Procedure

Degenerative aneurysm of the descending aorta. Endovascular treatment

Cardiothoracovascular Department, Cardiovascular Radiology Unit, University Hospital S. Orsola, Padiglione 21-Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy

^* Corresponding author: ^* Tel.: +39-051-6364747; fax: +39-051-6364747 rossella.fattori{at}unibo.it

The incidence of thoracic aortic aneurysms has a rate of occurrence of 10.9 cases per 100,000 person/year, with an estimated 5-year risk of rupture ranging from 16% (diameter between 4 and 5.9 cm) to 31% (6 cm or more). Despite increasing awareness of the important role of early diagnosis in treatment options, guidelines about therapeutic strategies are actually lacking, as well as definite evidence of pharmacological treatment able to resolve or delay the disease progression. Endovascular treatment proposed as alternative to surgery has been considered a therapeutic innovation, especially because of low invasiveness, which allows to treat even high surgical risk patients. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia, mechanical ventilation and blood pressure invasive monitoring (right radial artery cannulation). The common femoral artery or external iliac artery are used for access after surgical exposure. After exposition of the artery, a 6F sheath is inserted and 5000 UI of heparin administered. Angiography is then performed to identify the lesion, landing zones and its relation to side branches. Endovascular stent-graft is thus loaded on an extra-stiff guidewire and delivered, with induced hypotension, under fluoroscopic and transesophageal echo control. Post procedural angiography and echocardiography control are performed to reveal the final result.

Key Words: Endovascular treatment • Thoracic aortic aneurysm