Safety of adjuvant open axillary access during complex thoracoabdominal aortic endovascular procedures

Endovascular treatment of aortic diseases with complex anatomy may require an additional upper extremity arterial access (like axillary access) for support during aortic navigation and allowing the use of larger sheaths for thoracoabdominal antegrade access. The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety of the open axillary approach as adjuvant access in complex thoracoabdominal aortic endovascular interventions.

A monocentric retrospective study was performed, including all patients with a complex aortic endovascular procedure (fEVAR, bEVAR, chEVAR or TEVAR), elective or urgent, with open surgical exposure of the axillary artery as adjuvant access, between 2012 and 2022. Demographic data, diagnosis and urgency criteria, type of aortic intervention, size of axillary sheath, use of through-and-through maneuver, and features by computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the axillary artery and aortic arch were recorded. The appearance of local and aortic postoperative complications were described, and possible prognostic factors were analyzed.

Forty-eight patients (38 men) were included, median age 78 years (range 50-87), 33 with intact thoracoabdominal aneurysms, eight previous EVAR endoleaks and seven aortic aneurysm ruptures. 28 fEVAR/bEVAR, 17 chEVAR and three TEVAR procedures with axillary access were performed. Left infraclavicular axillary access was the most common approach (94%), along with a 12 French (F) median sheath (range 7-20). Eight (16.7%) local complications were identified: three bleedings, one hematoma, three focal dissections in the subclavian artery, and one brachial embolism, all successfully resolved. The only factor related to local complications was small axillary diameter (median 10.7 vs. 14.6 mm; P<0.001), a subclavian/sheath ratio less than one was associated to more local complications (P=0.02). Regarding aortic complications, two (4.1%) type B asymptomatic aortic dissections with left juxta-subclavian tear were found, attributed to local manipulation, occurring only in urgent procedures (P=0.032).

The use of open axillary access as an adjuvant approach in complex aortic endovascular surgery, although it is very useful and usually safe, can be associated with subclavian or even aortic complications (not reported until now), especially in cases with small subclavian diameters and urgent cases.