Long-term outcomes of the conformable TAG thoracic endoprosthesis in a prospective multicenter trial

The Gore conformable TAG thoracic endoprosthesis (CTAG) was engineered to enhance conformability in the thoracic aorta and has demonstrated greater deployment accuracy and wall apposition than the original TAG device. The Food and Drug Administration approved the CTAG in 2011 based on the 1-year results of the pivotal trial for the CTAG device. In the present report, we have documented the outcomes for those patients through 5 years.

The CTAG aneurysm study was a prospective, multicenter trial that assessed the safety and effectiveness of the CTAG device as treatment of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms. Follow-up imaging assessments consisted of radiographs and computed tomography at annual intervals through 5 years. A core imaging laboratory was used to assess the aneurysm size, device integrity, and endoleaks.

A total of 66 patients were enrolled (51 pivotal arm patients and 15 continued access patients) from October 2009 through September 2011. The baseline characteristics, procedural characteristics, and outcomes through 2 years were reported previously. Through 5 years, five patients (7.6%) had required device-related reintervention (one type Ia endoleak or contained rupture of the descending thoracic aorta, one type Ib endoleak, two indeterminate endoleaks, and one thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysm). Four patients (6.1%) had died of aneurysm-related causes, with one death occurring within 30 days of the index procedure. A total of 24 patients (36.3%) had died during the 5-year study period. Seven patients (10.6%) had experienced stroke or transient ischemic attack through 5 years, with one early stroke (postoperative day 28). Prosthesis or intercomponent migration was observed in six patients (9.1%) through 5 years; however, no patient had developed a type III junctional endoleak. No stent-graft fracture or compression was observed through 5 years. At 5 years, 14 patients (50.0%) showed sac regression, 5 (17.9%) showed sac expansion, and 9 (32.1%) showed sac stability using on a 5-mm threshold for change.

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair with the CTAG device was associated with low rates of aneurysm-related mortality and reintervention through 5 years. Proximal endoleak was rare, and most patients showed sac regression or stability at 5 years after the initial thoracic endovascular aortic repair.