Aortic arch dissection is a life-threatening condition for a person who may often be unaware of the developing disease.
With this pathology, the inner wall of the aorta ruptures, and blood flows into the resulting space between the layers of the vessel under high pressure, DKnews.kz reports.
Thus, the flow of oxygenated blood gets into the wrong channel and does not nourish organs and tissues in sufficient quantities. This area of the aorta is a difficult zone for surgical interventions. Surgical treatment of aortic dissection is also complicated by branches of the arteries extending from the aorta, which nourish the brain and upper extremities.
However, an effective and safe solution exists and is being actively implemented in many clinics around the world. Specialists of the Heart Center UMC, following the best practices, for the first time among the CIS and Central Asia countries adapted a new technology for minimally invasive implantation of the Castor graft. This stent graft consists of a metal frame coated with a special polymer that strengthens the weakened aortic wall. The uniqueness of the stent lies in its design, in which the aortic body and the outgoing lateral branch are stitched and opened together during implantation. The position of the stent and its branches is fixed and adapted to the anatomical features of the patient, so as not to disrupt the blood supply to the upper extremities.
The team successfully implanted the Castor stent graft in a clinic’s patient diagnosed with a chronic thoracic aortic aneurysm with dissection. The diagnosis was complicated by concomitant diseases and high blood pressure. Before the procedure, the patient experienced chest pains, shortness of breath, and weakness.
“The new technology differs in its design in that it has a lateral branch for simultaneous prosthetics of the subclavian artery. Previously, we made special holes when implanted stent grafts so as not to block blood flow, and the procedure took longer. This stent allows implantation to be performed much faster, more efficiently and safer,” shared Marat Aripov, Director of CAD for Interventional Cardiology and Radiology at the UMC.
The stent graft implantation procedure was performed minimally invasively under general anesthesia by inserting a catheter through a puncture in the femoral artery. The patient was discharged with improved well-being. The master class was also attended by colleagues from Almaty and Semey clinics. The introduction of the new stent graft will improve the quality of treatment and accessibility of the best medical practices for our patients both in the capital and in the regions.
