Cardiovascular Surgeons Perform First Endovascular Aortic Arch Repair in Alabama & Only Fourth Nationwide
September 28, 2021
As part of a multicenter clinical trial, UAB Cardiovascular Institute surgeons implanted Alabama’s first NEXUS™ aortic arch stent graft system.
Adam Beck, MD, professor and director of the Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, and Kyle W. Eudailey, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, led the groundbreaking, complex surgery, which is a new treatment option for patients with thoracic aortic arch disease.
While more than 120,000 patients have thoracic aortic arch disease each year in the United States and Europe, only about 25 percent are diagnosed or treated. Despite significant advancements, the risks associated with open surgical aortic arch repair and the lack of approved devices limits treatment options for these patients.
Using the NEXUS™ aortic arch stent graft system is a minimally invasive repair option that decreases the requirement for open sternotomy and circulatory arrest, which means much less time in surgery, lower risk of complications and less in-hospital recovery time for patients. These procedures may also provide an option for treatment to patients who are at prohibitively high risk for open surgery.
“This is the first U.S. pivotal trial for a dedicated endovascular arch device,” Eudailey said. “Being one of the first in the country and first to offer this treatment in Alabama is both humbling and exciting.”
Having received Food and Drug Administration approval for its clinical trial in August 2020, the Endospan TRIOMPHE study will enroll patients at up to 30 centers in the United States to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the NEXUS™ aortic arch stent graft system. Beck and Eudailey say they are proud that UAB is part of this groundbreaking trial and one of the first teams offering the trial to patients.
“It is an honor to provide hope to patients through a minimally invasive treatment for a condition that can otherwise only be treated with major open surgery,” Beck said.
For more information about the TRIOMPHE clinical trial and the NEXUS™ device, visit www.endospan.com.
Want to learn more? In a recent MedCast podcast episode, Beck and Eudailey discuss the complexity of aortic surgery, endovascular and interventional techniques, and the importance of a multidisciplinary team approach for managing these challenging patients.