Endovascular Stent Graft Repair for True and Post-Traumatic False Aneurysms of the Subclavian Artery.

OBJECTIVE

Subclavian artery aneurysms (SAAs) are uncommon but life-threatening, and a standard treatment approach has yet to be established. The current study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment for SAAs.

METHODS

The clinical data of 18 SAA patients who underwent endovascular repair at 3 hospitals from January 2009 to December 2019 were retrospectively collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

Eighteen patients (12 men and 6 women) with a mean age of 61 years were included. Six patients (33.3%) had a history of hypertension, and 5 (27.8%) had a history of chest trauma. Five patients (27.8%) were asymptomatic. Thirteen (72.2%) SAAs were true aneurysms, and the others (27.8%) were posttraumatic false aneurysms. Endovascular stent graft repair was performed in all patients without conversion to open surgery. The immediate technique success rate was 94.4%, with no postoperative death and only one case (5.6%) of endoleak that was observed on intraoperative angiography and later resolved spontaneously. All patients survived over a median follow-up time of 57 months. Follow-up imaging showed that all stent grafts remained patent, with no endoleak.

CONCLUSIONS

Endovascular stent graft repair is feasible, safe, and effective for true and posttraumatic false SAAs and represents a promising treatment option for these SAAs.