 type Ib endoleak (3.03%) were detected; the latter was treated with leg extension. No type Ia or III endoleaks occurred., Conclusions: Complex EVAR using unibody bifurcated FB-PS-CMDs is a simple, safe, and cost-effective alternative for the treatment of patients with short distances between the renal arteries and the aortic bifurcation. Further studies are required to assess benefits and durability of unibody bifurcated FB devices., Competing Interests: Disclosures M.S.B. and C.H.T. have been consultants for and received research support from Cook Medical Inc, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., and Phillips Healthcare. G.S.O has been a consultant for from Cook Medical Inc, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Centerline Biomedical, and GE Healthcare., (Copyright © 2024 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to report the outcomes of endovascular urgent thoracoabdominal aortic (TAAA) repair, using an off-the-shelf preloaded inner branch device (E-nside; Artivion)., Methods: Data from a physician-initiated national multicenter registry, including patients treated with E-nside endograft (INBREED) were prospectively collected (2020-2024); only urgent cases were included in this study. Primary outcomes were technical success and mortality at 30 days. Secondary outcomes were spinal cord ischemia rate, stroke rate, major adverse events (MAE) as also branch instability at 12 months., Results: Of 185 patients enrolled in the INBREED, 64 (34.5%) were treated in a urgent setting and were included in the study. Reason for urgent repair was presence of aneurysm-related symptoms in 31 patients (48.4%), a contained rupture in eight (12.5%), and a large aneurysm >80 mm in 25 (39.1%). Extent of repair was I to III in 32 patients (50%) and IV in 32 (50%); 18 (28%) had a narrow (<25 mm) paravisceral aortic lumen. An adjunctive proximal thoracic endograft was deployed in 29 patients (45.3%); a distal bifurcated abdominal endograft was used in 33 (51.5%). Two hundred forty-nine target vessels (97.2%) were successfully incorporated through an inner branch from an upper arm (81.2%) or femoral (18.8%) access. A balloon expandable stent was used in 184 (75.7%) target vessels, a self-expandable stent in 59 (24.3%). Mean time for target vessel bridging was 39.9 ± 28.4 minutes per target vessel. Thirty-day cumulative major adverse event (MAE) rate was 28%, and mortality occurred in five patients (9.1%). There was one postoperative stroke (1.6%), and the spinal cord ischemia (SCI) rate was 8% (n = 5). For the 249 target vessels successfully incorporated through an inner branch, 1-year freedom from target vessel instability was 93% ± 3% after 1 year., Conclusions: The E-nside represents a valid solution for the urgent treatment of TAAAs, including symptomatic and ruptured TAAAs, as well as large asymptomatic TAAAs that cannot wait for a custom-made device. The preloaded inner branches and available proximal and distal graft diameters might be useful in urgent settings and provided satisfactory early and 1-year results, in terms of both endograft and target vessel stability. Further studies are required to assess the clinical role of E-nside for urgent TAAA repair., Competing Interests: Disclosures M.P. reports consulting agreement with Artivion. G.P. reports fee for employ tutoring with Artivion. M.A. reports consulting agreement with Artivion., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study's objective is to describe outcomes of adult patients who underwent thoracic stent graft placement treatment for primary or recurrent aortic coarctation., Methods: This is a retrospective study of 30 adult patients who underwent thoracic stent graft placement for aortic coarctation at our institution. Average age was 46.5 years, with 53.3% of patients presented with no prior treatment or repair for coarctation. Indications for repair included gradient ≥20 mm Hg with anatomic evidence of coarctation on imaging with left ventricular hypertrophy, pseudoaneurysm, aneurysm, refractory hypertension, or claudication. Stent grafts used for repair included MDT (Medtronic, Santa Rosa, CA) and GORE TAG (W. L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, AZ)., Results: Patients were observed for a median of 979 days, with one death during the study. All patients had complete resolution of symptoms with no recurrences. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair significantly reduced the gradient across the coarctation (P < 0.0001). Aortic coarctation diameter significantly increased at 30 days postoperatively and continued to increase up to 5 years posttreatment. At 3+ years, aortic remodeling was observed at the coarctation site and surrounding regions. At 30 days, systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure were all reduced. