INTERVENTIONAL VASCULAR PROCEDURES 

Italian Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery 2012 March;19(1):1-8

Copyright © 2012 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Milestones in endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm

Von Allmen R. S., Powell J. T.

Vascular Surgery Research Group, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK

Endovascular repair of aortic aneurysm was attempted first in 1986 in the Ukraine. Since the early studies with “home-made” endografts, industry has taken this development to heart. Currently, several different companies market endovascular devices for the repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm. This minimally invasive approach to repairing aneurysms has been taken up enthusiastically by patients and clinicians. Four randomised trials have compared endovascular repair to the gold standard of open repair. Associated technology such as catheter-based delivery devices and operating theatre equipment has developed rapidly and even the endografts themselves have, and are still, undergoing iterative development and improvement. Today in many countries over half of all abdominal aortic aneurysm are repaired by endovascular means. The milestones in this endovascular revolution are tracked against the Gartner new technology 5-step hype cycle.