Use of Covered Stents to Treat Occlusive Mesenteric Artery Disease Ying Huang, MD; Gustavo S. Oderich, MD; Peter Banga, MD; Leonardo Reis de Souza, MD From the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. ABSTRACT: The number of mesenteric revascularizations has increased tenfold in the United States in the last decade. In most centers, angioplasty with stenting surpassed open bypass as the first treatment option for patients with chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI); however, endovascular therapy using bare metal stents (BMS) has been plagued by high rates of restenosis and reinterventions affecting as much as 20% to 66% of patients treated for CMI. Studies have shown that covered stents (CS) can effectively decrease rates of restenosis and reintervention when applied to treat iliac occlusive disease and chronic mesenteric lesions, yielding results comparable to open surgical bypasses. This review describes the use of CS in endovascular treatment of chronic mesenteric ischemia, including indications, techniques, and results. VASCULAR DISEASE MANAGEMENT 2015;12(10):E183-E189 Key words: mesenteric ischemia, endovascular therapy, covered stents, mesenteric artery interventions, stenting Mesenteric ischemia is not a common disease; however, early diagnosis in patients with undifferentiated abdominal pain is paramount so that rapid mesenteric revascularization can be achieved to prevent disastrous bowel infarction. The number of mesenteric revascularizations has increased tenfold in the United States in the last decade, largely because of improved diagnosis and decreased morbidity and mortality of endovascular therapy. In most centers, including ours, angioplasty with stenting surpassed open bypass as the first treatment option and is currently used in more than 70% to 80% of the patients treated for chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI). 1-3 Currently, open surgery is relegated to a minority of patients (5% to 10%) who have failed or are not considered suitable candidates for an endovascular approach. Despite the widespread acceptance of angioplasty and stenting and short-term advantages over open bypass, mesenteric revascularizations using bare metal stents (BMS) are plagued by high rates of restenosis and reinterventions affecting as much as 20% to 66% of patients treated for CMI, not matching the excellent patency rates reported for open surgical reconstructions. 4-8 Unlike BMS, a covered stent for peripheral use is encapsulated with expanded polytetrafluorethylene Vascular Disease Management October 2015 183
(eptfe) film, which is designed to serve as a barrier is 6 mm or 7 mm by 22 mm or 38 mm. Currently a to retard intimal hyperplasia and has been confirmed second-generation 0.035 platform (6 Fr or 7 Fr) is in animal models of restenosis. 9 Covered stents have available in the United States, whereas the non-us been associated with decreased rates of restenosis when market also has access to a 0.018 platform that can be applied to treat failing arteriovenous fistulas, 10 for iliac introduced via a 6 Fr sheath. 14 Recent improvements occlusive disease, 11 and for realignment of renal arteries during fenestrated endovascular repair of aortic the balloon, avoiding the issue of stent dislodgement. to the device include flexibility and better adhesion to aneurysms. 12 In the mesenteric arteries, Schoch et al reported no restenosis or reinterventions after a INDICATION mean follow-up of 7 months in 14 patients treated Endovascular therapy of mesenteric ischemia is indicated in anatomically eligible patients with symptoms by covered stent. 13 Our previous study also showed that covered stents outperformed BMS in terms of of acute, subacute, or chronic mesenteric ischemia. restenosis, symptom recurrence, and re-intervention, 14 Most patients (>95%) have ostial atherosclerotic mesenteric vascular disease in the proximal third of and currently our practice has shifted to endovascular the treatment for CMI using covered stents. SELECTING COVERED STENTS Three types of covered stents are currently commercially available for peripheral use in the United States, with other options also used in the non-us market: (1) balloon-expandable icast/advanta V12 (Atrium Macquet Medical Corporation), (2) self-expanding covered stent Fluency stent-graft (Bard Peripheral Vascular), and (3) self-expandable Viabahn stent-graft (W. L. Gore & Associates). For treatment of occlusive mesenteric lesions, we have preferred to use balloonexpandable covered stents because of precise deployment, excellent radial force, prevention of embolism by entrapment of debris, the ability to over-expand the stent to the desired diameter with minimal stent foreshortening, and less risk of arterial disruption. Stents are sized to match the reference vessel diameter, which typically ranges from 5 mm to 8 mm in the mesenteric territory. The most commonly used stent mesenteric arteries. Patients with asymptomatic stenosis