Favourable Neurological Outcomes in Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair
with RELAY™ Branched – An International Perspective
Abstract
Background While open surgical repair continues to be the
mainstay option for aortic arch reconstruction, the associated
mortality, morbidity, and high turn-down rates have led to a need for
the development of minimally invasive options for aortic arch repair.
Though RELAY™ Branched (Terumo Aortic, Inchinnan, UK) represents a
promising option for complex endovascular aortic arch repair,
neurological complications remain a pertinent risk. Herein we seek to
present multi-centre data from Europe documenting the neurological
outcomes associated with RELAY™ Branched. Methods Prospective
data collected between January 2019 and January 2022 associated with
patients treated with RELAY™ single-, double-, and triple-branched
endoprostheses from centres across Europe was retrospectively analysed
with descriptive and distributive analysis. Follow up data from 30 days
and 6-, 12-, and 24 months postoperatively was included. Patients follow
up was evaluated for the onset of disabling stroke (DS) and
non-disabling stroke (NDS). Results Technical success was
achieved in 147 (99.3%) cases. Over 24 months period, in total, 6
(4.1%) patients suffered DS and 8 (5.4%) patients suffered NDS after
undergoing aortic arch repair with RELAY™. All patients that developed
postoperative DS had been treated with the double-branched RELAY™
endoprosthesis. Discussion The data presented herein
demonstrates that RELAY™ Branched is associated with favourable
neurological outcomes and excellent technical success rates. Key design
features of the endoprosthesis and good perioperative management can
contribute greatly to mitigating neurological complications following
endovascular aortic arch repair.