Bare metal stents with or without coil embolization for abdominal aortic aneurysm exclusion in high-risk patients.

The objective of the study was to determine if uncovered self-expanding metallic stents with or without polyester-covered coils can exclude abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Exclusion using uncovered metal stents with or without coils has been shown to be successful in the animal model. Twelve patients underwent aneurysmal therapy with uncovered self-expanding metallic stents and polyester covered metallic coils (male, 8; female, 4; mean age, 74 +/- 8 years) because no other therapeutic alternative was available. Indications were severe aorto-iliac disease, presumptively high surgical risk due to comorbidities, a previously failed endograft attempt, and a hostile abdomen as a result of prior surgeries. Under local anesthesia, stents were introduced percutaneously via 10 or 11 Fr sheaths into the femoral artery and deployed in an overlapping fashion to cover the length of the AAA. All endoluminal procedures were successful, and no major complications were encountered. The average hospital stay was 33 +/- 21 hr. At a mean follow-up of 18 +/- 13 months, there was no rupture, leak, or evidence of aneurysm expansion in any of the patients. There was one mortality that was not AAA-related. The remaining patients had no aneurysm-related symptoms. Endoluminal exclusion of an AAA using self-expanding bare metal stents with or without coil embolization may be a viable treatment option for patients who cannot undergo standard surgical or endovascular repair. However, these data do not demonstrate that this methodology actually precludes rupture since the cohort is of small size. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2001;54:12-18. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.