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure continued to significantly improve 1-year posttreatment., Conclusions: Stent grafts are a safe and effective treatment for aortic coarctation. We observed a clinically significant improvement in blood pressure and longitudinal aortic remodeling of the coarctation segment and the entire aorta that persisted more than more than 3 years., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Biofilm formation is one of the greatest challenges encountered in vascular graft infections. Our aim is to compare the efficacy of 5 antibiotics against methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) biofilms on the surface of 4 vascular grafts., Methods: In vitro study of 2 clinical MSSA strains (MSSA2 and MSSA6) and 4 vascular grafts (Dacron, Dacron-silver-triclosan (DST), Omniflow-II, and bovine pericardium). After a 24-hr incubation period, the graft samples were divided into 6 groups: growth control (no treatment), ciprofloxacin 4.5 mg/L, cloxacillin 100 mg/L, dalbavancin 300 mg/L, daptomycin 140 mg/L, and linezolid 20 mg/L. Quantitative cultures were obtained and results expressed as log 10  colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL). Analysis of variance was performed to compare biofilm formation between the different groups., Results: The mean ± standard deviation MSSA2 count on the growth control Dacron graft was 10.05 ± 0.31 CFU/mL. Antibiotic treatment achieved a mean reduction of 45%; ciprofloxacin was the most effective antibiotic (64%). Baseline MSSA2 counts were very low on the DST (0.50 ± 1.03 CFU/mL) and Omniflow-II (0.33 ± 0.78 CFU/mL) grafts. On the bovine pericardium patch, the count was 9.87 ± 0.50 CFU/mL, but this was reduced by a mean of 45% after antibiotic treatment (61% for ciprofloxacin). The mean MSSA6 count on the growth control Dacron graft was 9.63 ± 0.53 CFU/mL. Antibiotics achieved a mean reduction of 48%, with ciprofloxacin performing best (67% reduction). The baseline MSSA6 count on the DST graft was 8.54 ± 0.73 CFU/mL. Antibiotics reduced biofilm formation by 72%; cloxacillin was the most effective treatment (86%). The MSSA6 count on the untreated Omniflow-II graft was 1.17 ± 1.52 CFU/mL. For the bovine pericardium patch, it was 8.98 ± 0.67 CFU/mL. The mean reduction after antibiotic treatment was 46%, with cloxacillin achieving the greatest reduction (68%)., Conclusions: In this in vitro study, ciprofloxacin and cloxacillin performed best at reducing biofilms formed by clinical MSSA strains on the surface of biological and synthetic vascular grafts., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: To present the value of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in diagnosis and treatment of complicated type B aortic dissection with malperfusion. Especially, the value of IVUS regarding the treatment strategy, reoperation rate, acute kidney injury, and false lumen thrombosis was investigated., Methods: Retrospective analysis of 25 type B aortic dissection cases with malperfusion treated with endovascular therapy from April 2019 to August 2022. In 17 cases, angiography and IVUS were applied during the operation (IVUS group), and in 8 cases, angiography was used without IVUS (control group) for final intraoperative control. IVUS was used to assess the true lumen collapse and to decide if additional bare stenting was necessary or not. Details from patients' charts and documentation from surgeries were analyzed. The endovascular technique included thoracic endovascular aortic repair with primary entry sealing and-if needed-bare stenting of the true lumen distal of the entry tears using the Provisional Extension To Induce Complete Attachment (PETTICOAT) technique., Results: All patients presented with pain localized mostly (48%) in thorax and abdomen. In all patients, the proximal entry tear of the dissection was covered using thoracic endovascular aortic repair. The PETTICOAT technique was applied in 13 cases (52%), whereas most combined procedures were applied in the IVUS group (12 compared to 1; P = 0.02). A total of 3 patients (1 in the control group, 12.5% and 2 in the IVUS group, 11.8%) underwent a bowel resection. Totally 8 patients (32%) underwent a reoperation in aorta (3 during the hospital stay). There were no statistical differences between IVUS and control group regarding the preoperative findings, the reoperation rates, and the postoperative complications. Five patients died (4 during the hospital stay); 1 in control and 4 in IVUS group; P = 0.53. The follow-up included a clinical and a computed tomography angiography examination. No statistically significant difference regarding occurrence and extension of false lumen thrombosis was observed between the 2 groups., Conclusions: The IVUS and control groups showed no difference in survival rates. The use of IVUS extended the indication for PETTICOAT technique with statistically significant difference. A milder form of acute kidney injury presented in the IVUS group compared to the control group. In addition, a stronger correlation between IVUS and the avoidance of an aorta reoperation was observed, although it did not reach statistical significance., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study reports the 30-day outcomes of the primary arm of the GORE EXCLUDER Thoracoabdominal Branch Endoprosthesis (TAMBE) pivotal trial for complex abdominal aortic aneurysm repair., Methods: This multicenter, nonrandomized, prospective study of the TAMBE device included patients enrolled in the primary study arm of extent IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms and pararenal aneurysms. Technical success and major adverse events were analyzed per the Society for Vascular Surgery guidelines., Results: The 102 patients of the primary arm who underwent endovascular repair using the TAMBE device were a mean age of 73 ± 6.4 years (range, 58-82 years) and 84 (84.2%) were male. The mean body mass index was 28.3 ± 5.0 kg/m 2 . Fifty-nine patients (57.8%) were treated for extent IV and 43 (42.2%) pararenal aneurysms; the mean maximum diameter of the aneurysms was 59.4 ± 7.8 mm. A prophylactic cerebral spinal fluid drain was used in 10 patients (9.8%). Technical success was achieved in 99% of patients, with the single failure owing to unsuccessful cannulation of the left renal artery. Mean procedure time was 315 ± 103 minutes (range, 163-944 minutes), estimated