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Holger Eggebrecht

Publications and source records attributed to Holger Eggebrecht.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Comparison of diagnostic and therapeutic value of transesophageal echocardiography, intravascular ultrasonic imaging, and intraluminal phased-array imaging in aortic dissection with tear in the descending thoracic aorta (type B).

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and conventional intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) have limited capabilities in type B aortic dissection. To evaluate its diagnostic value, intraluminal phased-array imaging (IPAI) was compared with IVUS and TEE. In 23 patients with type B aortic dissection, IPAI was tested with respect to its ability to depict true lumen (TL) and false lumen (FL), to localize which abdominal arteries originate from the TL and FL, and to identify all entries and reentries. After the completion of TEE, 2 additional examiners performed angiography and positioned an AcuNav catheter inside the TL. An IVUS catheter was then introduced into the TL by a fourth examiner. All examiners were blinded to one another. Four additional patients with type B aortic dissection developed peripheral malperfusion due to TL collapse. Transvenous IPAI was used to guide emergency fenestration of the intimal flap. TL and FL could be equally well identified by all diagnostic methods. IPAI detected more entries than IVUS (3.0 +/- 1.2 vs 0.8 +/- 0.5, p <0.001), and thoracic IPAI depicted more entries than TEE (1.8 +/- 1.0 vs 1.2 +/- 0.5, p <0.001). IPAI and IVUS showed >90% of the abdominal side branches. In all patients with peripheral malperfusion, successful emergency intimal flap fenestration was safely guided by IPAI. In conclusion, in the detailed diagnostic evaluation of type B aortic dissection, IPAI is superior to IVUS and TEE in detecting communications between the TL and FL. IPAI is also highly useful as a guiding tool for emergency intimal flap fenestration.

Aortic Dissection↗
PubMed2006

Relation between plaque progression and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol during aging as assessed with serial long-term (> or =12 months) follow-up intravascular ultrasound of the left main coronary artery.

Because of the clinical benefit of lipid lowering in older patients, we hypothesized that the relation between low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol serum levels and coronary plaque progression may persist throughout aging. We analyzed serial intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) data of 60 left main stems (18 +/- 9 months apart) and evaluated the relation between LDL cholesterol levels and coronary plaque progression at different ages. The population (n = 60) was divided into 3 groups according to age: tertile 1 (n = 20) was a mean age of 48 +/- 6 years (median 51, range 33 to 55), tertile 2 (n = 20) was a mean age of 58 +/- 2 years (median 59, range 55 to 61), and tertile 3 (n = 20) was a mean age of 66 +/- 6 years (median 65, range 61 to 83). Between groups, there was no significant difference in non-age-related demographics, clinical data, lipid profiles, or medications (e.g., statins). There was a positive linear relation between LDL cholesterol and annual changes in plaque plus media area in all age tertiles, which was statistically significant in tertiles 2 and 3 (r = 0.56, p <0.01; r = 0.50, p <0.02) and showed a strong trend in tertile 1 (r = 0.41, p = 0.07). The estimated LDL cholesterol thresholds, which, as determined by regression analysis, would correspond to no plaque progression, were 74, 60, and 78 mg/dl, respectively, in tertiles 1, 2, and 3. In conclusion, serial IVUS data in left main coronary arteries suggest that the relation between LDL cholesterol serum levels and plaque progression persists during aging.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Real-time vascular interventional magnetic resonance imaging: the future of aortic stent-graft placement?

Endovascular stent-graft placement is emerging as a promising alternative to medical and surgical treatment of patients with diseases of the descending thoracic and abdominal aorta. Precise placement of the stentgraft, which is currently performed under x-ray control, remains, however, challenging as there are several shortcomings to fluoroscopic guidance beyond that related to the harmful effect of radiation exposure and nephrotoxic contrast media. While transesophageal echocardiography and intravascular ultrasound have been used as adjunct imaging modalities during endovascular stent-graft procedures to overcome the limitations of angiography, these techniques have not mitigated the need for fluoroscopy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance of vascular interventional procedures offers several potential advantages over fluoroscopy-guided techniques, including image acquisition in any desired orientation, superior 3D soft-tissue contrast with simultaneous visualization of the interventional device, absence of ionizing radiation, and avoidance of nephrotoxic contrast media. Magnetic resonance imaging is often used for pre-operative diagnosis of aortic disease and can provide all relevant information for the planning of endovascular stent-graft procedures as well as for accurate and immediate post-interventional evaluation. However, visualization of interventional instruments by MRI has proven to be the chief obstacle. This article will review current approaches that have been developed for depicting vascular instruments by MRI and will also discuss the first experimental experiences with MRI-guided endovascular stent-graft placement in a swine model of aortic dissection.

