Iatrogenic injuries of the common femoral artery (CFA) and external iliac artery (EIA) during endograft placement: An underdiagnosed entity
Presented at the Thirty-third Meeting of the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery, Tucson, Ariz, January 14, 2009.
Received 27 January 2009; accepted 28 March 2009. published online 13 July 2009.
Objective
Early limb occlusions following endovascular treatment of aorto-iliac aneurysmal disease is not uncommon (4%-13%). To assess whether the femoral artery entry site could potentially cause this complication, we prospectively evaluated the ipsilateral common femoral artery (CFA) and distal external iliac artery (EIA) with intraoperative duplex scans (IDS).
Methods
There were 134 patients with infrarenal nonruptured abdominal aorto-iliac aneurysms treated with endografts since 2002 at our institution. Age ranged from 65 to 89 years (mean: 77 ± 7 years). Aneuryx (n = 41), Zenith (n = 50), and Excluder (n = 43) endografts were used for repair. All procedures were performed via open exposure of the CFA. Introducer diameter varied from 12 mm to 22 mm. All patients underwent IDS of the CFA and distal EIA after repair of the arteriotomies.
Results
In 34 patients (25%), we documented intimal dissections causing severe (>70%) stenoses. Of the 271 arteries that were examined, 38 (14%) had abnormal findings that demanded intervention. These were repaired with flap excision, tacking sutures revision, or patch angioplasty (n = 36). Repeat IDS confirmed the adequacy of the repair. No statistical difference was noted if the site of larger introducer sheath and the incidence of flap formation. In addition, 10 small flaps or plaques were visualized but did not create significant stenosis. No differences were noted in the incidence of positive duplex exams between each type graft (P = .4). No early or late iliac limb occlusions were noted. Follow-up of 94% was obtained.
Conclusions
Completion arterial duplex scans are helpful in detecting a substantial number of clinically unsuspected technical defects caused by introducer sheaths. Timely diagnosis and repair of these defects may decrease the incidence of early limb occlusion following endograft placement.
Division of Vascular Surgery, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
Reprint requests: Anil Hingorani, MD, Division of Vascular Surgery, Maimonides Medical Center, 4802 10th Ave., Brooklyn, New York 11219
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