The Degradation of Abdominal Aortic Prosthesis After 37 Years

An 85-year-old man underwent abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair with a synthetic graft at age 48. Sac enlargement, likely due to an endoleak, was observed during follow-up, and covered stents were placed in the graft limbs at age 80. Despite this, the sac continued to enlarge, leading to a referral to our institution. Imaging revealed an endoleak from an uncovered graft section. An EXCLUDER® stent graft (W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Flagstaff, AZ) was placed to cover the graft entirely, resolving the endoleak. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 5. This case highlights the rare failure of a synthetic graft after 37 years.