Aneurysmal Extension to the Iliac Bifurcation Increases the Risk of Complications and Secondary Procedures After Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Background: To compare the outcome of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in patients with and without associated common iliac artery aneurysm (CIAA) extending to the iliac bifurcation. Methods: Review of 157 patients who underwent endovascular aneurysm repair between 1999 and 2007. Group 1 included 133 patients with and without CIAA and suitable distal common iliac neck (type A, B, C, or D). Group 2 included 24 patients with associated CIAA extending to the iliac bifurcation (type E). Stent-grafts were Powerlink (Endologix, Irvine, CA) in 42, Zenith (Cook, Bjaeverskov, Danemark) in 55, and Talent (Medtronic, Sunnyvale, CA) in 60 patients. Forty patients had aorto-uni-iliac stent-grafts. Results: No difference in overall mortality and AAA rupture was observed. AAA-related complication-free survival at 5 year was 72 +/- 5% and 41 +/- 14% in group 1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.006). Secondary intervention-free survival was 84 +/- 5% and 55 +/- 12% in group 1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.0008). Incidence of distal type 1 endoleak and stent-graft thrombosis was 17 and 8 % in group 2, 3.8 and 0.8 % in group 1, respectively (p = 0.07 and p = 0.01, respectively). Conclusion: AAA-related complications and secondary interventions occur more frequently in patients with type E AAA. Distal type 1 endoleak and stent-graft thrombosis are more frequent in these patients. These results warrant further development of technologies that are better adapted for treatment of CIAAs, such as branched and flexible stent-grafts.