In Reply to: Re: Case 997_03 -- Iliac artery covered stent for enlarging pseudonaneurysm posted by Scott Trerotola on September 18, 1997 at 08:11:31:
Without tissue diagnosis it would be difficult to know for sure if it was a deepening ulcer or a pseudoaneurysm. The reason we called it pseudoaneurysm and treated it was its course of growth. Over a few months it enlarged by appx. 1 cm. Its appearance (rounded, no sharp edges etc.) was also suggestive. After the stent was inserted there was no fever at all. It is now 3 months since the procedure and she is doing great. This is of course one case and you can't draw any conclusions. It is curious that in the canine model they got a lot of fevers. The vascular surgeons have used Dacron for ages and it seems to be a safe material.
It is possible that a standard stent would have done the job but if this lesion decided to rupture it would have been quite disastrous (very poor operative candidate). We decided to go for the treatment that would exclude the lesion without further manipulations. It was quite easy to get and deploy the stent-graft (I found the process quite educational). It will be even easier once Schneider succeeds in mounting the stent.