Aorta, Abdominal↗
PubMed2006

Relation between lipoprotein(a) and fibrinogen and serial intravascular ultrasound plaque progression in left main coronary arteries.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and fibrinogen levels have an increased risk of coronary heart disease and adverse cardiovascular events. There is evidence that coronary plaque progression is linked to a higher risk for future cardiovascular events. BACKGROUND: There are no data demonstrating a relation between Lp(a), fibrinogen, and directly measured coronary plaque progression over time. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of serial intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) studies of 60 left main stems (18 +/- 9 months apart) to evaluate plaque progression in relation to Lp(a) and fibrinogen levels and association with adverse cardiovascular events. RESULTS: There was a positive correlation between Lp(a) (r = 0.58; p < 0.0001), fibrinogen (r = 0.48; p < 0.0001), and changes in plaque-plus-media area. Patients with plaque progression (n = 41) had higher Lp(a) (30 +/- 26 mg/dl vs. 14 +/- 9 mg/dl; p < 0.0012) and fibrinogen (295 +/- 88 mg/dl vs. 240 +/- 72 mg/dl; p = 0.019) levels than patients with plaque regression (n = 19). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed Log Lp(a) (regression coefficient = 9.45; p = 0.0008) but not fibrinogen to be independently associated with plaque progression. A total of 19 patients suffered from adverse cardiovascular events; they had higher Lp(a) (44 +/- 30 mg/dl vs. 16 +/- 12 mg/dl; p < 0.0001) and fibrinogen (342 +/- 73 mg/dl vs. 248 +/- 76 mg/dl; p < 0.0001) levels. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed Log Lp(a) (odds ratio 10.20, 95% confidence interval 2.36 to 44.13; p = 0.0019) and fibrinogen (odds ratio 1.01, 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.03; p = 0.018) were independently associated with adverse cardiovascular events. CONCLUSIONS: Serial IVUS showed a positive correlation between Lp(a) and fibrinogen levels and plaque progression. Lp(a), but not fibrinogen, remains independently associated with plaque progression. In addition, the present data suggest a considerable incremental value of Lp(a) in predicting cardiovascular risk.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Frequency and outcomes of acute renal failure following thoracic aortic stent-graft placement.

We assessed the incidence, correlates, and outcomes of acute renal failure (ARF) after thoracic aortic stent-graft placement. Postprocedural ARF is an inherent complication of catheter-based interventional procedures that use intra-arterial contrast agents and has adverse effects on short- and long-term outcomes. However, few data exist on the incidence, predictors, and outcomes of ARF after thoracic aortic stent-graft placement. We analyzed data of 97 patients (64.4 +/- 11.6 years of age; 73% men) who underwent thoracic aortic stent-graft placement from July 1999 to October 2005. Postprocedural ARF was defined as an increase > or = 25% and/or > or = 0.5 mg/dl in preprocedural serum creatinine at 48 hours after the procedure. Baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate was 65 +/- 24 ml/min/1.73 m2. Chronic kidney disease (glomerular filtration rate < or = 60 ml/min/1.73 m2) at baseline was present in 45% of patients. During the stent-graft procedure, patients received 307 +/- 188 ml of nonionic contrast medium. Postprocedural ARF occurred in 33 patients (34%), and 3 required dialysis. Multivariable analysis identified American Society of Anesthesiologists class > 3 (odds ratio 5.53, 95% confidence interval 1.71 to 17.85, p = 0.004) and duration of the stent-graft procedure (odds ratio 1.01, 95% confidence interval 1.001 to 1.014, p = 0.022) as independent predictors of postprocedural ARF. Compared with patients without ARF, those with ARF had markedly higher 30-day (18.2 +/- 6.7% vs 1.6 +/- 1.6%, p = 0.0022) and 1-year (35.2 +/- 8.6% vs 10.1 +/- 3.9%, p = 0.001) mortality. In conclusion, postprocedural ARF is a frequent complication of thoracic aortic stent-graft placement and has a significant adverse effect on 30-day and 1-year survival. Baseline factors identified in our study as associated with increased risk of ARF may facilitate a comprehensive informed consent process by way of patient education. In addition, identification of an at-risk subset may allow modification of reversible periprocedural factors that may help decrease postprocedural ARF.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed2006

