On 18 March, vascular surgeons of Almazov Centre, together with their Chinese colleagues, held a workshop on endoprosthetics of the juxtarenal aortic aneurysms using technique of intraoperative stent-graft fenestration.
The Chinese delegation included leading vascular surgeons from China – Professor Zhao Liu, Chief of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Professor Zhaohui Hua, Deputy Chief of First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, and Professor Fenghe Li.
The Russian participants were specialists from the Vascular and Interventional Surgery Clinic of Almazov Centre, headed by Dr. Mikhail Chernyavsky, as well as invited specialists from various regions of Russia – Ufa, Krasnodar, Novosibirsk, Tomsk, St. Petersburg.
The workshop featured a live case from the hybrid operating room of the Almazov Centre: endoprosthetics of a juxtarenal aortic aneurysm with intraoperative “on the table” fenestration in the orifices of the visceral arteries.
The procedure is unique in that a 3D model of the aorta and its branches is created before the endovascular graft is inserted, allowing the visceral arteries to be precisely marked on the stent graft itself. Later, fenestrations (holes marked with x-ray contrast) are made in the endovascular graft in the marked area, through which blood will be supplied to the internal organs. The stent graft is carefully packed into the delivery system and implanted into the aorta, using 3D navigation to compare the fenestration markings with the orifices of the visceral arteries.
The specialists demonstrated a high level of mastery of endovascular treatment techniques in patients with initially unfavorable anatomy and contraindications to open surgery. The international team worked well together in the operating theatre, which contributed to an excellent outcome.
The workshop concluded with informative lectures on aortic surgery techniques and presentation of interesting clinical cases, as well as a joint discussion in which the international team was joined by Professor Alexandra Konradi, Deputy Director General for Research.
The lectures were given by experts from Russia – Mikhail Chernyavsky and Timur Khafizov, from China – Zhao Liu and Zhaohui Hua. The topics were of interest not only to the experienced surgeons, but also to the young specialists, residents and students of Almazov Centre.
High-level international events allow improvement of surgical techniques for endovascular treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms in patients with high surgical and anaesthesiological risk in whom open surgery is contraindicated.
It should be noted that international exchange of experience raises the level of vascular surgeons at Almazov Centre and sets high standards of medical care for such a formidable surgical challenge as aortic aneurysm. The interest of friendly countries in developing cooperation with Russian colleagues proves the leading position of Almazov Centre in the development of endovascular and vascular surgery.