Hybrid endograft for one-step treatment of co-existent ascending aortic, aortic arch and descending aortic pathologies

PD Dr. A. Chavan, Diagnostic Radiology, MHH, Email: chavan.ajay@mh-hannover.de / Prof. Dr. M. Karck, Div. for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, MHH, Email: Karck@thg.mh-hannover.de

A new vascular hybrid endograft is being developed in this project. The implantation of this product enables a one-step operation for patients with aneurysms involving the ascending aorta, the aortic arch and the descending aorta. The hybrid endograft consists of a stented and a non-stented section and combines the features of a stent-graft and a conventional vessel prosthesis in a novel manner in one product. The hybrid endograft can be introduced antegradely into the descending aorta. After deploying the stented portion into the descending aorta, the proximal non-stented Dacron graft can be used to reconstruct the aortic arch or can be surgically anastomosed to a proximal aortic graft.In a pilot study approved by the institutional review board of the Hannover Medical School, the endograft has been successfully implanted in 18 patients in Hannover. The results are very encouraging. More work can be expected in the future using such hybrid endografts which could reduce present day multiple surgery - especially for type A aortic dissections - into a one-step procedure.

It is planned to extend the study to more centres in Europe and Asia in the near future. European and American patents have already been applied for.