Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026

Modified Octopus Technique for Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Published on: August 1, 2025
The best treatment of juxtarenal aortic occlusion is and will be open surgery
M M Marrocco-Trischitta1, L Bertoglio, Y Tshomba
1Department of Vascular Surgery, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Università Vita-Salute, San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
Insights
Infrarenal aortic occlusion (IAO) presents challenges for endovascular repair. Surgical repair, though complex, offers superior long-term outcomes for juxtarenal aortic occlusion.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Surgery
- Interventional Cardiology
- Aortic Diseases
Background:
- Infrarenal aortic occlusion (IAO) accounts for 3-8.5% of aortoiliac occlusive diseases, often classified as TASC Type D.
- IAO presents in distal or juxtarenal patterns, with juxtarenal cases potentially causing severe complications like renal failure and paraplegia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and outcomes of endovascular versus surgical repair for juxtarenal aortic occlusion.
- To compare the technical success, perioperative complications, and long-term results of different treatment modalities.
Main Methods:
- Review of endovascular treatment outcomes for TASC Type C and D lesions.
- Analysis of surgical repair outcomes, including aortic endarterectomy and bypass grafting for juxtarenal IAO.
Main Results:
- Endovascular treatment shows good results for TASC C/D lesions generally, but specific outcomes for complete juxtarenal occlusions are less favorable.
- Surgical repair of juxtarenal IAO, despite its complexity and risks (e.g., suprarenal cross-clamping), yields superior perioperative and long-term results.
Conclusions:
- While endovascular approaches are less invasive, surgical repair remains the preferred treatment for juxtarenal aortic occlusion due to its unmatched long-term efficacy.
- Juxtarenal aortic occlusion requires careful consideration, with surgery offering the best chance for durable repair.
Abstract:
Occlusion of the infrarenal aorta (IAO) represents from 3% to 8.5% of aortoiliac occlusive diseases, and is a variant of TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) Type D lesions. Two different patterns of IAO can be identified: Distal and proximal, or iuxtarenal. The former typically spares the origin of the inferior mesenteric artery, and is associated with the classic Leriche clinical triad. The latter extends cephalad approaching the level of the renal arteries, and may also cause acute renal failure, intestinal infarction, and even paraplegia due to the proximal propagation of aortic thrombosis. Endovascular treatment for TASC Type C and D lesions as a whole provides impressive results in terms of periprocedural morbidity, secondary patency rates, and of course less invasivity in comparison to open surgery. However, when complete aortic occlusions, and particularly juxtarenal occlusion, are specifically addressed, the reported results are in fact sobering, both in terms of technical success rates, and perioperative complications. Surgery repair of juxtarenal aortic occlusion, namely aortic endarterectomy and bypass grafting, is a challenging procedure that requires almost invariably aortic cross-clamping above the level of the renal arteries, and may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, it currently provides unmatched perioperative and long-term results, and should be regarded as the treatment of choice.
Related Concept Videos
Aneurysm III: Interprofessional Care
Aortic Regurgitation III: Medical Management
Kidney Transplant II: Surgical Procedure
Aneurysm IV: Nursing Management

