[Endovascular treatment of abdominal aorta aneurysms using the Stentor device. Preliminary experience]

The aim of this report is to describe our experience with the Stentor device for endovascular treatment of the abdominal aortic infrarenal aneurysms also extending to the bifurcation and the common iliac arteries. Stentor is a thermal memory (Nitinol) self-expanding graft, covered by an external 0.1 mm Dacron material.

Between December 1994 and July 1995 endoluminal repair of infrarenal aneurysmal disease was undertaken in 6 patients at high surgical risk. The lesions include 2 infrarenal abdominal aorto-aortic aneurysms, 2 infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms extended to the common iliac arteries and 2 false aortic aneurysms in patients with previous aorto-bifemoral graft. Straight grafts were implanted in 4 patients and bifurcated in 2. Repair was done in the operating room using general anesthesia. The endograft was placed through remote arteriotomies and advanced under fluoroscopic guidance to his predetermined site. Three-dimensionally reconstructed spiral CT scan and arteriography were performed before the procedure for a preoperative accurate measurement for endograft preprocedural adaptation in length and diameter.

All endografts were successfully deployed. Intraoperative arteriography at the end of the procedure revealed a distal "leak" into an aneurysmal common iliac artery, due to diameter mismatch, in a bifurcated device. There was no instance of embolism or graft migration. No patient required conversion to an open operation. There were no instances of embolism or graft migration. No patient required conversion to an open operation. There were no coagulative disorders. Minor complications were: groin haematoma (1), fever (1), intestinal paralysis (1), pelvic pain (1). Follow-up with spiral CT-scan and echo color-Doppler confirmed normal blood flow through the graft in 5 patients and persistence of distal leak in 1 patient.

These preliminary results demonstrate the accuracy of implantation and device's adaptability to the particular anatomy of the aneurysmal aorta and iliac arteries. Proximal fixation to the aortic wall, secure seal at the proximal and distal fixation point present the critical aspects of this new surgical technique. More detailed preoperative measurements of aneurysmal disease are required rather than for traditional surgery. Presently we prefer to treat the no operable patients with this endovascular technique in relation with shortness of the follow-up.