Hull and Doncaster, United Kingdom—Shanghai MicroPort Endovascular MedTech(Group) Co., Ltd. (“Endovastec™”), announced recently that the first implantations of the Castor™ Branched Aortic Stent-Graft System (“Castor™ Stent”), Hercules™ Low Profile Thoracic Stent Graft and Delivery System (“Hercules™-LP Stent Graft System”) and the Minos™ Abdominal Aortic Stent-Graft and Delivery System (“Minos™ Stent Graft System”) have been successfully completed in the United Kingdom. The UK is the sixth overseas market where the Castor™ Stent is available, after Poland, Spain, Argentina, Italy and Brazil, is the ninth overseas market for the Hercules™-LP Stent Graft System, after Argentina, Brazil, Poland, Georgia, Italy, Spain, Germany and Turkey, and is the twelfth overseas market for the Minos™ Stent Graft System, after Greece, Poland, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Argentina, Croatia, Hungary, Brazil and the Czech Republic.
The first implantation of the Castor™ Stent and Hercules™-LP Stent Graft System in the UK was performed by a team led by Dr. Raghu Lakshminarayan at the Hull Royal Infirmary, England. The patient was a 77-year-old male diagnosed with Type B Thoracic Aortic Dissection by CT angiography. The tear runs from the posterior left subclavian artery (LSA) through to the straight segment of the abdominal aorta with multiple ruptures in between. If a conventional tubular stent is used, an LSA reconstruction will be necessary due to the proximity of the dissection to the LSA. Such reconstruction procedures involve a series of techniques, such as the fenestration technique, the chimney technique and hybrid techniques, which may give rise to risks of overcomplexity, endoleaks and major trauma. After thorough consideration, the surgical team selected the Castor™ Stent and the Hercules™-LP Stent Graft System for the procedure. The procedure went smoothly: the stent was placed at the target position without migration; it also conformed to the vessel shape; the triple mini spring structure at the proximal end of the stent sealed effectively without any endoleaks, ensuring smooth blood flow in the LSA, making the procedure a great success.
After the procedure, the experts noted, “the Castor™ Stent features a unique unibody structure that allows for one-off access and release, providing a creative solution to the problems of access and positioning of unibody branched stent-grafts. It allows for easy reconstruction of the LSA while avoiding gutter endoleaks that could result from the chimney technique and long-term stability risks brought by the window technique. The Castor™ Stent not only reduces surgical trauma, but also improves surgical safety. ”
The first implantation of the Minos™ Stent Graft System in the UK was performed by a team led by Drs. Duncan Drury and Jon Desiqueira at the Doncaster Royal Infirmary. After the procedure, the doctors commented that, “It is the excellent performance of Minos™ that made the procedure a success. Its ultra-low profile delivery sheath is able to conform to the shape of the patient’s tortuous iliac artery. The system provides an extremely smooth control experience throughout the procedure. ”
The Minos™ Stent Graft System features a three-piece design that enables a flexible assembly to accommodate different size requirements. Its main body was constructed from a laser-cut M-stent with integrated barbs and covered with seamless woven graft, and its iliac limbs are woven by a single wire in a spiraling pattern. The advanced core technologies are able to meet the treatment needs of a wider range of abdominal aortic aneurysms with complex anatomy, which reduces the rate of complications such as device migration, endoleaks or occlusion, and thus lower the risk of long-term reintervention.
The three products by Endovastec™ have completed their first implantation in the UK and received wide recognition from experts in the field. As it continues to make its products available in new markets, Endovastec™ will continue to focus on independent innovation and development, further enhance in-depth cooperation with overseas clinical experts, while striving to promote more high-quality and innovative solutions for the treatment of aortic and peripheral vascular diseases in overseas markets to benefit more patients worldwide.