Endovascular Repair of an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm with the GORE EXCLUDER® AAA Endoprosthesis

Dr. Zvonimir Krajcer in the Texas Heart Institute Catheterization Lab.

On Dec 5th, 2007, Zvonimir Krajcer, MD—Program Director, Peripheral Vascular Interventions, Department of Cardiology, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and Texas Heart Institute—performed an endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair with the GORE EXCLUDER® AAA Endoprosthesis.

The procedure was broadcast live and can now be viewed as a webcast on www.or-live.com.

The annual mortality from abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture is 15,000 patients, making it the 13th leading cause of death in the US. Traditional surgical treatment of AAA involves a large incision to place a synthetic graft to repair the diseased artery. This method can result in long hospital stays and painful recoveries.

The GORE EXCLUDER® AAA Endoprosthesis is an innovative device designed to be a minimally invasive treatment option for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). It is constructed of a durable ePTFE bifurcated graft with an outer self-expanding Nitinol support structure to combine both device flexibility and material durability. The function of the endoprosthesis is to internally reline the abdominal aorta, including the bifurcation, and isolate the aneurysm from blood circulation. The device is inserted by a catheter-based delivery technique through small incisions in the patient's legs. The expected outcomes of this new treatment option include decreased procedural times, shorter hospital stays and reduced recovery time.

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GORE and EXCLUDER® are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates.