Percutaneous endoluminal placement of stent-grafts for the treatment of isolated iliac artery aneurysms

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of stent-grafts for treatment of isolated iliac artery aneurysms (IAAs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine IAAs in eight patients were treated with transluminally placed endovascular stent- grafts. All patients were men (median age, 72 years). In three, the aneurysm involved both the common and internal iliac arteries. In one, common and external iliac arteries were involved. The other aneurysms involved only the common iliac artery. Two aneurysms were treated with balloon-expandable stents covered with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft material, three were treated with self-expanding Z-stents covered with a woven polyester graft, and four were treated with self-expanding Z-stents covered with PTFE. RESULTS: Transluminal placement of the stents was successful in all patients with thrombosis of the aneurysms. There were no distal thromboembolic events, deaths, or infections. The median follow-up period was 8.5 months. CONCLUSION: Initial results suggest that transluminal stent-graft placement for treating isolated IAAs is a safe and effective alternative to surgery in selected patients. Long-term follow-up data are needed before this approach can be recommended for the primary treatment of IAAs.