Endovascular septal fenestration using a radiofrequency wire to salvage inadvertent false lumen deployment of a frozen elephant trunk stent graft

ABSTRACT We report a case of a frozen elephant trunk arch repair, where the stent graft was unintentionally placed into the false lumen. Postoperative imaging demonstrated an enlarged false lumen with no thoracic aorta fenestrations that could be traversed to place another thoracic endovascular aortic repair endograft into the true lumen. An atraumatic radiofrequency wire (PowerWire, Baylis Medical, Montreal, Quebec, Canada) was used to create a new septal fenestration, enabling thoracic endovascular aortic repair endograft extension into the thoracic true lumen. This novel use of a radiofrequency wire can enable safe and controlled endovascular septal fenestration even in chronic dissections to redirect flow into the true lumen.