Alternative approach for endovascular treatment of aortic aneurysms.

Abstract

Endovascular treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms is limited in patients with small or calcified femoral arteries, with the most serious complication being rupture at the insertion site or distal sections of the artery. To overcome this, an iliac conduit is normally created by surgical exposure. We used an original access in a patient with a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm and narrow femoral artery to introduce the endovascular prosthesis directly into the surgically exposed iliac artery by a small laparotomy and abdominal wall tunnel without iliac conduit. The endoprosthesis was easily implanted, and complete hemostasis was achieved with minimal blood loss.