Remodeling index compared to actual vascular remodeling in atherosclerotic left main coronary arteries as assessed with long-term (> or =12 months) serial intravascular ultrasound.

OBJECTIVES: We present the remodeling index (RI) versus serial intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) data. BACKGROUND: The RI, derived by comparing lesion external elastic membrane (EEM) cross-sectional area versus the reference at one time point, is used in various IVUS studies as a substitute of true remodeling (change in EEM over time), assuming that it represents true remodeling. METHODS: We studied 46 non-stenotic left main arteries using serial IVUS (follow-up 18 +/- 8 months). Plaques were divided into subgroups according to the follow-up RI: follow-up RI >1 (n = 27) versus follow-up RI < or =1 (n = 19). RESULTS: Lesions with a follow-up RI >1 had an increase in lumen despite an increase in plaque because of an increase in EEM. Conversely, lesions with a follow-up RI < or =1 had a reduction in lumen as a result of both a plaque increase and EEM decrease. Overall, the follow-up RI correlated directly with changes in lesion site EEM (baseline-to-follow-up). Although there was no correlation between the follow-up RI and changes in reference EEM area, changes in reference EEM area did correlate directly with changes in lesion EEM area. In nearly 90% of lesions with a follow-up RI >1, there was a previously documented increase in EEM area. Using multivariate linear regression analysis, the follow-up RI was dependent on the baseline RI, the increase in lesion EEM area, and the decrease in reference EEM area. The follow-up RI was not dependent on changes in lesion plaque area. CONCLUSIONS: The vast majority of left main lesions with a remodeling index >1 had evidence of a previous increase in lesion-site EEM area.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Feasibility of real-time magnetic resonance-guided stent-graft placement in a swine model of descending aortic dissection.

AIMS: To evaluate the pre-clinical feasibility of real-time magnetic resonance imaging (rtMRI) to guide stent-graft placement for experimental aortic dissection (AD) and to alleviate disadvantages of ionising radiation and nephrotoxic contrast media. Endovascular stent-graft placement for thoracic aortic disease is usually performed under X-ray guidance. The feasibility of rtMRI-guided stent-graft placement is currently not known. METHODS AND RESULTS: By using a catheter-based technique, dissections of the descending thoracic aorta were successfully created in eight domestic pigs. Subsequent implantation of commercially available, nitinol-based stent-grafts was performed entirely under rtMRI guidance. By pre-interventional MRI, the mean minimal true-lumen diameter was 0.9 (0.825-0.975) cm. rtMRI permitted not only the successful and safe device navigation within the true lumen from the iliac arteries to the thoracic aorta, but also the precise positioning and deployment of the stent-graft and safe withdrawal of the delivery catheter in seven of eight pigs. This was achieved without any other complications. After the stent-graft placement, MRI demonstrated complete obliteration of the false lumen, which was confirmed at autopsy. All stent-grafts were well expanded resulting in an increase in the size of the true-lumen diameter to 2.05 (1.925-2.1) cm (P=0.066 vs. baseline). CONCLUSION: In experimental AD, rtMRI-guided endovascular stent-graft placement is feasible and safe and has the potential for mitigating radiation and contrast-related side effects. Additionally, it allows not only pre-interventional diagnosis and detailed anatomic diagnosis, but also permits immediate post-interventional, anatomical, and functional delineation of procedure success that may serve as a baseline for future comparison during follow-up.

Aortic Dissection↗
PubMed2006

Underlying aortic pathology and clinical health status determine success of endovascular stent-grafting for descending thoracic aortic disease.