blood loss was 300 ± 296 mL (range, 10-2000 mL), and contrast administration was 153.6 ± 73.5 mL (range, 16-420 mL). The intensive care unit length of stay was 58.7 ± 52.7 hours (range, 1-288 mL). In 28 patients (27.5%), a total of 32 additional endovascular components were deployed to manage procedural complications including aortic and target vessel dissections and injuries not related to access. Bridging stent grafts were deployed to incorporate 407 target vessels (mean 1.6/per vessel; range, 1-4). Postoperative transfusion was required in 14 patients (13.7%). Major adverse events occurred in seven patients (6.9%) through 30 days. Events included respiratory failure (n = 2), disabling stroke (n = 1), new-onset renal failure requiring dialysis (n = 2), and paraplegia (n = 2). At 30 days, there was one patient with intraoperative rupture; no severe bowel ischemia or lesion-related/all-cause mortality were reported. The Core lab-reported patency was 100% in the aortic component, superior mesenteric artery, and celiac artery, and 95.9% in the left renal and 99.0% in the right renal branch components through 30 days of follow-up. Reinterventions through 30 days were performed in 9 of 96 patients (9.4%) and were all minor., Conclusions: Early TAMBE device outcomes demonstrate a high technical success rate, no 30-day lesion-related mortality, and a low rate of safety events within 30 days of the index procedure., Competing Interests: Disclosures M.F. is a consultant for W. L. Gore & Associates, Cook Medical, Getinge, and ViTAA; and has received research support from Cook Medical, clinical trial support from Centerline Biomedical, W. L. Gore Associates, Cook Medical, and ViTAA; an has stock options in Centerline Biomedical. J.M. has received a research grant from W. L. Gore Associates (granted to University of Colorado). S.H. is a consultant for Cook Medical, Terumo Aortic, and W. L. Gore & Associates (all honoraria paid to USC, no personal income); is on the scientific advisory board for Cook Medical, Terumo Aortic, W. L. Gore & Associates, and Vestek; and has received educational grants from W. L. Gore & Associates and Terumo Aortic, M.M. is on the advisory board of W. L. Gore & Associates. B.S. is a consultant for W. L. Gore & Associates, Cook Medical, Endologix, and Astute Imaging. C.T. has received consulting fees and research support from Cook Medical, W. L. Gore & Associates, and Philips Healthcare. B.M. reports payments to Mayo Clinic, with no personal income, for work on the advisory boards of Cook Medical and Medtronic; as a consultant for Cook Medical and W. L. Gore Associates; and research grants from W. L. Gore Associates and Cook Medical. G.O. reports a consulting agreement with Cook Medical, W. L. Gore Associates, GE Healthcare, and Centerline biomedical; and a research grant from GE Healthcare., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: To describe the outcomes of aortic endograft thrombosis (AET) as an indication for open conversion (OC) after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) in a multicenter experience., Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed cases of OC for AET following EVAR across 12 Italian Vascular Surgery centers from 1997 to September 2022. The end points were as follows: 30-day mortality and major postoperative complications. Follow-up data included survival and aortic-related complications., Results: Sixteen patients (mean age: 68.6 ± 8.5 years) were included. The median elapsed time between EVAR and OC was 26.46 months (interquartile range: 13.8-45.9). Proximal aortic cross-clamping site was supraceliac in 8 out of 16 (50%) patients, and complete removal of the stentgraft was achieved in 75% of cases (12/16 patients). Reconstructions were aorto-bi-iliac grafts in 8 cases (50%), 7 aortobifemoral bypass grafts (43.8%), and 1 aortoaortic tube graft (6.3%). All patients were symptomatic at presentation (68.7% unilateral acute limb ischemia, 25% bilateral acute limb ischemia, 1 patient had chronic severe claudication). Thirty-day mortality was 12.5% (2/16 patients). The overall morbidity rate was 43.8% (7 of 16 patients). No specific risk factors for early mortality were found. The overall estimated survival rate was 80.4% at 1 year, 62.5% at 2 years, and 41.7% at 3 years., Conclusions: OC for AET is typically reserved for complex cases that are not amenable to endovascular solutions. The frequent need for suprarenal clamping and complete endograft removal seems to be associated with high short-term mortality., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Adequate proximal and distal seal zones are necessary for successful thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). Often, the achievement of an adequate distal seal zone requires celiac artery (CA) coverage by endograft with or without preservation of CA blood flow. The outcomes of CA coverage without its flow preservation were studied only in small case series. This study aims to determine the difference in outcomes between CA coverage with vs without preservation of CA blood flow during TEVAR using a multi-institutional national database., Methods: The Vascular Quality Initiative database was reviewed for all TEVAR patients distally landing in zone 6. The cohort was divided into TEVAR with vs without CA flow preservation. Demographic, clinical, and perioperative characteristics, as well as postoperative mortality, morbidities, and complications, were compared between the groups. