Surgeons at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus this month performed the first minimally invasive surgery to repair a complex aortic aneurysm using a device awaiting FDA approval.
The procedure involved an investigational endovascular device, the Gore Excluder Thoracoabdominal Branch Endoprosthesis, which was placed into the patient's aorta. The device works by preventing a rupture and maintaining blood flow to organs.
The patient received three small incisions and was hospitalized for six days. Both incision size and hospital stay typically required after traditional open heart surgery were reduced.
Clinical trials are being conducted at OSU and other hospitals in the region. Gore & Associates, the device manufacturer, is awaiting approval from the FDA for the device to become the first one to be made commercially available.