are not considered for prophylactic treatment because of the benign natural history, with the exception of select patients with severe three-vessel high-grade stenosis or occlusion. Stenting of arcuate ligament compression of the celiac axis is contraindicated, unless this has been surgically released by laparoscopy or open surgery. The ideal lesion for endovascular therapy is a short, focal stenosis or occlusion without significant calcification or thrombus. However, longer lesions, calcified lesions, and occlusions can also be treated by endovascular therapy with satisfactory results, but likely restenosis rates are higher on long-term followup. Because most lesions are proximal and ostial, a short balloon-expandable stent is often the only selected stent. Longer lesions may require a self-expandable stent or a balloon-expandable stent (proximally) coupled with a distal self-expandable stent in tortuous segments of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). The use of covered stents is avoided across jejunal Vascular Disease Management October 2015 184
branches and is used only in the proximal SMA. 2,3 PATIENT SELECTION AND APPROACH The goal of endovascular revascularization is to restore antegrade flow into at least 1 of the 3 mesenteric arteries, preferentially the SMA. We found no benefit with 2-vessel stenting, and a celiac artery (CA) stent alone carries a high risk of recurrence. 15 Review of preprocedure imaging studies including CTA, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), or conventional angiography is the key to selecting the ideal approach based on the angle of origin of the mesenteric vessels in relation to the aorta, the amount of calcium and thrombus load, and the presence of important collater- the left brachial artery access with a small 1 cm to 2 cm incision to surgically expose the artery under local anesthesia using a 7 Fr sheath. Brachial access is established by a 0.018 micropuncture set, after which the system is exchanged for a 0.035 guidewire system. 2 The author acknowledges that percutaneous access can also be used, but undoubtedly puncture-related complications are higher in the brachial artery and the morbidity of a small incision is close to none. A femoral access is also a reasonable option in patients with good SMA angle, but technical difficulties occur in some cases. A retrograde approach through the exposed SMA after laparotomy is useful in patients who have an indication for laparotomy because of als or unusual anatomy in proximity to the target lesion. bowel gangrene or perforation. 16-19 The SMA is the primary target for revascularization, and as such the anatomy of the SMA is the most important determinant. 2,3 The endovascular technique Full systemic heparinization (80 mg/kg) is admin- TECHNIQUE using covered stents is identical to BMS. We generally istered before catheter manipulations to achieve an target the SMA first and consider CA stenting only activated clotting time above 250 seconds. A 7 Fr 90- if stenting the SMA is not feasible or if we obtained cm hydrophilic sheath is positioned in the descending thoracic aorta above the celiac axis origin. A 5 Fr a suboptimal result (dissection or residual stenosis). multipurpose catheter is ideal for selective catheterization of the mesenteric arteries through the brachial ACCESS The ideal approach remains controversial. A brachial approach, whereas an SOS catheter (AngioDynamics) artery approach is preferred for patients with a sharp or VS1 catheter (Cook Medical) can be used from the angulated origin of the SMA and for patients with femoral approach. The initial selective angiography long occlusions, particularly flush occlusions. Brachial should demonstrate the origin of the vessel from the access offers excellent support with small-profile systems and precise stent deployment in patients with document the distal branches for comparison with aortic wall and the severity of the stenosis, and it should an acute SMA angle, and may reduce the rate of severe mesenteric artery complications including dis- crossed with a 0.035 soft angled glidewire, which is post-intervention views. The target lesion is initially sections, vessel perforations and embolization. A radial exchanged for the interventional wire of choice after approach may also be used. Our preference is to use confirmation of true lumen access. Our preference is Vascular Disease Management October 2015 185
