A 72-years-old patient with a huge aortic aneurysm ( at the aortic arch) required surgical repair.
Due to severe pulmonary disease and due to previous breast surgery, it was decided that the repair should be performed by hybrid method and not by opening the chest.
Covered stent was implanted so in this way the blood flow passes through the "pipes" implanted inside the artery, so that the aneurysm stops growing and the danger of rupture passes.
However in the aortic arch there are 3 essential arteries - the carotid arteries that supply blood to the brain, the subclavian arteries that supply blood to the arms.
A covered stent implant in the aortic arch means blocking these vessels.
Dr. Halak (Head of department – vascular surgery at Sheba medical center) and Dr. Silverberg (vascular surgery at Sheba medical center) designed a device optimized for the patient's anatomy measurements, in which there are two fenestration (located exactly in the relevant places) that allow bridging By using Covered Stent to these vital arteries, with the left arm artery designed to receive blood flow by surgical installation of a bypass at the base of the neck.
This surgery has never been performed in Israel (Only a few surgeries performed worldwide) and therefore Prof. Eric Verhoeven from Nuremberg, Germany, who is one of the leading aorta surgeons in Europe was present at the surgery and contributed much of his experience.