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed., Results: Of 25,549 reviewed patients, 772 had a distal landing in Zone 6, 212 of which (27.5%) had TEVAR without CA flow preservation, whereas 560 (72.5%) underwent TEVAR with CA flow preservation. Indications for TEVAR were aneurysm in 431 (55.8%), dissection in 247 (32.0%), or other in 94 (12.2%) cases. Patients who underwent TEVAR without CA flow preservation had statistically significantly higher rates of 30-day mortality (11.3% vs 5.9%; P = .010), 30-day disease/treatment-related mortality (8.0% vs 4.3%; P = .039), as well as a tendency of increased intestinal ischemia requiring intervention (1.9% vs 0.5%; P = .077). After adjusting for potential confounders, CA coverage without flow preservation was associated with more than a two-fold increase in the overall 30-day mortality (odds ratio [OR], 2.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35-5.92; P = .006) and 30-day disease/treatment-related mortality (OR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.11-6.72; P = .029). In a sub-group analysis based on disease pathology, these results persisted only in the aneurysm group (30-day mortality [OR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.01-5.48; P = .047]; 30-day disease/treatment-related mortality [OR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.08-7.67; P = .034]), whereas there was no significant association between CA flow preservation status and the endpoints in the dissection subgroup (30-day mortality [OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.22-6.05; P = .856], 30-day disease/treatment-related mortality [OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.16-5.19; P = .911])., Conclusions: CA coverage during TEVAR without preservation of its blood flow is associated with significantly higher mortality in patients with aortic aneurysm, but not dissection. In patients with aortic aneurysm, CA flow should be preserved during TEVAR whenever feasible, whereas in patients with dissection, it may be safe to cover CA without preservation of its flow. Prospective studies should be done to confirm these findings and compare the open vs endovascular revascularization techniques on outcomes., Competing Interests: Disclosures None., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Physician modified endografts (PMEGs) have been widely used in the treatment of complex abdominal aortic aneurysm and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm, however, previous data are limited to small single center studies and robust data on safety and effectiveness of PMEGs are lacking. We aimed to perform an international multicenter study analyzing the outcomes of PMEGs in complex abdominal aortic aneurysms and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms., Methods: An international multicenter single-arm cohort study was performed analyzing the outcomes of PMEGs in the treatment of elective, symptomatic, and ruptured complex abdominal aortic aneurysms and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. Variables and outcomes were defined according to the Society for Vascular Surgery reporting standards. Device modification and procedure details were collected and analyzed. Efficacy outcomes included technical success and safety outcomes included major adverse events and 30-day mortality. Follow-up outcomes included reinterventions, endoleaks, target vessel patency rates and overall and aortic-related mortality. Multivariable analysis was performed aiming at identifying predictors of technical success, 30-day mortality, and major adverse events., Results: Overall, 1274 patients were included in the study from 19 centers. Median age was 74 (IQR, 68-79), and 75.7% were men; 45.7% were complex abdominal aortic aneurysms, and 54.3% were thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms; 65.5% patients presented electively, 24.6% were symptomatic, and 9.9% were ruptured. Most patients (83.1%) were submitted to a fenestrated repair, 3.6% to branched repair, and 13.4% to a combined fenestrated and branched repair. Most patients (85.8%) had ≥3 target vessels included. The overall technical success was 94% (94% in elective, 93.4% in symptomatic, and 95.1% in ruptured cases). Thirty-day mortality was 5.8% (4.1% in elective, 7.6% in symptomatic, and 12.7% in ruptured aneurysms). Major adverse events occurred in 25.2% of cases (23.1% in elective, 27.8% in symptomatic, and 30.3% in ruptured aneurysms). Median follow-up was 21 months (5.6-50.6). Freedom from reintervention was 73.8%, 61.8%, and 51.4% at 1, 3, and 5 years; primary target vessel patency was 96.9%, 93.6%, and 90.3%. Overall survival and freedom from aortic-related mortality was 82.4%/92.9%, 69.9%/91.6%, and 55.0%/89.1% at 1, 3, and 5 years., Conclusions: PMEGs were a safe and effective treatment option for elective, symptomatic, and ruptured complex aortic aneurysms. Long-term data and future prospective studies are needed for more robust and detailed analysis., Competing Interests: The following authors declare conflicts of interest regarding consulting, research grants, advisory boards and/or any compensation fees from the mentioned companies. N. Tsilimparis (Proctor fees, speaking fees and institutional research support), D.J. Adam (speaking, research and proctor fees), L. Mendes Pedro (speaking and proctor fees), L. Bertoglio (speaking and proctor fees), T. Kölbel (speaking and proctor fees, institutional research support, royalties and consulting), and G. Panuccio (proctor and speaking fees) are supported by Cook Medical. R. Gouveia e Melo is supported by Cook Medical (speaking fees), Cordis (speaking fees), and Abbott Laboratories (travel and accommodation for congress). S. Scali is supported by Medtronic