Abdominal aortic aneurysm treatment: preliminary results with the Talent stent-graft system

To evaluate the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with use of the endoluminal Talent stent-graft (TSG).

In 10 men, AAA treatment was attempted with use of the TSG. All patients presented significant surgical risk, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and coronary arteriopathy. The mean age was 65.5 years (range, 57-82 years). The mean proximal neck diameter was 25.8 mm (range, 21.6-34 mm). Five of the TSGs were straight tubes and five were bifurcated systems. The main body of the TSG is made of a polyester graft material mounted on a self-expandable nitinol frame. The bifurcated system uses polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material for the legs and extensions mounted on a self-expandable nitinol frame. The bifurcated grafts used a 22 to 27-F introducer and the extensions, a 18-F introducer through a surgical cutdown technique.

The TSG system was successfully implanted in nine patients and failed in one because of dislodgment after deployment, which required conversion to surgery. Four leaks occurred initially. One was sealed off with balloon dilation at the end of the procedure, one leak was treated with an additional extension, another leak disappeared spontaneously in 30 days, and the other leak required embolization 4 weeks after discharge. Seven patients were discharged on the third day after the procedure, and two patients were discharged at 1 and 2 weeks, respectively. Blood transfusion was necessary in three patients because of hematoma at the incision site in two patients, which required surgical revision for hemostasis, and because of transoperative bleeding in one patient. Follow-up time ranged from 2 to 15 months. The only death occurred 5 days postoperatively as a consequence of ischemic colitis and multisystem organ failure in the only patient who required surgery.

Treatment of AAA with the TSG system is effective for aneurysm exclusion. This device seems to provide a good alternative to surgery in patients who are otherwise considered to be at high risk for complications after direct surgical repair, but it is not without risk of complications.