Despite advances in medical and surgical treatment, acute as well as chronic diseases of the thoracic aorta are still associated with a high mortality. For the descending thoracic aorta, endovascular stent-graft placement competes with surgical therapy for clinical outcome. From July 1999 till December 2004, a total of 84 patients (64 +/- 14 years) with aortic disease of the descending thoracic aorta were treated. Nine patients had acute (AAD) and 35 chronic aortic dissection (AD), 16 had thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA), 21 had penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU), and 3 patients had traumatic dissection (trans). Initial clinical status was assessed using the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification. Fifty-three patients were in class 2, 16 in class 3, 8 in class 4, and 7 in class 5. Stent-graft placement was performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory with the patient under general anesthesia. Technical success was obtained in 81/84 patients (96%). Within 30 days, seven patients (8%) died, four of them due to aortic rupture. In 14 patients, additional stent-grafts had to be implanted due to type I endovascular leakage (n = 5) or additional entry site adding up to a total of 107 implanted stent-grafts. During a follow-up period of 21 +/- 18 months, 17 additional patients died (22%). In 10 patients, death was disease- or procedure-related (13%). This long-term mortality depended on the underlying disease and was highest in the group with TAA (45%) followed by AAD (38%) and AD (18%). Patients in ASA class 4 and 5 had a significantly worse outcome. No aortic-related death occurred among patients with PAU or traumatic transsections. Overall, there was only one transient neurological deficit. Endovascular stent-graft placement has acceptable results in the treatment of patients with disease of the descending thoracic aorta. The outcome strongly depends on the underlying aortic pathology and the clinical health status of the patients. Randomized trials are necessary in order to establish the exact value of this new therapeutic option.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Thoracic aorta endografts: variations in practice among medical specialists.

BACKGROUND: Endovascular stent-graft placement is emerging as a novel treatment option for patients with diseases of the descending thoracic aorta. However, currently no consensus guidelines exist to direct uniformity in stent-graft procedures as well as for pre- and postprocedural patient management, unlike that for the management of other cardiovascular disorder. Accordingly, the aim of the present survey was to assess variations in thoracic aortic stent-graft practice among different subspecialties in Germany. METHODS: An interdisciplinary questionnaire survey was conducted among 206 departments of vascular surgery, radiology, cardiology, and cardiothoracic surgery in Germany that actively performed aortic stent-graft placement. Data on preoperative procedure planning, logistics, practical/technical issues of stent-graft placement, and postoperative patient management were evaluated using a standardized, self-administered questionnaire comprising 29 items. Responses were tabulated for analysis. RESULTS: Of a total of 206 questionnaires, 184 (89.3%) were returned with 71 (38.5%) centers reporting to have performed thoracic aortic stent-graft placement (total number of procedures 2,267) through 1997 and 2003. The average number of stent-graft procedures per year was 7.4 (25-75% percentile, 2.05-10.75) at participating sites, with 49% of the respondents reporting <5 procedures per year. Treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms was the predominant indication for stent-graft placement, followed by type B-dissection. As anticipated, marked variability existed among the different medical specialties performing stent-graft procedures with respect to all aspects of the procedures including indication for treatment, choice of preoperative and intraoperative imaging modalities, technical equipment and perioperative management. The only consistent agreement was on the need for lifelong follow-up after stent-graft placement, with CT being the preferred imaging technique (90% of centers). CONCLUSION: The present survey documents an increasing adoption of endovascular stent-graft placement for patients with diseases of the descending thoracic aorta in Germany. Despite this, there is a lack of consensus among the different medical specialties performing stent-graft placement with respect to indications and technical execution of stent-grafting. Our data supports the need for consensus practice guidelines endorsed by medical professional societies for stent-graft procedure to standardize the growing number of thoracic stent graft procedures.

Angioplasty↗
PubMed2006

[Change of paradigms in the surgical treatment of complex thoracic aortic disease].