Inc, Boston Scientific Corporation, and Cook Medical (food and beverage). B. Mendes is supported by WL Gore & Associates Inc, Cook Medical (consulting, speaker and research fees, all proceeds towards Mayo Clinic), Medtronic Inc (aortic advisory board); and Bolton Medical Inc (food and beverage). S. Han is supported by WL Gore & Associates Inc, Cook Medical, Bolton Medical Inc (research support and consulting with all proceeds towards University of San Diego); Medtronic Inc (travel and lodging); Artivion Inc (food and beverage), Guard Medical Inc (consulting fees), Bolton Medical Inc (food and beverage), Endologix LLC (food and beverage), Silk Road Medical Inc (food and beverage), and Viz.ai Inc(food and beverage). M. Schermerhorn is supported by WL Gore & Associates Inc, Silk Road Medical Inc (travel and lodging), Shape Memory Medical Inc and Medtronic Inc (food and beverage). M. Farber is supported by Cook Medical (research support, honoraria and clinical trial support), Centerline Biomedical Inc, WL Gore & Associates Inc and Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC (consulting), Medtronic Inc and Getinge USA Sales LLC (food and beverage). B. Starnes is supported by Bolton Medical Inc, Terumo Aortic (consulting and travel and lodging), Surmodics Inc, Abbott Laboratories and Medtronic Inc and Cook Medical(food and beverage). D. Branzan is supported by Artivion, Bentley InnoMed, Cook Medical, Endologix, Getinge, and Medtronic (consulting and research support).C. Timaran is supported by Cook Medical, WL Gore & Associates Inc, and Philips Healthcare (research support and consulting). F. Verzini is supported by Cook Medical, WL Gore & Associates Inc, and Medtronic (proctor and speaking fees). A.W. Beck is supported by Artivion, Cook Medical, Medtronic, Philips Healthcare, Terumo, and WL Gore & Associates (research and consulting fees with all proceeds towards the University of Alabama). J. Chait is supported by WL Gore & Associates, Bard Peripheral Vascular, and Medtronic Inc (food and beverage). A. Pyun is supported by Silk Road Medical Inc (food and beverage) and Medtronic Inc (education). G. Magee is supported by Silk Road Medical Inc (consulting, travel and lodging, food and beverage), Medtronic Inc (consulting fees, travel and lodging), WL Gore & Associates (consulting fees, food and beverage), ShockWave Medical Inc (travel and lodging and food and beverage), Penumbra Inc, Boston Scientific Inc and Bolton Medical Inc (food and beverage). N. Swerdlow is supported by Silk Road Medical Inc and Shape Memory Medical Inc (food and beverage). M. Juszczak is supported by Cook Medical (research support) and Terumo (research grant). A. Barleben is supported by Cook Medical (consulting; travel and lodging fees), Endologix LLC (consulting; food and beverage), WL Gore & Associates (food and beverage), Silk Road Medical Inc (food and beverage), Penumbra Inc (consulting; travel and lodging), Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation Inc (food and beverage), Abbott Laboratories (food and beverage), Surmodics Inc (food and beverage), and Cagent Vascular Inc (food and beverage). R. Patel is supported by Silk Road Medical Inc (food and beverage). M.P. Sweet is supported by Artivion Inc and Bolton Medical Inc (food and beverage). S.L. Zettervall is supported by WL Gore & Associates Inc, Bolton Medical Inc, Cook Medical, and Terumo Aortic (consulting and research support), Silk Road Medical Inc and Artivion Inc (food and beverage). G.S. Oderich is supported by Cook Medical (consulting, travel and lodging, speaking fees), WL Gore & Associates (consulting, travel and lodging, education, food and beverage), GE HealthCare (speaking fees, food and beverage), Centerline Biomedical Inc (consulting), Atrium Medical Corporation, Silk Road Medical Inc, Bard Peripheral Vascular Inc, Medtronic Inc (food and beverage). The remaining authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Background: The management of acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) using the Ascyrus Medical Dissection Stent (AMDS) can lead to complications due to the persistence of the false lumen (FL). This case report presents two instances of failed AMDS treatment for ATAAD, highlighting the novel use of a trifurcated hybrid prosthesis for redo aortic arch repair using a minimally invasive frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique., Case Presentation: Case 1: A 57-year-old male, previously treated with AMDS for ATAAD, presented with an enlarging aortic arch and persistent FL two years post-surgery caused by re-entry in the distal aortic arch. Redo surgery using the FET technique with an E-vita OPEN NEO Trifurcated hybrid prosthesis resulted in successful repair and partial FL thrombosis. Case 2: A 51-year-old male with prior AMDS treatment for ATAAD presented with severe aortic valve regurgitation and a maintained FL perfusion due to a residual re-entry in the proximal region of the descending aorta. Redo surgery using the FET technique with the same hybrid prosthesis led to successful repair and good recovery, confirmed by follow-up imaging., Conclusions: The use of the E-vita OPEN NEO Trifurcated hybrid prosthesis in the FET technique offers a promising solution for redo aortic arch repair in cases of failed AMDS treatment for ATAAD. This approach can improve patient outcomes by addressing complications associated with persistent FL and enhancing long-term survival., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: The frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique is effective for treating extended aortic arch aneurysms. This