Endovascular treatment of the subclavian artery aneurysm in high-risk patient - a single-center experience

We present our first experience with endovascular treatment of 6 subclavian artery aneurysms (SAA) occurring in five male and one female patient. All patients, in our studies, according to ASA classification were high risk for open repair of SAA. The etiology of the all aneurysms was atherosclerosis degeneration of the artery. Two aneurysms were of intrathoracic location, then the other were extrathoracic. Symptoms related to subclavian artery aneurysms were present in two patients, compression and chest pain in one, and hemorrhage shock in second, while the remaining patients were asymptomatic. We preferred the Viabhan endoprosthesis for endovascular repair in 5 cases. In one patient with ruptured of subclavian artery aneurysm who was high-risk for open repair we made combined endovascular procedure. First at all, we covered the origin of left subclavian artery with thoracic stent graft and after that we put two coils in proximal part of subclavian artery. There was no operative mortality, and the early patency rate was 100%. The follow-up period was from 3 months to 3 years. During this period, one patient died of heart failure and one patient required endovascular reoperation due to endoleak type I. Endovascular treatment is recommended for all patients with subclavian artery aneurysm whenever this is possible due to anatomical reasons especially in high-risk patient with intrathoracic localization of aneurysm, to prevent potential complications.