HCCI Physicians Can Now Treat Patients with tough to treat AAA using a Fenestrated Stent Graft

Drs. Robert Iaffaldano, Robert Gasior and James Sur all participated in the first fenestrated stent graft procedures this month at Metro South Medical Center. For years Heart Care Centers has been treating patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms with minimally invasive approaches by treating this disease with aortic stent grafts. Some patients who have abdominal aneurysms located too close to their kidney arteries were often considered poor candidates for a stent and were often relegated to the more risky open repair procedure. Now, some of these patients may have an option... a Fenestrated Graft.

Typical AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms) develop as gradual outpouchings of the abdominal aorta below the level of the kidney arteries. These aneurysms require a certain distance to be treated with the conventional endoluminal stent graft on the market. In the rare situation where the aneurysm is too close to the kidney arteries and considered a poor candidate for the conventional device ... there may still be hope for you.

Heart Care Centers of Illinois has partnered with Cook Medical to be trained in the placement of their fenestrated endograft system. Patients who have an aneurysm that is a candidate for this device can have their aneurysm imaged with a CT scan and have the images used to specially create a stent to fit each individual's aneurysm. These devices are then sterilized and brought straight to the operating room where they are placed inside the patient's aorta sealing the aneurysm. Much like a glove fits on a hand, these devices are sized with perfect precision for each patient. With a collaborative team, Drs. Iaffaldano, Gasior and Sur successfully placed a fenestrated graft in our first two patients this month. 

If you have been told that your aneurysm is not able to be fixed with a stent ... there may still be an option with a fenestrated graft. 

Please ask your doctor about this option to treat your AAA.

Watch a Video Below of the Placement of a Fenestrated System

More information regarding the Fenestrated Stent Graft System can be found at:

https://www.cookmedical.com/zenith/fenestrated/us/overview.html