Endovascular treatment of popliteal artery aneurysms: a single-center experience

Purpose: To evaluate the use of covered stent-grafts in the endovascular treatment (ET) of popliteal artery aneurysms (PAAs).

Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted over a period of 52 months in 18 consecutive patients (17 men; mean age +/- SD, 70 years +/- 11) undergoing ET of PAAs with the Viabahn endograft in a single center. Patient symptoms, aneurysm characteristics, technical outcomes, complications, and follow-up were assessed.

Results: Aneurysm diameters ranged from 12 to 51 mm with a mean of 30 mm (+/-11). Thirteen aneurysms (72.2%) were partially thrombosed and 12 patients (66.6%) had symptoms of lower limb ischemia at presentation (11 chronic and one acute). The technical success rate was 94%. Intraprocedural emboli and endoleak occurred in one and two patients, respectively. Fourteen patients were available for follow-up after successful treatment, with a mean follow-up time of 15 months (range, 7-37 months). All stent-grafts were patent after 1 month, with no mortality or limb loss. The primary patency rate with complete exclusion of the aneurysm at 6 months was 86%. Pre- and postprocedural noninvasive arterial studies were available in 10 patients, demonstrating improvement of the ankle-brachial index from 0.96 +/- 0.41 to 1.17 +/- 0.18, respectively (P = .06).

Conclusions: Endovascular stent-graft repair of PAAs is a feasible treatment option. However, further follow-up studies regarding the durability of results are required.