Selective assisted intravascular lithotripsy for complex aorto-iliac calcific lesions

BackgroundIntravascular lithotripsy has proven to be safe, less invasive, and effective for coronary and peripheral arteries, and the indication has been extended to the aortic district but there is still little evidence in the literature as only a few cases have been described so far.MethodWe report a case of intravascular lithotripsy of the infrarenal aorta due to coral reef, chronic occlusion using a single Shockwave M5 + balloon, followed by a covered stent deployment. The aortic bifurcation and common iliac arteries presented hemodynamic calcific lesions, which were prepared singularly with lithotripsy before aorto-iliac covered stenting in kissing configuration. The aortic length from which arises the inferior mesenteric and lumbar arteries was left uncovered preserving their patency.ResultIn this case, a single shockwave balloon was sufficient to treat successfully and safely the aortic occlusion by heavy calcific lesions. At 1 and 6 months follow-up, the patient had no clinical symptoms, and the ultrasound assessment showed a triphasic waveform at the common femoral arteries bilaterally and confirmed the patency of the stent grafts.ConclusionSelective assisted lithotripsy of heavy aortic and iliac vessels is possible, but definitive outcomes have yet to be supported by the literature.