to use a small-profile (0.014 or 0.018 ) stiff guidewire for most interventions. The tip of the guidewire should be visualized and positioned within the main trunk of the SMA rather than within small jejunal branches, which are prone to perforation or dissection. Transluminal pressure gradient measurements are performed in selected patients, especially those who have undergone reintervention for restenosis. Embolic protection is used selectively in patients with occlusions, long lesions (>30 mm in length), severe calcification, thrombus, and acute or subacute symptoms. Our preference is to use a 320-cm working length 0.014 Spider RX filter wire (Covidien), the most frequently utilized filter device is a 7 mm filter basket positioned of the occluded SMA, and sufficient support is pro- approximately 5 cm distal to the SMA origin, to avoid vided by the stiff support system combining a 7 Fr the major jejunal branches to be compromised. The two-wire technique is used by combining a 0.014 performed, including a focal magnified view of the stent with the sheath into the aorta to demonstrate the vessel origin as well as a panoramic view of the entire SMA and its branches to rule out embolization or perforation. The stiff guidewire should be retracted, and nitroglycerin may be administered through the sheath to minimize spasm or kinks caused by the guidewire tip. In patients with residual stenosis, residual pressure gradient across the covered stent exceeding 10 mmhg will require that additional angioplasty and/or stenting be performed. 2,3 In cases of mesenteric occlusions, the tip of the 5 Fr multipurpose catheter is used to engage the stump Rabee sheath (Cook Medical) and 7 Fr multipurpose guide catheter (Cook Medical). A 0.018 V-18 wire filter wire with a 0.018 buddy wire. (Boston Scientific) can be used to cross the area of The covered stent is introduced via both wires for occlusion, followed by a 0.018 Quick-Cross catheter (Spectranetics). Alternately, a 0.035 soft or stiff better support and to facilitate subsequent retrieval of the embolic protection device. The covered stent glidewire and Quick-Cross catheter can be used. It is positioned under protection of the sheath, covering slightly more than the entire length of the lesion. achieved by use of straight-tip guidewires. Once the is ideal to avoid the subintimal plane, which is best Positioning the covered stent so that it extends 1 mm lesion is crossed, access into the true lumen should to 2 mm into the aortic lumen is critical to avoid be confirmed. 2,3 Grilli et al preferred a femoral access missing the proximal portion of the lesion. Ideally, in cases with chronic total occlusions, with the help the stent-graft should be flared gently into the aorta, of a Morph deflectable guiding sheath (Biocardia) to which minimizes the potential to miss disease at the provide considerable resistance to catheters buckling ostia and facilitates repeated catheterization if needed. into the supraceliac aorta. 20 After deployment and flaring of the stent, the embolic protection device is retrieved with careful attention ADJUNCTIVE TECHNIQUES to avoid entrapment into the stent. The basket is examined for debris. fresh thrombus or complicated plaque. In these cases, An acute or subacute symptom presentation suggests A formal completion angiography should be local administration of tissue plasminogen activator Vascular Disease Management October 2015 186
(tpa) into the diseased segment 15 minutes before stent placement may improve technical success. 21 COMPLICATIONS Distal embolization, dissection, thrombus, or branch perforation occur in 5% to 10% of patients and remain a major source of morbidity and mortality if they are not immediately recognized. 2 POSTPROCEDURAL MEDICATION Antiplatelet therapy is typically started before the intervention with acetylsalicylic acid and continued indefinitely thereafter. Clopidogrel is started the day of the intervention with a loading dose of 300 mg and continued for 6 weeks to 8 weeks as a dual an- ratio [HR], 0.14; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], tiplatelet agent, after which patients continue with acetylsalicylic acid alone. 2,3 In other vascular beds, the Australian prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) Covered Versus Balloon Expandable Stent Trial (COBE- ST) studied 168 iliac arteries in 125 patients with severe peripheral arterial occlusive disease who were randomly assigned to a covered stent group (Atrium Advanta V12; Maquet) or a BMS group, TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) classification was used to classify the lesions. Follow-up was carried out at 1, 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively. The COBEST demonstrated that covered stents had better outcomes for TASC C and D lesions than BMS in terms of long-term freedom from binary restenosis, which was defined as 50% reduction in lumen diameter (hazard 0.04 0.44; P=.006), and clinical outcome; nevertheless, this significance was not observed for TASC B lesions (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.24 2.39). 11 OUTCOMES By contrast, in the retrospective study that consisted Clinical data on the use of balloon-expandable covered stents in the treatment of mesenteric ischemia symptomatic peripheral arterial occlusive disease, of of 254 common iliac arteries in 162 patients with are scarce. The University of Tennessee group was the 190 BMS and 64 covered stents (icast), rates of primary patency, primary assisted patency, and secondary first to report favorable results in 14 patients treated by icast, with no reinterventions after 2-year followup. 