 
Revolutionary Treatment for Aneurysms Reduces Complications |
Research has shown that this new therapy, the AneuRX Stent Graft, is not only as effective as the standard, open surgery treatment, but that it can cut major complications associated with surgery by half. In addition, it improves patient quality of life by reducing the hospital stay from an average of 9.3 days to 3.4 and reducing the time it takes to get patients up and walking from 3.6 days to 1.4.
"This technique of repairing the artery is truly a breakthrough that offers significant potential benefits to patients," said Donald L. Jacobs, M.D., assistant professor of surgery in the division of vascular surgery.
An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of an artery, which almost always is caused by cellular changes due to arteriosclerosis -- the buildup of plaque on the inside of the artery that damages and weakens it. The pressure of the blood flowing through the weakened section of the artery causes the artery to balloon, forming the aneurysm. If the aneurysm is not caught early enough, the weakened aorta can rupture, often resulting in death.
Aneurysms range in size. For those smaller than 5 cm, the preferred course of action is close monitoring. When an aneurysm changes size significantly or is diagnosed at a size greater than 5 cm (2.5 times the healthy vessel's normal size), it has an increased chance of rupturing.
Prior to this, the standard treatment has been open surgical repair, a procedure with an average hospital stay of seven to 12 days and a recuperative period that can last as long as six months. During this procedure, an abdominal incision is made, and the aorta is clamped above and below the aneurysm. The aorta is then opened, a surgical graft sewn in at the diseased site, and the aorta is then closed over it.
With the new, less-invasive procedure, patients typically spend one day in the hospital and have a recuperative period of one-to-two weeks. During the procedure, a small incision is made in each groin, and the stent graft is inserted by a delivery catheter into the femoral artery and guided through the aorta to the aneurysm site. Once placed, the stent expands to fit within the diameter of the aorta, providing a new path for blood flow and reducing pressure on the aneurysm. The catheter is then withdrawn.
Gary J. Peterson, M.D., professor of surgery and director of the division of vascular surgery at the School of Medicine said, "The unique modular design of the stent graft offers doctors a treatment option that can be customized to suit different patient anatomies and can be easily adapted to changes in aneurysm size and shape over time."
The AneuRx Stent Graft System has self-expanding, diamond shaped, nickel-titanium stent rings that are designed for self-anchoring to the vessel wall by "friction fit," without the need to puncture the vessel with hooks or barbs. The stent also is designed to adapt to individual patient anatomies. Extender cuffs may be used to modify the length and/or diameter of the implanted graft, providing physicians with a means to address changes in aneurysm size and shape. Additionally, the stent graft's fully supported exterior is designed to prevent kinks or twisting and device migration over time, which can lead to the need for open repair.
It is estimated that 1.5 million Americans have AAA, yet because most people don't have obvious symptoms, only about 200,000 are actually diagnosed each year. Experts claim that aortic aneurysms are the 13th leading cause of death in the United States, resulting in approximately 15,000 mortalities each year.
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