study compares hand-made and factory-made devices in this context., Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted on 68 patients who underwent FET for distal aortic arch aneurysm at our institution. We used two different types of devices: hand-made stent graft in group Z (17 cases, 25.0%) and a commercialized stent graft in group J (51 cases, 75.0%). The study compared demographic characteristics and the outcomes between the two groups., Results: In-hospital mortality was equivalent in both groups (5.9%). Spinal cord injury rates were 5.9% in group Z and 3.9% in group J. Group Z had a higher rate of aortic events (55.9% vs 96.9%, p  < 0.001) and more frequent stent migration. The number of cases with aneurysm diameter shrinkage was lower in group Z. The landing zone angle at insertion influenced aneurysm changes, being 17.6 degrees in shrink cases and 26.7 degrees in unchanged or enlarged cases ( p  = 0.045)., Conclusions: FROZENIX device notably reduced incidences of postoperative complications compared to hand-made prostheses. Factors such as insertion angle and stent size, rather than changes in the landing zone angle, appeared to influence aneurysm shrinkage. The use of FROZENIX in TARFET procedures has shown benefits in reducing complications and improving long-term prognosis, taking into account the landing zone angle., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Competing Interests: Disclosures None.

Objectives: To evaluate the results of isolated left subclavian artery in-situ fenestration (ISF) during 'zone 2' thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) using a new adjustable needle puncturing device system., Methods: It is a multicentre, retrospective, physician-initiated cohort study of patients treated from 28 July 2021 to 3 April 2024. Inclusion criteria were isolate left subclavian artery revascularization for elective or urgent/emergent 'zone 2' TEVAR. The primary outcome was technical success and freedom from ISF TEVAR-related reintervention or endoleak., Results: We treated 50 patients: 28 (56.0%) atherosclerotic thoracic aneurysms, 12 (24.0%) type B aortic dissection and 10 (20.0%) penetrating aortic ulcers. Elective intervention was carried out in 46 (92.0%) cases. ISF was successful in all cases, with a procedural primary technical success in 47 (94.0%) cases. The median time of intervention was 184 min (interquartile range 135-220) with a median fenestration time of 20 min (interquartile range 13-35). Operative mortality did not occur. We observed 1 case of spinal cord ischaemia and 2 cases of bilateral posterior non-disabling stroke. Mortality at 30 days occurred in 1 (2.0%) patient (not aorta-related). The median follow-up was 4 months (interquartile range 1-12.25). Bridging stent graft patency was 100% with no ISF-related endoleak. ISF-related reintervention was never required., Conclusions: ISF TEVAR using the Ankura™-II device with the self-centring adjustable needle system showed high technical success, promising stability and stable aortic-related outcomes. Owing to these results, it represents a safe and effective alternative for standard 'zone 2' TEVAR., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The Provisional Extension to Induce Complete Attachment Technique (PETTICOAT) uses a bare-metal stent to scaffold the true lumen in patients with acute or subacute aortic dissections. While it is designed to facilitate remodeling, some patients with chronic post-dissection thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) require repair. This study describes the technical pitfalls of fenestrated-branched endovascular aortic repair (FB-EVAR) in patients who underwent prior PETTICOAT repair., Technique: We report 3 patients with extent II TAAAs who had prior bare-metal dissection stents treated by FB-EVAR. Two patients required maneuvers to reroute the aortic guidewire, which was initially placed in-between stent struts. This was recognized before the deployment of the fenestrated-branched device. A third patient had difficult advancement of the celiac bridging stent due to a conflict of the tip of the stent delivery system into one of the stent struts, requiring to redo catheterization and pre-stenting with a balloon-expandable stent. There were no mortalities and target-related events after a follow-up of 12 to 27 months., Conclusion: FB-EVAR following the PETTICOAT is infrequent, but technical difficulties should be recognized to prevent complications from the inadvertent deployment of the fenestrated-branched stent-graft component in-between stent struts., Clinical Impact: The present study highlights a few maneuvers to prevent or overcome possible complications during endovascular repair of chronic post-dissection thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm following PETTICOAT. The main problem to be recognized is the placement of the aortic wire beyond one of the struts of the existing bare-metal stent. Moreover, encroachment of catheters or the bridging stent delivery system into the stent struts may potentially cause difficulties., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: Prevention of late type Ia endoleaks is the main concern in thoracic endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (TEVAR) for thoracic aortic aneurysm. Since 2017, we have performed zone 0 TEVAR with proximal fixation augmentation using a Najuta thoracic fenestrated stent graft in addition to zone 2 TEVAR for distal arch aneurysms. We report the early and midterm outcomes of TEVAR performed using this strategy., Methods: This single-center retrospective study enrolled 