Severe Proximal Aneurysm Neck Angulation: Early Results Using the Endurant Stentgraft System

Objective: Angulation of the proximal aneurysm neck has been associated with adverse outcome after EVAR. We aim to investigate the influence of angulation on early results when using the Endurant Stentgraft System. Methods: A retrospective analysis of a prospective multicentre database identified 45 elective patients treated with the Endurant stentgraft with severe angulation of the proximal neck, which were compared to a control group without significant angulation. Endpoints were early technical and clinical success, deployment accuracy and differences in operative details. Results: Mean age was 74 with 86.4% males. Mean infrarenal angle (beta) was 80.8 degrees +/- 16 and mean suprarenal angle (alpha) was 51.4 degrees +/- 21. Patients in the angulated group had larger aneurysms (mean 309 cc vs. 187 cc), shorter necks (mean 27 mm +/- 14 vs. 32.6 mm +/- 13) and 74% (vs. 56%) were ASA III/IV. Technical success was 100%, with one patient requiring an unplanned proximal extension. No differences were found regarding early type-I endoleaks (0% vs. 0%), major postoperative complications (6.7% vs. 6.2%; p = 0.77) or early survival (97.8% vs. 96.9%, p = 0.79). Distance from lowest renal artery to prosthesis was 2.4 mm +/- 2.7 vs. 2.3 mm +/- 4.8, p = 0.9. Operative details were equivalent for both groups. Conclusions: Treatment with the Endurant stentgraft is technically feasible and safe, with satisfactory results in angulated and non-angulated anatomies alike. No sealing length was lost in extremely angulated cases, confirming the device's high conformability. Mid- and long-term data are awaited to verify durability, but early results are promising and challenge current opinion concerning neck angulation. (C) 2010 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.