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Early- and Mid-term Results of the Chimney Technique in the Repair of Aortic Arch Pathologies

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Abstract

Purpose

To examine the safety, feasibility, and mid-term efficacy of the chimney technique for aortic arch pathologies.

Methods

From February 2011 to December 2014, a total of 35 patients (30 men; mean age 54.3 ± 14.1 years) with aortic arch pathologies underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair combined with chimney stents. The indication was a proximal landing zone <1.5 cm. Follow-up was performed at 3, 6, and 12 months and then yearly thereafter.

Results

A total of 36 chimney stents were deployed (innominate artery, n = 1; left common carotid artery, n = 9; right subclavian artery, n = 1; left subclavian artery, n = 25). The technical success rate was 94.3 % (33/35). Immediate type Ia endoleaks (ELIa) were observed in two patients (8.6 %, 2/35). Twenty-five patients were successfully followed-up for a median period of 29.3 months (range, 6–48 months). One patient died due to aortic dissection aneurysm rupture at 36 months (mortality rate of 4 %, 1/25). Three late ELIa were observed and no reinterventions were performed. The overall incidence of ELIa was 20 % (5/25). During follow-up, the patency rate for chimney stents was 92 % (23/25).

Conclusion

Our limited experience demonstrates that the chimney technique is a viable and relatively safe treatment for patients with challenging thoracic aortic pathologies at least in the mid-term follow-up period.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Junjie Zou, Yuanyong Jiao, Xiwei Zhang, Jun Jiang, Hongyu Yang & Hao Ma

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  1. Junjie Zou
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  2. Yuanyong Jiao
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  3. Xiwei Zhang
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Correspondence to Yuanyong Jiao.

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Conflict of interest

Junjie Zou, Yuanyong Jiao, Xiwei Zhang, Jun Jiang, Hongyu Yang, and Hao Ma declare that they have no conflict of interests and no grant supports for this work.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. For this type of study formal consent is not required.

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Zou, J., Jiao, Y., Zhang, X. et al. Early- and Mid-term Results of the Chimney Technique in the Repair of Aortic Arch Pathologies. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 39, 1550–1556 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-016-1439-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-016-1439-6

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