An in situ adjustable endovascular graft for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Twenty-nine patients underwent placement of the Teramed Ariba Endovascular Graft System (Maple Grove, Minn) as part of a European Feasibility study (14 patients) and a US phase I trial (15 patients). Salient features of this modular endograft system include a crimped seamless polyester bifurcation graft supplied in three diameters and three iliac limb lengths, three types of nitinol stents including a supra-renal stent with aortic barbs, a flexible delivery system capable of controlled incremental sheath retraction, a flexible tapered lead balloon, and a telescoping technique for adjusting the length of graft coverage during surgery over a range of 3 cm. Twenty-eight of the 29 patients met the primary objective of this evaluation, which was to confirm the safety of the system, defined as the absence of major device-related adverse events and type I, III, or IV endoleaks within 1 month of implantation. Three major adverse events occurred within 1 month of discharge: renal failure, which was related to deployment of the device close to the renal arteries; pulmonary edema, which was related to the procedure but not the device; and peripheral ischemia, which was related to the patient's pre-existing condition. Seven patients had type II endoleaks noted by means of computed tomography scanning at I month; the endoleaks were identified by means of angiography and classified at the time of surgery. There were no deaths, aneurysm ruptures, stent-graft migrations, stent fractures, graft ruptures, graft thromboses, or surgical conversions at 1 month. This early clinical experience indicates that the Ariba Bifurcated Endovascular System can be safely implanted.