Journal of Clinical Pathology 2008;61:794-801
REVIEW
Aortic stent grafts
1 Department of Pathology, Toronto General Hospital/University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
2 Department of Vascular Surgery, Toronto General Hospital/University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
3 Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Canada
Correspondence to:
Dr J Butany, Department of Pathology E4-301, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada; jagdish.butany{at}uhn.on.ca
Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) occur when weakened areas of the abdominal aortic wall result in a ballooning of the blood vessel. Attributed risk factors include smoking, atherosclerosis and hypertension. Traditionally, AAAs were treated with open surgery, involving a large abdominal incision and the placement of a synthetic graft. The introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) however, proved to have many advantages over open repair, chief among which is a lower perioperative morbidity and mortality rate. EVAR is likely to continue to evolve and the complications associated with this procedure will likely continue to decrease. In the meantime, the benefit of the continued, detailed analyses of explanted devices is twofold: (1) for future development of new devices; and (2) cognisance of complications that arise with any new device. This review is a guide to the many FDA approved stents which are commercially available, and those likely to become available following clinical trials.
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