New device to treat aneurysm used for the first time in US

A research team from the University of North Carolina is the first in the US to use a novel FDA-approved device to treat a complex abdominal aortic aneurysm, or AAA. The device, called the Zenith Fenestrated AAA Endovascular Graft, is manufactured by Cook Medical, Inc. For the first time on Monday, it was delivered through a small incision in the patient’s groin and threaded through a blood vessel to the aneurysm site. It is one of the many advancements towards non-invasive endovascular surgery as an alternative to invasive abdominal surgery used in the past. The device is custom manufactured and allows doctors to use fluoroscopy, a type of x-ray, to guide the graft. It attaches to the wall of the aorta by the self-expanding stents, allowing blood flow to continue through the aorta without filling the aneurysm, prevent further growth and rupture of the aneurysm. It can reduce pain, complications, length of hospital stay and recovery time.