Results of a multicenter, prospective trial of thoracic endovascular aortic repair for blunt thoracic aortic injury (RESCUE trial)

ObjectiveTo evaluate the early outcomes of patients undergoing thoracic endovascular aortic repair for blunt thoracic aortic injuries.MethodsA prospective, nonrandomized, multicenter trial using the Medtronic Valiant Captivia stent graft was conducted at 20 sites in North America. Fifty patients with blunt thoracic aortic injuries were enrolled between April 2010 and January 2012 and will be followed for 5 years. The injuries were classified into categories (grades I-IV) based on severity: intimal tear, intramural hematoma, pseudoaneurysm, or rupture. The primary end point was 30-day all-cause mortality. Secondary end points were adverse events occurring within 30 days that were related to the procedure, device or aorta, and aortic-related mortality. Technical success was measured as successful device delivery and deployment.ResultsSeventy-six percent (38/50) of patients were male with mean age of 41 ± 17 years. Fifty-one Medtronic Valiant Captivia thoracic stent grafts and a single Talent thoracic stent graft were implanted within a median of 1.0 days following injury (mean, 1.8 ± 4.0 days). Seventy percent (35/50) of aortic injuries were grade III or higher, including one patient with free rupture. Mean injury severity score was 38 ± 14. Fifty-four percent of stent grafts were ≤26 mm (28/52). The left subclavian artery was completely covered in 40% of patients (20/50) and partially covered in 18% of patients (9/50). Four patients underwent subclavian artery revascularization: one at the time of the endograft procedure and three others after developing arm ischemia after the initial endograft procedure. Cerebral spinal fluid was drained in two patients. The median procedure time was 91 minutes, and median hospital stay was 12 days. There was 100% successful device delivery and deployment. Four (8%) patients died within 30 days. Nonfatal adverse events within 30 days that were related to the procedure, device, or aorta were experienced by 12% (6/50) of patients. No nonfatal adverse events related to the device were reported; a single death was conservatively adjudicated as device-, procedure-, and aorta-related because of insufficient information. No patient developed spinal cord injury, and there were no cerebrovascular accidents. However, one patient had an anoxic brain injury following aortic rupture. No patient underwent conversion to open repair or required an endovascular reintervention.ConclusionsBased on the early outcomes, the Medtronic Valiant Captivia stent graft appears to be a promising treatment modality for blunt thoracic aortic injuries. Long-term follow-up is necessary to substantiate the effectiveness of thoracic endovascular aortic repair in treatment of blunt thoracic aortic injuries

CHANGES IN INTERVENTIONS IN TYPE B ACUTE AORTIC DISSECTION PATIENTS

none16siopenMisirliyan, Sevan; Trimarchi, Santi; Mussa, Firas F.; Fattori, Rossella; Khoynezhad, Ali; Montgomery, Daniel; Evangelista, Arturo; Di Eusanio, Marco; Kline-Rogers, Eva; Myrmel, Truls; Abdul-Nour, Khaled; Deeb, G. Michael; Isselbacher, Eric; Nienaber, Christoph; Eagle, Kim; Patel, HimanshuMisirliyan, Sevan; Trimarchi, Santi; Mussa, Firas F.; Fattori, Rossella; Khoynezhad, Ali; Montgomery, Daniel; Evangelista, Arturo; Di Eusanio, Marco; Kline-Rogers, Eva; Myrmel, Truls; Abdul-Nour, Khaled; Deeb, G. Michael; Isselbacher, Eric; Nienaber, Christoph; Eagle, Kim; Patel, Himansh

Aorto-bronchial and aorto-pulmonary fistulation after thoracic endovascular aortic repair: an analysis from the European Registry of Endovascular Aortic Repair Complications

