Reported October 2006

BACKGROUND: A new University of Michigan study demonstrates many of the tens of thousands of Americans with aneurysms might not need open-chest surgery in order to defuse the ticking time bomb in their chest. Instead, they can rely on a minimally invasive procedure using a stent graft made to work best in the upper part of the aorta. The FDA approved the procedure late year, and it is now available at hospitals around the country.

HOW ETAR WORKS: Endovascular thoracic repair (ETAR) shores up the aorta without surgery. Doctors insert a stent graft, or a tube of fabric supported by a metal mesh, by snaking a long tube up into the aorta from a small incision in the leg or belly. Once it reaches the aneurysm, the tube is withdrawn, and the graft expands to fit snugly in the aorta. The stent holds open the walls of the artery and keeps the blood flowing freely -- and the walls of the aorta from bursting. Of the 73 Michigan patients who had ETAR over the last 12 years, doctors successfully carried out 96 percent of the procedures.

WHAT ARE ANEURYSMS? The aorta is the largest artery in the human body. It carries blood away from the heart to other parts of the body. Part of it runs through the chest; this is called the thoracic aorta. Once it reaches the abdomen, it is known as the abdominal aorta. An aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel, like an over-inflated inner tube. They can develop if the wall of the aorta is weakened by the build-up of fatty deposits called plaque (atherosclerosis). The larger an aneurysm becomes, the greater the likelihood that it will burst.

BENEFITS: ETAR could potentially revolutionize the way many aneurysm patients are treated. Doctors can use the procedure on a wide range of aorta problems and can add years to patients' lives, even those who can't withstand tricky open-chest surgery. The thoracic aorta is one of the most sensitive areas of the artery. The intense force of blood pulsing out of the heart can rip the aorta's walls apart or cause them to balloon outward, eventually causing a fatal rupture.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Himanshu Patel, M.D.
Cardiothoracic Surgeon
University of Michigan Health System
Ann Arbor, MI
(734) 936-4974
HJPatel@UMich.edu

FACTOID...

An estimated 3 percent of adults over age 65 have some form of aortic aneurysm, mostly in the lower abdominal part of the aorta. Only 25 percent are in the thoracic region. More than 15,000 Americans die every year from ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysms, dissections and other problems.

ON THE WEB...

Cook Zenith's Patient Information

Gore TagŪ Thoracic Endoprosthesis Animation

Society for Vascular Surgery