Avoiding Aortic Valve Passage in Branched Arch Repair by Use of the Modified Balloon Nose Cone Technique

To demonstrate the Modified Balloon Nose Cone Technique to avoid passage of the aortic valve in endovascular branched arch repair.

The technique is demonstrated in a 54-year-old patient after previous open repair of the ascending aorta and mechanical aortic valve replacement due to type A aortic dissection. The delivery system of a custom-made stent-graft with 3 inner branches was modified by subtotally sawing off its nose cone. Using a right transaxillary access, a sheath was introduced over a through-and-through (TAT) wire exiting the left groin and meeting the branched stent-graft in a rendezvous fashion. A balloon was used to bridge the gap between both sheaths. Passing the innominate artery, both sheaths were pushed into the ascending aorta to establish a loop configuration of the balloon until the correct landing zone was reached. The main body was deployed, and the supra-aortic target vessels were connected. After the procedure, the mechanical aortic valve showed unimpaired function.

The Modified Balloon Nose Cone Technique broadens the technical armamentarium in endovascular aortic arch repair offering a feasible solution to overcome the need of aortic valve passage. Especially patients with mechanical aortic valve could benefit from this method.Clinical ImpactTo describe the feasibility and safety of the Modified Balloon Nose Cone Technique in a severely comorbid patient with residual Type A aortic dissection and history of ascending aortic repair and mechanical replacement of the aortic valve to broaden the technical armamentarium in endovascular aortic arch repair offering a feasible solution to overcome the need of aortic valve passage.