Challenging endovascular repair of a critical aortic endograft migration and massive type III endoleak

Type III endoleaks, which may be caused by endograft disconnection, pose the risk of aneurysm enlargement and rupture because the pressure in the aneurysmatic sac tends to equal the systolic aortic pressure. We report the endovascular treatment of a critical dislocation of two thoracic aorta endografts with subsequent massive aneurysmatic pressurization of the aneurysmatic sac, which led to its impending rupture. The aberrant migration of both endografts required a combined, right humeral and left femoral, approach to capture the guide wire with an endovascular snare in the aneurismal sac. Several maneuvers were necessary to avoid trapping the guide wire in one of the bare stents. A final 'push-pull' technique was used to loop the wire and advance the new endografts into the ascending aorta to achieve a correct exclusion of the endoleaks. The patient suffered a perioperative stroke which could have been a complication of wire manipulation in the highly atheromatous aortic arch. A review of several maneuvers which may be taken to prevent these complications has been performed.