Adding to its recent endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) innovations, Medtronic, Inc. has announced the U.S. launch of the Talent Abdominal Stent Graft on the Xcelerant Hydro Delivery System.
EVAR is a treatment for aortic aneurysm, a dangerous bulge or weakening in the body's main artery that can rupture with fatal consequences if left untreated. In the United States, abdominal aortic aneurysms - the most common type - are responsible for approximately 15,000 deaths annually. Worldwide, it is estimated that more than one million people are living with undiagnosed aortic aneurysms, and that 95 percent of these could be successfully treated if detected before rupture.
EVAR involves the navigation of a stent graft, via the body's arteries, to the aorta. The stent graft is then deployed to create a reinforced tube within the aorta, reducing pressure on the aneurysm and the risk of rupture. EVAR is a minimally-invasive alternative to open surgical repair.
The Xcelerant Hydro Delivery System features a hydrophilic coating which attracts and holds water at the device surface to reduce friction. The coating is designed to aid navigation through the femoral and iliac arteries en route to the aorta.
"The combination of the Xcelerant Hydro Delivery System and the Talent Abdominal Stent Graft represents another major step forward for the treatment of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms," said Dr. Manish Mehta of Albany Medical College and Albany Medical Center Hospital in New York. "The hydrophilic coating takes deliverability to a new level and gives endovascular interventionalists like me greater control over the deployment of this excellent stent graft, which has no equal in terms of sizes and profile. Taken together, these technologies simplify the procedure and enhance patient care - a powerful combination indeed."