Broadcast on the online surgery site OR-Live.com, Washington University vascular surgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Luis A. Sanchez, MD, and Juan C. Parodi, MD, will partner with Samuel R. Money, MD, professor of vascular surgery at Oschner Clinic in New Orleans, LA, using a new device for treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

The physicians will host a one-hour webcast of their surgery with commentary throughout explaining the procedure, which was performed on two patients on Monday, September 12.

"These are the first two cases of their kind performed in the US," says Dr. Sanchez.

AAA is a stretched and bulging area in the wall of the section of the aorta that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the lower body.

A bulging aorta is weakened and can burst or rupture, resulting in life-threatening bleeding. Ruptured aortic aneurysm is the 15th leading cause of death in the United States and occurs in 1 of 20 older men.

Treatment of an aortic aneurysm is based upon its size and how fast it is growing. Surgery is needed for large or fast-growing aneurysms, or when symptoms are present. Typically the damaged portion of the blood vessel is replaced with a man-made graft.

Using a new device called the Zenith Renu AAA Ancillary Graft, it is the first medical device specifically designed for secondary endovascular intervention in patients having received prior endovascular repair of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms. The Renu AAA Ancillary Graft utilizes an uncovered suprarenal stent with anchoring barbs to provide strong proximal fixation and enhanced graft-to-vessel sealing. The Food and Drug Administration approved the device earlier this year.

"This device allows us to treat patients with complications and failure of endovascular repair with a variety of devices in an endovascular fashion avoiding the need for conversion to open surgical repair," says Dr. Sanchez. "Many patients that are not candidates for open aneurysm repair and have had complications after attempts at endovascular repair will benefit from these recently approved devices."

The division of vascular surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine performs over 250 endovascular repairs of aortic aneurysms with a variety of devices and is internationally known for its experience with treating complex vascular problems.

The webcast can be viewed starting September 30 at www.or-live.com/cookendovascular/1468.