One of the main issues in complex thoracic aortic disease, requiring the replacement of the ascending aorta, the entire aortic arch and the descending aorta, is the vast amount of surgery necessary to cure the patient. Though one-stage repair is feasible by a clamshell thoracotomy, the associated surgical trauma and perioperative morbidity limit this approach to younger patients only. Classic surgical repair consist of a two-stage strategy, whereby, in the first step, the ascending aorta and the aortic arch are replaced via a midline sternotomy. In the second step, via a lateral thoracotomy, the descending aorta is replaced. The two stages may sum up to a mortality of 20%; furthermore, the waiting period between the stages is associated with a mortality rate of 10% of its own. Additionally, the two-stage strategy has an inherent limitation, due to the comorbidity and advanced age of the majority of patients. Therefore, the second stage cannot be offered to up to 30% of patients. New developments and improvements in aortic surgery were introduced to overcome these shortcomings and to simplify the surgical repair. The "elephant trunk" principle, introduced by Borst et al. in 1983, was an important step to facilitate surgical repair, but still required the second step. With the introduction of endovascular repair of thoracic aortic disease with stent grafts implanted retrograde via the femoral artery, new therapeutic concepts emerged. In the late 1990s, two Japanese groups reported first trials to stabilize the free-floating "elephant trunk" prosthesis by implantation of nitinol stent grafts into the vascular graft. The applied devices were purely custom-made and nonstandardized. The availability of industrially made and CE-marked stent-graft devices raised the possibility to apply them in open aortic arch surgery. The experience with stent-graft devices implanted antegrade into the descending aorta (Medtronic Talent) was reported first by the Essen and the Vienna group. The experience gained with these devices revealed the limitations of the devices designed for pure retrograde aortic delivery. This required a complete redesign and new construction of the stent graft itself as well as the introducer system. In a preliminary series of 14 patients the required stent-graft properties were presented in detail and resulted in the first industrially manufactured standardized and CE-marked Hybrid stent graft (Essen 1 prosthesis, E-vita Open, Jotec), especially made for antegrade open stent grafting of the descending aorta. This device consists of a stent graft with an integrated Dacron vascular prosthesis, enabling for direct and continuous aortic arch replacement after stent grafting of the descending aorta. From 01/2005 to 03/2006, this hybrid prosthesis was implanted in 16 patients (one aneurysm and 15 aortic dissections). In all cases, the underlying pathology within the thoracic aspect of the aorta could be excluded in a one-stage approach. In case of aortic dissection, thrombosis of the false lumen was detectable by transesophageal echocardiography already at the end of surgery. Though long-term results using this new method are not yet available, the initial promising results postoperatively are encouraging toward true one-stage repair by combining classic aortic surgery with open antegrade stent grafting utilizing the newly designed hybrid prosthesis. While surgical trauma is markedly reduced, this treatment option can be offered to elderly patients as well.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Endovascular stent-graft treatment of penetrating aortic ulcer: results over a median follow-up of 27 months.

BACKGROUND: Penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU) is increasingly acknowledged as a pathological variant of classic false-lumen aortic dissection with a high incidence of bleeding complications and rupture in up to 40% of patients. The objective of this study was to investigate the results of endovascular stent-graft placement for the treatment of patients with PAUs. METHODS: Between July 1999 and December 2004, endovascular stent-graft repair of PAU was performed in 22 patients (69.1 +/- 7.8 years, 16 men), 3 (14%) of whom had contained aortic rupture. Stent-graft placement was performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory with the patient under general anesthesia, using a surgical access. RESULTS: Procedural success was achieved in all but 1 patient (technical success rate 96%). Postoperatively, 1 (5%) patient had minor stroke with transient amentia. There were no other inhospital complications or deaths. During a median follow-up of 27 (range 1-62) months, 1 patient underwent adjunctive stent-graft placement for type I endoleak. Three patients died unrelated to the aortic disease late during follow-up. Overall survival rates were 100% at 30 days, 100% at 1 year, 82.5% +/- 11.3% at 2 years, and 61.9% +/- 20.0% at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular stent-graft treatment is an effective treatment for patients with PAU and is associated with low procedural morbidity. Both acute and midterm mortality of this novel treatment concept appear to be favorable compared with the natural course of the disease.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

In vitro evaluation of current thoracic aortic stent-grafts for real-time MR-guided placement.

