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Successful endoluminal repair of a popliteal artery aneurysm using the Wallgraft endoprosthesis
P E Kudelko1, C Alfaro-Franco, E B Diethrich
1Division of Cardiology, Texas Heart Institute, and St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston, USA.
Purpose:
To describe the first application of the Wallgraft endovascular prosthesis to aneurysm exclusion in the popliteal artery.
Methods And Results:
A 61-year-old man was admitted to our institution with a popliteal artery aneurysm complicated by associated popliteal vein compression, deep venous thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. The endovascular procedure was performed percutaneously with local anesthesia using a low-profile, covered stent (Wallgraft Endoprosthesis). The aneurysm was successfully excluded from the arterial circulation, and there were no postprocedural complications. Follow-up evaluation with appropriate imaging at 10 months revealed no endoleaks.
Conclusions:
This initial result indicates that percutaneous deployment of the Wallgraft endoprosthesis, with its smaller diameter and flexible design, may offer significant advantages over currently available devices for repair of popliteal artery aneurysms. This method obviates the need for general anesthesia or surgical exposure, which is particularly beneficial in patients with comorbid illnesses.