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Endovascular repair for thoracic aortic disease: tertiary single-center experience in northwestern Greece
Miltiadis I Matsagas1, John C Papakostas, Christos S Katsouras
1Department of Surgery-Vascular Surgery Unit, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Grece. mimats@cc.uoi.gr
Insights
Endovascular stent graft repair for thoracic aortic disease shows promising early results, with high technical success and no deaths or major complications in initial cases. Further long-term studies are needed to confirm benefits for high-risk patients.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Surgery
- Interventional Cardiology
- Medical Device Technology
Background:
- Thoracic aortic disease presents significant treatment challenges.
- Open surgical repair carries substantial risks, particularly for high-risk patients.
- Endovascular techniques offer a less invasive alternative.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the initial experience with endovascular repair of thoracic aortic disease.
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of stent graft repair in a tertiary vascular unit.
- To assess early outcomes and complications of the procedure.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 16 patients treated between 2003 and 2005.
- Patients underwent endovascular repair for descending thoracic aorta pathologies.
- Data collected included operative and follow-up information for a mean of 18.4 months.
Main Results:
- Primary technical success achieved in 87.5% of cases (14 out of 16 patients).
- No early or late deaths, major complications, or paraplegia were reported.
- Stent graft complications (endoleaks) occurred in 18.75% but had favorable outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Endovascular stent graft repair is a promising alternative to open surgery for thoracic aortic disease, especially in high-risk individuals.
- The technique appears feasible even in smaller, tertiary centers.
- Long-term data are required to fully ascertain the morbidity and mortality benefits.
Abstract:
The purpose of this article is to report the initial experience with endovascular repair of thoracic aortic disease in a single tertiary vascular unit in northwestern Greece. Between 2003 and 2005, 16 patients were treated with endovascular techniques for various pathologies of the descending thoracic aorta. Twelve patients were treated electively and four emergently. Operative and follow-up data for a mean time of 18.4 months were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Primary technical success was obtained in 14 (87.5%) cases. No early or late deaths occurred, and there was no major operation-related complication. No paraplegia was observed in our patients. Stent graft-related complications occurred in 18.75% (one type 2 and two type 3 endoleaks), but they all had a favorable outcome. No further problems have been reported in any of our patients. Endovascular stent graft repair for diseases of the thoracic aorta seems to be a promising alternative to open surgery, especially for high-risk patients. Long-term results are needed to confirm the early benefit of this treatment option with regard to morbidity and mortality rates. The potential of this technique to be applicable even in relatively small, tertiary vascular centers might be of great benefit to patients.
