Thoracic Stent Graft Treats Aortic Dissections

An innovative stent graft system has been expanded to treat dangerous tears in the upper segment of the body's main artery.

The Valiant Captivia Thoracic Stent Graft System can now be used for the treatment of type B aortic dissections, a serious cardiovascular condition associated with high morbidity and mortality in which the upper segment of the aorta has become torn along the innermost layer of the vessel wall. The system features a unique proximal tip-capture mechanism, which enables controlled deployment and accurate placement of the stent graft, as well as complete apposition to the vessel wall, regardless of angulations or over-sizing.

The size matrix of the Valiant Captivia Thoracic Stent Graft System has been expanded, with 11 new proximal FreeFlo tapered pieces, increasing configuration possibilities by 30% to address a wider range of patient anatomies. The line extension enables physicians to use the system in tapered aortas, which account for approximately 20% of all thoracic aortic aneurysm cases. The new pieces all taper by 4 mm along their approximately 150-mm length, and have proximal diameters that range from 26–46 mm.

The Valiant Captivia Thoracic Stent Graft System is a product of Medtronic (Minneapolis, MN, USA), and has been implanted in over 50,000 patients world-wide since its initial 2005 launch in Europe. The additional system components for the treatment of aortic dissection have recently been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as receiving the Conformité Européene (CE) marking of approval, following several important studies.

“Acute type B aortic dissection is a potentially life-threatening condition that historically has been treated with either medical therapy or, when necessary, through invasive surgical techniques,” said Joseph Bavaria, MD, professor of surgery, director of the thoracic aortic surgery program at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, USA), and principal investigator of the DISSECTION study. “The trial we conducted shows that endovascular repair with the Valiant Captivia System provides a safe, effective and potentially life-saving treatment option for acute dissection patients.”

“The anatomy of the thoracic aorta is complex and unique to every individual,” said Matt Thompson, MD, professor of vascular surgery at St. George's Hospital (London, United Kingdom) and primary investigator for the MOTHER registry study. “For patients with tapered aortas, thoracic endovascular aortic repair is not always straightforward and requires careful device sizing to ensure treatment success. The addition of tapered pieces to the Valiant Captivia System provides physicians with more options to confidently and effectively accommodate both straightforward and challenging anatomies.”

Related Links:
Medtronic
University of Pennsylvania
St. George's Hospital