OBJECTIVES To learn upon incidence, underlying mechanisms and effectiveness of treatment strategies in patients with central airway and pulmonary parenchymal aorto-bronchial fistulation after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). METHODS Analysis of an international multicentre registry (European Registry of Endovascular Aortic Repair Complications) between 2001 and 2012 with a total caseload of 4680 TEVAR procedures (14 centres). RESULTS Twenty-six patients with a median age of 70 years (interquartile range: 60-77) (35% female) were identified. The incidence of either central airway (aorto-bronchial) or pulmonary parenchymal (aorto-pulmonary) fistulation (ABPF) in the entire cohort after TEVAR in the study period was 0.56% (central airway 58%, peripheral parenchymal 42%). Atherosclerotic aneurysm formation was the leading indication for TEVAR in 15 patients (58%). The incidence of primary endoleaks after initial TEVAR was n = 10 (38%), of these 80% were either type I or type III endoleaks. Fourteen patients (54%) developed central left bronchial tree lesions, 11 patients (42%) pulmonary parenchymal lesions and 1 patient (4%) developed a tracheal lesion. The recognized mechanism of ABPF was external compression of the bronchial tree in 13 patients (50%), the majority being due to endoleak formation, further ischaemia due to extensive coverage of bronchial feeding arteries in 3 patients (12%). Inflammation and graft erosion accounted for 4 patients (30%) each. Cumulative survival during the entire study period was 39%. Among deaths, 71% were attributed to ABPF. There was no difference in survival in patients having either central airway or pulmonary parenchymal ABPF (33 vs 45%, log-rank P = 0.55). Survival with a radical surgical approach was significantly better when compared with any other treatment strategy in terms of overall survival (63 vs 32% and 63 vs 21% at 1 and 2 years, respectively), as well as in terms of fistula-related survival (63 vs 43% and 63 vs 43% at 1 and 2 years, respectively). CONCLUSIONS ABPF is a rare but highly lethal complication after TEVAR. The leading mechanism behind ABPF seems to be a continuing external compression of either the bronchial tree or left upper lobe parenchyma. In this setting, persisting or newly developing endoleak formation seems to play a crucial role. Prognosis does not differ in patients with central airway or pulmonary parenchymal fistulation. Radical bronchial or pulmonary parenchymal repair in combination with stent graft removal and aortic reconstruction seems to be the most durable treatment strateg

New insights regarding the incidence, presentation and treatment options of aorto-oesophageal fistulation after thoracic endovascular aortic repair: the European Registry of Endovascular Aortic Repair Complications

OBJECTIVES To review the incidence, clinical presentation, definite management and 1-year outcome in patients with aorto-oesophageal fistulation (AOF) following thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). METHODS International multicentre registry (European Registry of Endovascular Aortic Repair Complications) between 2001 and 2011 with a total caseload of 2387 TEVAR procedures (17 centres). RESULTS Thirty-six patients with a median age of 69 years (IQR 56-75), 25% females and 9 patients (19%) following previous aortic surgery were identified. The incidence of AOF in the entire cohort after TEVAR in the study period was 1.5%. The primary underlying aortic pathology for TEVAR was atherosclerotic aneurysm formation in 53% of patients and the median time to development of AOF was 90 days (IQR 30-150). Leading clinical symptoms were fever of unknown origin in 29 (81%), haematemesis in 19 (53%) and shock in 8 (22%) patients. Diagnosis could be confirmed via computed tomography in 92% of the cases with the leading sign of a new mediastinal mass in 28 (78%) patients. A conservative approach resulted in a 100% 1-year mortality, and 1-year survival for an oesophageal stenting-only approach was 17%. Survival after isolated oesophagectomy was 43%. The highest 1-year survival rate (46%) could be achieved via an aggressive treatment including radical oesophagectomy and aortic replacement [relative risk increase 1.73 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-2.92]. The survival advantage of this aggressive treatment modality could be confirmed in bootstrap analysis (95% CI 1.11-3.33). CONCLUSIONS The development of AOF is a rare but lethal complication after TEVAR, being associated with the need for emergency TEVAR as well as mediastinal haematoma formation. The only durable and successful approach to cure the disease is radical oesophagectomy and extensive aortic reconstruction. These findings may serve as a decision-making tool for physicians treating these complex patient