13 Our study showed that in 225 patients with CMI, 98% vs 90%, and 98% vs 92% respectively at 2 years. patency were better in the BMS group: 89% vs 72%, of 147 vessels treated with BMS and 42 with covered The authors pointed out that an RCT with long-term stents, in the primary intervention group, rates of freedom from restenosis (92% vs 53%, P=.003), symptom covered stents in the iliac artery. 22 Currently, an RCT, follow-up is required to determine the benefit of using recurrence (92% vs 50%, P=.003), and reintervention the Dutch Iliac Stent trial: COVERed balloon-expandable versus uncovered balloon-expandable stents (91% vs 56%, P=.005) were higher in covered stents than in BMS at 3 years; similar results were obtained (DISCOVER) in the common iliac artery, is being at 1 year in the reintervention group consisting of 15 undertaken, which will compare the Advanta V12 stent BMS and 21 covered stents (89% vs 49%, 100% vs and will include a total of 174 patients. 23 64%, 100% vs 72%; P<.05). 14 Although the cost of a covered stent is 3 to 5 times Vascular Disease Management October 2015 187
that of a BMS, and late complications including the edge-stent stenosis, restenosis, acute stent thrombosis, and stent dislodgement are not well defined, there is a trend toward endovascular therapy using balloon-expandable covered stents in the treatment of mesenteric ischemia on the basis of single-center experiences 13,14 and RCT related to iliac artery stenting. 11 Careful preprocedural evaluation, including imaging studies, is the key to determine the patient eligibility. Randomized, controlled trials in endovascular mesenteric revascularization with longer follow-up are warranted to justify the benefit of covered stents. n Editor s note: Disclosure: The authors have completed and returned the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Dr. Oderich reports consultancy to and grants from Cook Medical and W. L. Gore & Associates, as well as honoraria from Endologix and W. L. Gore & Associates. Drs. Huang, Banga, and Reis de Souza report no disclosures related to the content herein. Manuscript received April 2, 2015; manuscript accepted May 20, 2015. Address for correspondence: Gustavo S. Oderich, MD, Mayo Clinic, Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, United States. Email: Oderich.Gustavo@mayo.edu. REFERENCES 1. Schermerhorn ML, Giles KA, Hamdan AD, Wyers MC, Pomposelli FB. Mesenteric revascularization: management and outcomes in the United States, 1988-2006. J Vasc Surg. 2009;50(2):341-348. 2. Oderich GS. Mesenteric vascular disease: chronic ischemia. In: Cronenwett JL, Johnston KW, eds. Rutherford s vascular surgery. Eighth ed. Philadelphia: Saunders; 2014:2373-2397. 3. Oderich GS, de Souza LR. Techniques of endovascular mesenteric revascularization. In: Oderich GS, ed. Mesenteric vascular disease: current therapy. New York: Springer; 2014:165-186. 4. Brown DJ, Schermerhorn ML, Powell RJ, et al. Mesenteric stenting for chronic mesenteric ischemia. J Vasc Surg. 2005;42(2):268-274. 5. Atkins MD, Kwolek CJ, LaMuraglia GM, Brewster DC, Chung TK, Cambria RP. Surgical revascularization versus endovascular therapy for chronic mesenteric ischemia: a comparative experience. J Vasc Surg. 2007;45(6):1162-1171. 6. Fioole B, van de Rest HJ, Meijer JR, et al. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting as firstchoice treatment in patients with chronic mesenteric ischemia. J Vasc Surg. 2010;51(2):386-391. 7. Peck MA, Conrad MF, Kwolek CJ, LaMuraglia GM, Paruchuri V, Cambria RP. Intermediate-term outcomes of endovascular treatment for symptomatic chronic mesenteric ischemia. J Vasc Surg. 2010;51(1):140-147. 8. Tallarita T, Oderich GS, Macedo TA, et al. Reinterventions for stent restenosis in patients treated for atherosclerotic mesenteric artery disease. J Vasc Surg. 2011;54(5):1422-1429. 9. Dolmatch B, Dong YH, Heeter Z. Evaluation of three polytetrafluoroethylene stent-grafts in a model of neointimal hyperplasia. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2007;18(4):527-534. 10. Haskal ZJ, Trerotola S, Dolmatch B, et al. Stent graft versus balloon angioplasty for failing dialysisaccess grafts. N Engl J Med. 2010;362(6):494-503. 11. Mwipatayi BP, Thomas S, Wong J, et al. A comparison of covered vs bare expandable stents for the treatment of aortoiliac occlusive disease. J Vasc Surg. 2011;54(6):1561-1570. 12. Mohabbat W, Greenberg RK, Mastracci TM, Cury M, Morales JP, Hernandez AV. Revised duplex criteria and outcomes for renal stents and stent grafts following endovascular repair of juxtarenal and thoracoabdominal aneurysms. J Vasc Surg. 2009;49(4):827-837. 13. Schoch DM, LeSar CJ, Joels CS, et al. Management of chronic mesenteric vascular insufficiency: an endovascular approach. J Am Coll Surg. Vascular Disease Management October 2015 188
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