Minimally Invasive Treatment for Severe Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Now Available at CDH

July 21, 2021 | 2 min. to read

The vascular surgery team at Central DuPage Hospital offers a new treatment for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA): the Gore® Excluder® Conformable AAA Endoprosthesis with Active Control system. An endovascular prosthesis procedure using the new Gore Excluder conformable device is a less-invasive and lower-risk alternative to open surgery for the repair of high-risk abdominal aortic aneurysms in patients with complex anatomies.
 
Approximately 200,000 people are diagnosed with abdominal aortic aneurysm in the U.S. each year. It is the 15th leading cause of death in the country, and the 10th leading cause of death in men older than 55. Solutions like the Gore Excluder conformable device allow Northwestern Medicine vascular surgeons to offer new hope to treat patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms.
 
RMG Vascular Surgeon Sherazuddin Qureshi, MD, has been performing endovascular aneurysm repairs using the Gore Excluder conformable device at CDH since April.
 
“This new device offers a better way to treat high-risk abdominal aortic aneurysm patients with complex anatomies,” says Dr. Qureshi. “We’re pleased to be among the first to make this procedure available to our patients who may have limited options.”
 
The Gore Excluder conformable device provides an advanced way to position a conformable stent graft in the abdominal aorta. This system is the first to offer angulation control, giving physicians the option to angle the device to achieve orthogonal placement to the aortic blood flow lumen, which enhances the conformability of the stent graft and therefore its seal.
 
The conformable endoprosthesis system helps physicians treat patients with challenging anatomy, such as:

• Short neck length, as small as 10 mm
• High neck angulation, as much as 90 degrees
• Small neck diameter, as small as 16 mm

 
Dr. Qureshi and his team see the use of this device as an opportunity to not only treat patients with severe aortic abdominal aneurysms, but also preserve their quality of life. The first patient to undergo endovascular aneurysm repair using the Gore Excluder conformable device at CDH was a high-risk elderly man whose aortic angle was unfavorable for a standard stent graft. This device let the team, which was led by Dr. Qureshi and Vascular and Interventional Radiologist Owen Sweis, MD, treat the patient without the need for open surgery, allowing him to remain functional and independent after the procedure.
 
Learn more about the comprehensive care available to patients with vascular disease on the Center for Vascular Disease page on nm.org.

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