PURPOSE: To systematically evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of current thoracic aortic stent-graft devices before, during, and after in vitro deployment as a step toward real-time MRI-guided stent placement. METHODS: Six stent-graft devices used for thoracic aortic repair were examined in a dedicated phantom model using a 1.5-T MRI scanner. First, the delivery systems with the mounted stent-graft were examined using real-time fast imaging with steady-state precession (TrueFISP) with Cartesian and radial k-space filling. TrueFISP imaging was subsequently used for real-time monitoring of stent-graft expansion. The deployed stent-grafts were then examined in a water bath containing gadolinium (1:40) with high-resolution T1-weighted 3D fast low-angle shot (FLASH) sequences. The images were analyzed for artifacts, radiofrequency caging effects, and device visualization quality. RESULTS: Three delivery systems with mounted stent-grafts did not contain ferromagnetic elements and were well visualized. Imaging with radial k-space filling showed fewer artifacts than Cartesian imaging. Movement of the delivery system and stent-graft expansion of these devices were successfully demonstrated at a rate of up to 6 frames per second. Evaluation of the expanded stent-grafts revealed only minor susceptibility artifacts without relevant signal attenuation in the stent-graft lumen for 5 nitinol-based stent-grafts. Only a stainless steel-based stent-graft was associated with severe artifacts, thwarting visualization of its lumen or surroundings. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that 3 nitinol-based thoracic stent-graft devices are potentially suited for real-time MRI-guided placement with respect to both the delivery system and the stent-graft itself. These observations provide the basis for the evaluation of MRI-guided stent-graft placement in vivo.

Alloys↗
PubMed2006

Percutaneous repair of abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysm by catheter-based delivery of thrombin.

PURPOSE: To present a case in which thrombin was injected percutaneously to treat an aortic pseudoaneurysm. CASE REPORT: A 63-year-old man developed a large pseudoaneurysm in the abdominal aorta after surgical fenestration and patch aortoplasty for acute type B aortic dissection with malperfusion syndrome. Transcatheter delivery of 1500 units of thrombin resulted in complete thrombosis of the pseudoaneurysm sac. No complications occurred. Twelve months after the procedure, the pseudoaneurysm was completely resolved on computed tomography. CONCLUSION: Thrombin continues to prove its safety and efficacy for the treatment of pseudoaneurysms at numerous anatomical sites, including the abdominal aorta.

Aneurysm, False↗
PubMed2005

Endovascular stent-graft placement in aortic dissection: a meta-analysis.

AIMS: This article summarizes all available published data with respect to clinical success, complications, and outcomes of endovascular stent-graft placement among patients with descending aortic dissection (AD). METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a meta-analysis of all published series on retrograde endovascular stent-graft placement encompassing >or=3 patients with AD. Thirty-nine studies, involving a total of 609 patients, were included. Procedural success was reported in 98.2+/-0.5% of patients. Major complications were reported in 11.1+/-1.4%, with the most dreaded neurologic complications in 2.9+/-0.7% patients. Periprocedural stroke was encountered more frequently than paraplegia (1.9+/-0.6% vs. 0.8+/-0.4%). Overall complications were significantly higher in patients undergoing stent-graft placement for acute AD than in patients with chronic AD (21.7+/-2.8% vs. 9.1+/-2.3%, P=0.005). The overall 30-day mortality was 5.3+/-0.9%, and was three-fold higher in patients with acute AD when compared with chronic AD (9.8+/-2.2% vs. 3.2+/-1.4%, P=0.015). In addition, 2.8+/-0.7% of patients died over a mean follow-up period of 19.5+/-7.1 months. Kaplan-Meier analysis yielded overall survival rates of 90.6+/-1.6% at 6 months, 89.9+/-1.7% at 1 year, and 88.8+/-1.9% at 2 years, respectively. CONCLUSION: Endovascular stent-graft placement in type B-AD is technically feasible with success rates of >95% in selected cohort. Although minimally invasive, major complications occurred in 14-18% of patients depending upon the acuity of presentation, with very low incidence of paraplegia. Both, acute and mid-term mortality of this novel treatment strategy appear to favourably compare with surgical treatment but further studies are necessary to compare stent-graft placement with medical treatment in uncomplicated AD.

Acute Disease↗