Complex hybrid surgery of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm applying TEVAR successfully performed

September 09,2020

Another life was saved in our clinic with the successful performance of hybrid surgery on a 77-year-old patient from Strumica. The complex surgical procedure at the same time involving minimal risk and minimal invasiveness was applied to threat thoracic aortic aneurysm of this patient, who was urgently referred to our clinic from the polyclinic “Filip Vtori” in Strumica.

The aneurysm originated from the distal thoracic aorta, passing from the thoracic cavity to the abdominal cavity through the diaphragm, and ended at the origins of the visceral arterial branches that supply blood to the abdominal organs, liver, pancreas, stomach, and intestines. This type of aneurysm is a great challenge for both surgical treatment and endovascular treatment applying the so-called TEVAR procedure with placement of an endovascular aortic stent graft, explains our interventional radiologist Dr. Zvonko Atanasov.

At the medical consilium, when the patient’s case was discussed, Academician Dr. Zan Mitrev gave a proposal for a hybrid treatment of the patient, i.e. a combination of surgical treatment with minimally invasive endovascular treatment of the aneurysm.

The conclusion was first to do a bypass of the visceral arterial branches of the abdominal aorta because the aneurysm, as I mentioned earlier, ended at the level of their origin, and to place the prosthesis we needed to have a safe distal zone for the endovascular aortic stent to be placed through the right femoral artery, explains Dr. Atanasov.

The patient became contactable immediately after the surgery and gave his testimonial about his experience at our clinic.

I am Gjorgji Trajkov and I come from Strumica. My arrival at the “Zan Mitrev” clinic was rather accidental. I had an appointment at the polyclinic “Filip Vtori” in Strumica, where by an ultrasound examination it was detected that I had an enlarged aorta. I was told that there was no medication treatment for this and that I had to have surgery. The dilemma was: to have surgery or wait for the worst to happen. I agreed to have surgery. I came to the clinic. It was the first time that I entered this building. The first impression was fascinating. I got the impression that here the patients do not have to go door to door, but the doctors come to the patients and do all the examinations. The interior, hygiene and medical care are impeccable, says patient Trajkov.