Endovascular Treatment of Innominate Artery Bifurcation Injury with Balloon-Expandable Covered Stents Utilizing Kissing Stent Technique

Abstract

Major injury of the innominate artery is traditionally treated with an open repair which is technically challenging, associated with large volumes of blood loss and prolonged operative times. Endovascular treatment with covered stent placement across the injury is an attractive alternative. However, placement of a single covered stent across the innominate artery bifurcation into one of its distal branches will not prevent bleeding because of retrograde perfusion from the unstented branch distal to the bifurcation. Here, we report a case of successful endovascular repair of one such injury involving the innominate artery bifurcation with ongoing extravasation into the mediastinum. The injury was successfully treated by utilizing 2 balloon-expandable covered stents placed in kissing fashion from the innominate artery into both of its distal branches. This technique of parallel covered stent placement across a bifurcation could effectively repair bifurcation injuries while maintaining patency of both distal branches.