Aneurysm pressure following endovascular exclusion.

Abstract

To assess the effect of stent-graft implantation on the pressure within an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Aneurysm exclusion was performed using an aorto-uniiliac stent-graft in eight patients. Following stent-graft implantation, pressure measurements were performed through a catheter adjacent to the graft in the aneurysm. This "aneurysm pressure" was compared with radial arterial pressure. The pressure was lower in the aneurysm than in the radial artery, in all cases. Mean aneurysm pressure was 36.5/33.8 mmHg, while mean radial arterial pressure was 118.5/50.5 mmHg (p < 0.05, for both systolic and diastolic pressures). These findings corresponded with a reduction in the palpable abdominal pulse, and an absence of perigraft perfusion on follow-up computerised tomography. Stent-graft implantation produces a fall in the pressure within an abdominal aortic aneurysm.