Two Decades of Abdominal Aortic Endovascular Repair With the Anatomical FiXation at the Aortic Bifurcation in a Large Single-Center Experience

Objective: The introduction of new endograft models improved long-term results of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) endovascular repair (EVAR), but most of them maintained an old and unchanged design: a short body and long legs shifting up the flow divider. This study assessed the long-term results of EVAR with unimodular endoprosthesis fixed at the aorto-iliac bifurcation (Anatomical FiXation), in a large, unselected cohort. Materials and Methods: In a single-center, retrospective cohort study, 623 patients selectively treated between 1999 and 2016, were analyzed. Follow-up protocol included at least a computed tomography angiography within 3 months and a duplex ultrasound and clinical exam yearly. All enrolled patients were analyzed by 2020. The primary outcomes were technical success, clinical success, and survival. Secondary outcomes included survival-free from late-open-conversion (LOC), reintervention, and endoleaks. Results: Median age was 74±11 years and the follow-up 93±54 months. The technical success was achieved in 99.4% and the 30-day clinical success was 98.4%. A 5-year clinical success of 97.7% was registered and at 10 years success was 96.7%. The overall survival at 1, 5, 10, and 15 years was 92.4%, 79.5%, 64.9%, and 45.5%, respectively. Six (0.98%) AAA-related death were registered, 3 caused by infection of the endograft and 3 for secondary rupture. LOCs were 9 (1.47%) and reintervention-free survival at 1, 5, 10, and 15 years were 88.4%, 78.0%, 76.2%, and 74.6%, respectively. Freedom from endoleaks was 88.8% at 1 year and 72.7% at 15 years. A total of 63 high-flow endoleaks were registered (43 type I, 7 type IIIa, 12 type IIIb, and 1 type Ib+IIIb). No migrations were recorded, and the graft limb thrombosis rate was 1.14%. From a multivariate analysis resulted that long-term clinical success appeared to be reduced in patients affected by diabetes [odds ratio (OR) 0.24; p=0.04] and in presence of calcified and thrombotic iliac accesses (OR 0.16; p=0.006). Conclusion: EVAR with the Anatomical FiXation was confirmed to be safe, feasible, and effective to prevent AAA rupture in the long term as well. However, the overall survival remains afflicted by cardiovascular accident. The original concept of unibody bifurcated design allowed a very low rate of graft thrombosis and zeroed the risk of migration and related reintervention.

Unibody bifurcated aortic endograft: device description, review of the literature and future perspectives

The unibody (Powerlink/AFX/AFX2) Endovascular AAA device (Endologix Inc., CA, USA) presents a unique design with its long main body and two innate limbs. The device is designed to be deployed and sits on the native aortoiliac bifurcation and represents the only one-piece bifurcated endograft designed to use anatomical fixation for endograft stabilization. According to published literature, the unibody device seems to represent a valid choice in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. This particular device would seem to satisfactorily perform even in the treatment of more compressed aneurysms (also in off-label association with parallel grafts) and in occlusive pathologies. Ongoing studies will provide new real-life data in a large and unselected patient population to better understand the device’s advantages and limitations.

An Off-Label Use of a Unibody Aortic Stent-Graft System for the Treatment of Infrarenal Abdominal Aortic Dissections

Infrarenal abdominal aortic dissections (IAAD) are exceedingly rare, accounting for 1-4% of all aortic dissections. The evidence is scarce on how to best manage IAAD when they become symptomatic. Two main interventional approaches exist, open surgery and the endovascular approach. Conventional stent-graft systems make it difficult to treat nonaneurysmal aortic disease due to limb competition in a narrow distal aorta. Thus, we present a novel use of the Endologix Anatomical Fixation 2 (AFX2) Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) endograft system for the treatment of four patients with IAAD. We also highlight an individual case study that was treated with an alternative endovascular approach and the complications that followed. This was to highlight and compare our successful experience with Endologix AFX2 AAA endograft system. There were multiple benefits for choosing this stent-graft; however the main advantage is its suitability in the narrow distal aorta. Our aim was to highlight an alternative endovascular approach for the successful treatment of a rare, challenging, and potentially fatal pathology.

Necessity of early correction of anal-coccygeal ligaments in traumatic damage to a coccyx

In order to prevent and correct the defecation disorders after destruction of the anococcygeal ligament, the meth-od of restoring its functional capacity was proposed (Patent of Ukraine for Invention No. 115280 “Method for Coccyx Re-moving”). It is proved that the damaging effect in the area of the traction and contraction mechanism of action on the rectum in 90.0% leads to continence disorders due to changes in the size of the anorectal angle due to the persistent disorders of the anococcygeal ligament function. The developed special mathematical model of the anococcygeal ligament function testifies that, when it is destroyed, the change in the anorectal angle value may reach changes in its value up to ≈63°, which distorts the direction of the anal canal and the distal rectum. Restoration by simulating of the anatomical fixation of anococcygeal ligament connection after its damage creates conditions for resto-ration of its physiological functioning.