Endoluminal repair of peripheral arterial aneurysms: 4-year experience with the cragg endopro system I.

PURPOSE To assess the efficiency and long-term patency of the Cragg EndoPro System I in patients with peripheral arterial aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS In 10 patients, 13 stent-grafts were used to treat 15 arterial aneurysms. Aneurysms were located in the common iliac ( n = 4), superficial femoral ( n = 4), popliteal ( n = 3), and subclavian arteries ( n = 2), and in a femoropopliteal bypassgraft ( n = 2). Follow-up ranged between 2 and 46 months (mean, 36 months). Examination included clinical status, color-coded duplex sonography, computed tomography angiography, and intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA). RESULTS Technical success was achieved in all patients. Primary patency was four of four in iliac vessels and three of nine in noniliac vessels; secondary patency in noniliac vessels was four of nine. Repairs included one local lysis, four percutaneous transluminal angioplasties, one surgical thrombectomy, and one bypass surgery. Stent wire disintegration was detected in one of four iliac stent-grafts and in seven of nine noniliac stent-grafts. In noniliac grafts, significant stenoses occurred in three of nine; occlusion occurred in five of nine. One complication at the iliac level was a vessel wall penetration at the proximal stent edge, with development of a new aneurysmal formation. No late endoleaks were found. CONCLUSION Exclusion of peripheral arterial aneurysms with stent-grafts is feasible. Long-term results are excellent in iliac vessels. Mechanical weakness of the stent assembly and frequent restenoses or occlusions are significant drawbacks in noniliac vessels with low patency rates.