Proximal aortic neck angle does not affect early and late EVAR outcomes: an AnacondaTM Italian Registry analysis

Aim: The aim of this paper was to evaluate early and 3-year results of the endovascular repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) using the AnacondaTM endograft in patients with severe proximal aortic neck angle. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the AnacondaTM Italian Registry was carried out. Two groups of patients were identified according to the presence of a severe (Group A, GA: ≥ 60°) or an absent (Group B, GB: <45°) proximal aortic neck angle. Preoperative, procedural and follow-up data were evaluated. Mortality, proximal type I endoleak, freedom from iliac leg thrombosis and conversion to open repair were analyzed at 30-day and 3-year follow-up. The results of GA and GB were compared. Results: From 2005 to 2012, 1030 patients were enrolled in the Registry. Sixty-five patients (6.3%) were included in GA and 737 (71.5%) in GB. The mean age and AAA diameter were respectively 76.8 years and 62.7 mm in GA and 77.2 years and 56.5 mm in GB (P=NS). The ASA ≥ 3 was reported in the 95.3% of GA vs. 81% of GB (P=0.005). The endograft main-body was repositioned in 35% of cases in GA and 20.7% in GB (P=0.008); there were no differences in the main-body ballooning and proximal aortic cuff placement. There were no statistical differences in 30-day mortality (GA 1.5% vs. GB 1.3%), proximal type I endoleaks (GA 1.5% vs. GB 0.8%), iliac leg thrombosis (GA 1.5% vs. GB 1.4%) and conversion to open repair (GA 3% vs. GB 0.6%). The 3-year survival was 95.4% in GA and 94.7% in GB (P=NS). Freedom from proximal type I endoleak, iliac leg thrombosis and conversion to open repair were respectively 98.5%, 95.4%, and 95.4% in GA and 97.8%, 96.9%, and 98.5% in GB (P=NS). Conclusion: The AnacondaTM Italian Registry reports good results in terms of clinical success at 3-year follow-up. AAA with severe proximal aortic neck can be treated with similar outcomes to AAA with favorable neck anatomy. The endograft repositionability is a benefit in cases with severe neck angle.