Current status of Hemobahn/Viabahn endografts for treatment of popliteal aneurysms

The aim of the present study was to review the literature reporting the use of the Hemobahn/Viabahn endograft (W. L. Gore and Assoc Inc., Flagstaff, AZ, USA) for endovascular treatment of popliteal artery aneurysms (PAA). A PubMed database search was performed looking for studies reporting endovascular treatment of PAA with the Hemobahn/Viabahn endograft within the period January 2000-December 2012. All relevant studies were independently assessed and all references were examined for potentially missed relevant reports. Studies were included if they reported experience with five patients or more. Eight studies with 222 patients (mean age 72.4 years, 92.3% male) and 251 PAA (mean diameter 2.9 mm, 14.3% symptomatic) were included. Thirteen cases (5.2%) were treated on an urgent basis, including three cases of ruptured PAA and 10 cases of acute limb ischemia. Initial technical success was 99.2%. The mean number of implanted endografts/PAA was 1.8 (range 1-4). Thirty-day mortality was 1 (0.4%) patient. Perioperative complications occurred in 1.6%, consisting of three access site hematomas and one acute endograft thrombosis. Cumulative mean follow-up duration was 36.9 months. During this period, a total of 46 endograft failures (42 occlusions, 4 stenoses) were observed within a mean postoperative time interval of 10.8 months. Cumulative primary and secondary patency rates were 85.6% and 93.4% at one year, and 78.5% and 90.4% at 2 years, respectively. Limb salvage rate during follow-up was 99.2%. Endoleak was noticed in 15 (6%) cases and endograft migration in 13 (5.2%) cases. Endograft fracture was reported in 14 (5.6%) cases, resulting in occlusion in six patients, and in type III and IV endoleaks in two patients. Secondary intervention during follow-up was required in 47 (18.7%) cases, including 32 reinterventions for endograft occlusion, four for endograft stenosis, and 11 for endoleak repair. Endovascular PAA repair with the Hemobahn/Viabahn endograft is feasible and safe yielding excellent initial technical success rates, minimum perioperative mortality and morbidity, and mid-term patency and limb salvage rates comparable to open surgery. These results suggest that a significant proportion of patients might benefit from endovascular PAA repair.