Development of a method to achieve antegrade in situ fenestration of endovascular stent grafts in abdominal aortic aneurysms

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is the focal dilation of the terminal aorta, which can lead to rupture if left untreated. Traditional endovascular aneurysm repair techniques are minimally invasive and pose low mortality rates compared with open surgical repair; however, endovascular aneurysm repair procedures face challenges in accommodating variations in the patient's anatomy. Complex aneurysms are defined when the sac extends past the renal arteries or has an insufficient neck landing zone to deploy a traditional endograft. Fenestrated endografts were introduced to enable the repair of complex aneurysms by the creation of fenestrations to enable blood flow into the visceral arteries. This study investigates proof of concept for creating antegrade in situ fenestrations of off-the-shelf endografts using a novel endovascular orifice detection device. Our technique enables the precise location of the visceral artery orifices using fiber optic cables and an infrared light source. The endovascular orifice detection device was tested rigorously in precisely locating an artery opening in blood and a custom AAA phantom model. The study also explored the safest means of creating a fenestration using mechanical puncture and a laser. This innovative approach offers a viable alternative for patients with complex AAAs.