The use of biological grafts provides acceptable mid- and long-term results in native or prosthetic vascular infections. Several reports describe the successful use of bovine pericardium in case of vascular infections, mainly as a large patch to be sutured as a tubular graft. Recently, a novel prefabricated bovine pericardium graft (Biointegral Surgical No-React® Inc, Mississauga, ON, Canada) has been introduced in clinical practice with promising results. In this study, we report our preliminary experience utilizing Biointegral Surgical graft in case of native and or prosthetic aorto-iliac and infrainguinal infection. We retrospectively analyzed data from 20 patients with native or prosthetic aorto-iliac and infrainguinal infection who underwent in situ reconstruction (ISR) with a Biointegral Surgical No-React bovine pericardium prosthesis between October 2020 and February 2023 at the Vascular Surgery Unit of the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Gemelli - IRCCS in Rome, Italy. All patients followed a standardized protocol including postoperative anticoagulation and long-term intravenous antibiotics. The indication for surgery was: mycotic aortic aneurysm in 4 patients (20%), graft infection after abdominal aortic repair in 11 patients (55%), peripheral graft infection in 5 patients (25%). Complete excision of the infected aorta or prosthetic graft, surgical debridement and ISR were performed in all patients. Hospital mortality rate was 5% (n = 1) and graft-related mortality of 0%. During follow-up (median 13 months, range 6-34 months), reinfection was 5.2% and primary graft patency 94.7%. The use of prefabricated bovine pericardial grafts represents a promising option for the treatment of native and prosthetic aorto-iliac and infrainguinal infections. The application of this biological graft with a standardized postoperative protocol has been associated with a satisfactory patency and reinfection rate without increased bleeding complications.

Aorto-esophageal fistula (AEF) is an uncommon but usually fatal disorder. Surgery with resection of an aneurysm and esophagus, in situ reconstruction of the descending aorta and omental flap installation offers the gold standard for the reduction of infections, but it is burdened by high intraoperative and perioperative mortality rates. We report our experience with a combined minimally invasive approach for the multi-stage treatment of three cases of aorto-esophageal fistula caused by thoracic aneurysm rupture. In all of the patients, the aneurysm was treated with thoracic endovascular aortic repair and the esophageal lesion was treated with esophageal endoprosthesis placement. According to our experience, the combined strategy of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and esophageal less invasive endoscopic treatments represents an alternative solution in frail patients with high surgical risk.

On-pump techniques are the methods of choice for organ protection and heart support during thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm surgical repair. We present a case of a patient with a symptomatic saccular aneurysm of the visceral segment of a severe atheromatous aorta requiring a surgical type IV aortic repair during which we adopted a temporary passive arterial shunt from the left axillary artery to ensure visceral and distal aortic perfusion. The old-fashioned technique of passive shunting to ensure visceral and distal aortic perfusion seems to offer an appealing alternative to on-pump techniques in selected patients.

Objective: The introduction of off-the-shelf (OTS) multibranch stent-grafts represented an advancement in the endovascular treatment of thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs), particularly in urgent settings. In certain cases (e.g, target vessel [TV] occlusion), unused directional branches (DBs) require proper occlusion with a vascular plug to prevent type III endoleaks. However, no standardized technique for DB closure has been established. We aim to evaluate the safety, feasibility, time-effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of using single-disk vascular plug (Amplatzer Vascular Plug [AVP]) for DB closure during urgent branched endovascular aneurysm repair (B-EVAR). Methods: Retrospective analysis of 16 patients (16/101, 15.8%) undergoing urgent B-EVAR with OTS devices requiring intentional occlusion of at least 1 DB using vascular plug due to unavailable TVs or anatomical constraints. Amplatzer Vascular Plugs were deployed in 2 different techniques: with or without DB elongation with balloon-expandable stent-grafts. Technical success, clinical outcomes, side branches plugging time, and plug-constrained length after its deployment were assessed. Results: Balloon-expandable stent-graft plus AVP were used to occlude 7 unused DBs (36.8%), whereas AVP without elongation was used in 8 (42.1%), with a median oversizing rate of 58.7%. The technical success rate was 100%, with no instances of plug migration or endoleak during a median follow-up of 20.9±14.4 months. Perioperative mortality rate was 25%, exclusively in patients with ruptured aneurysms. Clinical success was maintained in all patients, with no late reinterventions or DBs recanalization. Side-branch plugging time was significantly shorter when performed without elongation (3.9±0.6 vs. 6.4±1.3 minutes; p =.0003). Despite greater oversizing, even without elongation, the mean plug-constrained length (15.1±4.5 mm) did not exceed the shortest DB, effectively reducing the risk of complications associated with increased plug-constrained length while ensuring proper and secure deployment. Conclusions: Single-disk vascular plugs without DB elongation provide a safe, feasible, time-effective and cost-effective solution for DB closure during B-EVAR, with favorable outcomes and reduced procedural complexity, even in urgent setting. Multicenter studies are needed to validate these findings and establish standardized DB management techniques for challenging anatomical and urgent cases. Clinical Impact: Our study demonstrated the feasibility, safety, and time- and cost-effectiveness of single-disc vascular plug (AVP) embolization for directional branches during urgent or emergent branched endovascular aortic aneurysm repair using off-the-shelf devices, even without elongation using balloon-expandable stent-grafts. This technique simplifies the procedure, reducing complexity and potential complications. It is particularly advantageous in urgent scenarios, where minimizing procedural time is critical to improve patient outcomes and survival. Moreover, it offers significant benefits in resource-limited settings by ensuring efficient use of healthcare resources. Overall, this approach represents a practical, effective solution that can enhance procedural efficiency and broaden clinical applicability.