386 cases of TEVAR for thoracic aortic disease between January 2013 and December 2020. Patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm treated by TEVAR landing at zone 2 was referred to as the standard group, whereas those treated by TEVAR landing at zone 0 using a Najuta fenestrated stent graft in addition to zone 2 TEVAR was referred to as the augmentation group. We retrospectively compared the clinical outcomes between the two groups. The primary end point was secondary intervention for postoperative type Ia endoleaks. Secondary end points were technical success, aneurysm-related death, and major adverse events (MAEs), including stroke, paraplegia, endoleaks, and secondary interventions., Results: We performed TEVAR in 41 and 30 cases in the standard and augmentation groups, respectively. The mean aneurysm sizes in the standard and augmentation groups were 54.5 and 57.3 mm (P = .23), and the proximal neck lengths were 16.8 and 17.4 mm (P = .65), respectively. The anatomical characteristics seemed to be similar in both groups. The technical success rate in both groups was 100%. Three cases in the standard group had MAEs, including two stroke and one brachial artery pseudoaneurysm; whereas two cases had MAEs in the augmentation group, including one stroke and one paraplegia. There was no 30-day mortality or retrograde type A dissection in both groups. The mean observation periods in the standard and augmentation groups were 46 months (range, 1-123 months) and 35 months (range, 1-73 months), respectively. At 36 and 60 months after the procedure, the freedom from aneurysm-related death was 97.6% and 97.6% in the standard group, 100.0% and 100.0% in the augmentation group (P = .39); and the freedom from reintervention for type Ia endoleaks was 79.2% and 65.2% in the standard group, 100.0% and 100.0% in the augmentation group (P = .0087). A statistically significant decrease in reinterventions for type Ia endoleaks was observed in the augmentation group., Conclusions: Proximal fixation augmentation using the Najuta fenestrated stent graft during TEVAR for distal arch aneurysm is effective in preventing the postoperative late type Ia endoleaks., Competing Interests: Disclosures T.O. is a paid consultant for W. L. Gore & Associates., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: To evaluate sex based differences in ascending aorta and arch anatomy in patients with underlying proximal aortic disease and to evaluate their impact on feasibility for total endovascular repair with custom made, branched arch devices., Methods: This was a retrospective cross sectional review of all patients undergoing open and or total endovascular arch repair due to distal ascending aorta and or aortic arch pathologies in a single high volume aortic centre between 2012 and 2022. Anatomical ascending aorta and aortic arch parameters were analysed on a flow centreline on a dedicated 3D workstation. Sex related differences of the ascending aorta, aortic arch, and supra-aortic vessels were evaluated. Subsequently, four endovascular devices were assessed for feasibility: double and triple branched devices both for the Zenith (Cook Medical) and Relay (Terumo Aortic) platforms, first in accordance with the instructions for use and then considering the possibility of adjunctive cervical debranching. The primary endpoints were sex specific differences in aortic anatomy, while secondary endpoints included sex based feasibility of branched endograft devices., Results: During the study period, 395 patients underwent total aortic arch repair, of whom 152 (51 female, 33.5%) had high quality computed tomography angiograms available and were included in the study. Female patients had a shorter proximal landing zone than males (22 mm vs. 47 mm; p < .001). Left subclavian artery dissection was more frequent in men (24.8% vs. 3.9%; p < .001). Other anatomical parameters showed a similar distribution between sexes. Female patients presented a lower feasibility for double branched devices (35.3% vs. 58.4%; p = .015) as well as a tendency for lower feasibility rates for triple branched devices (31.4% vs. 47.5%; p = .081)., Conclusion: Although most ascending aortic and arch parameters showed similar trends in both sexes, the availability of a suitable proximal landing zone was lower in female patients. Consequently, female patients had lower feasibility rates for double arch branched endografts and, to lesser extent, for triple arch branched endografts., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To report the long-term outcomes of patients with type B aortic dissection (TBAD) treated with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and quick fenestrated (QF)-assisted in situ fenestration (ISF)., Methods: Between October 2017 and December 2018, 15 patients with TBAD requiring revascularization of the supra-aortic trunks underwent TEVAR with QF-assisted ISF at our institution., Results: Thirteen of the 15 patients were male, and the mean age was 52.87 ± 11.26. The technical success rate was 100%. Thirty-day mortality rate was 0. The median follow-up period was 41 months (range, 35-49). During follow-up, one non-aortic-related death was recorded, no fenestration lost its alignment, and no stroke or stent graft migration was observed. Two patients underwent another successful endovascular repair. One case of type Ib endoleak occurred 19 months postoperatively. This was caused by aortic progression distal to the stent graft. Another stent graft with a larger diameter was implanted in the descending aorta. One case of type Ic endoleak was observed 35 months postoperatively. The