Transcaval embolisation of type-II endoleaks - The Australian experience.

Objectives: Embolizing an abdominal aortic aneurysm sac through a transcaval approach is a novel approach to treat type-II endoleaks that occur following aortic endografting. This study reviews the outcomes of this treatment in one of the few centres in Australia that offers this procedure.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including patients who had received transcaval embolisation of type-II endoleak over a 9-year period. The primary outcome was clinical success, defined as the absence of endoleak on post-procedural ultrasonography at 6-weeks, provided the procedure was successfully completed. Other outcomes included clinical success at 1-year, aneurysm size, rupture and aneurysm-related mortality.

Results: Twelve patients with type-II endoleak and AAA sac growth received transcaval embolisation. Technical success was achieved in 91.7% of cases, in which both Onyx 34 and coils were deployed into the sac. Clinical success, defined as an absence of endoleak on ultrasonography 6-weeks after a technically successful procedure, was achieved in 66.7% of patients, none of whom had evidence of endoleak at 1-year post-procedure. In patients whom clinical success was achieved, there was a decrease in sac size during follow-up, from 72.5 ± 13.1 at 6-weeks to 66.0 ± 12.1 at 1-year post-procedure. Aneurysm sac size continued to enlarge if clinical success was not observed, with an average sac size of 72.0 ± 14.1 at 6-weeks increasing to 76.9 ± 15.2 at 1-year. No patients suffered AAA rupture or AAA-related mortality during follow-up.

Conclusions: This study reports a high technical and clinical success rate, with outcomes that could suggest that this procedure could induce sac regression.