patient was diagnosed during the annual follow-up without any symptoms. Another bridging stent graft was implanted into the left subclavian artery distal to the already existing one, and the type Ic endoleak was successfully treated., Conclusions: TEVAR with QF-assisted ISF may be an effective treatment for ISF in type B aortic dissection., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Aneurysms of the internal iliac artery in infective endocarditis are extremely rare, with few cases reported in the literature, and Rothia dentocariosa infective endocarditis are rare. Analysis: We describe the case of a previously healthy 62-year-old male who presented a Rothia dentocariosa infective endocarditis. Results: Multi-modality imaging revealed an aneurysm of the left internal iliac artery, which was clinically silent. The patient was treated with antibiotics and semi-emergent bioprosthesis aortic valve replacement. Follow-up multi-modality imaging showed the regression of the aneurysm. Conclusion: This case shows that an aneurysm of the internal iliac artery in infective endocarditis can regress under antibiotherapy alone. This case also highlights the ability of PET/CT to identify and follow such an aneurysm., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Although the unique risks of implanting a prosthetic valve after aortic valve (AV) surgery in young patients are well established, studies of aortic root replacement (ARR) are lacking. We investigated long-term outcomes after valve-sparing root replacement (VSRR) versus the use of a composite valve graft with bioprosthesis (b-CVG) in patients age <50 years., Methods: A total of 543 patients age <50 years underwent VSRR (n = 335) or b-CVG (n = 208) between 2004 and 2021 from 2 aortic centers, excluding those with dissection or endocarditis. Endpoints included mortality over time, reoperative aortic valve replacement (AVR), and development of greater than moderate aortic insufficiency (AI) or aortic stenosis (AS). Fine and Gray competing risk regression was used to compare the risk of reintervention. Propensity score matching (PSM) balanced patient comorbidities, and landmark analysis isolated outcomes beginning 4 years postoperatively., Results: Compared with VSRR, b-CVG was associated with lower 12-year survival (88.6% vs 92.9%; P = .036) and a higher rate of AV reintervention (37.6% vs 12.0%; P = .018). After PSM, survival was similar in the 2 arms (93.4% for b-CVG vs 93.0% for VSRR; P = .72). However, both Fine and Gray multivariable risk regression and PSM showed that b-CVG was independently associated with AV reintervention at >4 years postoperatively (Fine and Gray: subdistribution hazard ratio, 4.3 [95% confidence interval, 1.8-10.2; P = .001]; PSM: 35.7% for b-CVG versus 14.3% for VSRR; P = .024]). PSM rates of greater than moderate AI/AS at 10 years were more than 2-fold greater in the b-CVG arm compared with the VSRR arm (37.1% vs 15.9%; P = .571)., Conclusions: b-CVG in young patients is associated with early valvular degeneration, with increasing rates of reoperative AVR occurring even within 10 years. In contrast, VSRR is durable with excellent survival. In eligible young patients, every effort should be made to retain the native AV., (Copyright © 2023 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: This is a narrative review that aims to highlight key advancements that led to the current state of lower extremity bypass surgery. It focuses on key contributors during the last century who have driven the standardization of surgical treatment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease., Methods: A narrative review was conducted utilizing available resources in the scientific and historical literature to track landmark achievements in the development of modern lower extremity bypass surgery for occlusive disease, focusing primarily on the last century of advancement., Results: Several critical conceptual, technological, and technical landmarks were identified as critical components of modern lower extremity bypass surgery. This includes fundamental developments in the techniques of vascular anastomosis led by Carrel and others, a developing understanding of vascular occlusive disease as a localized and segmental process with broad implementation of the techniques of arteriography, and the development of safe thromboendarterectomy aided by the development and utilization of heparin for anticoagulation. These factors led to the first femoral-to-popliteal artery bypass by Jean Kunlin in 1948. From here, advances in vascular prosthetic material pioneered by Voorhees and others, alternative vascular conduits, increasing acceptance of tibial revascularization, and dispelling the myth of diabetic "small vessel" disease broadened revascularization options for patients with complex patterns of occlusive disease and those who have limited conduit availability., Conclusions: Modern lower extremity bypass surgery for occlusive disease arose steadily over a course of a century, driven by complex problem-solving in the pathophysiological understanding of atherosclerosis, technical developments in vascular anastomosis and arteriography, and evolution of conduit materials and pharmacologic therapy. Future advancements in bypass surgery are targeted at solving the complex problems of anastomotic intimal hyperplasia, expanding technology for alternative vascular conduits, ongoing optimization of risk factors, and scrutinizing of outcomes to make patient-centered, evidence-based decisions regarding revascularization strategy., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)