Medtronic tests graft use in smaller AAAs (abdominal aortic aneurysms):
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Medtronic is tackling the debate over the value of endovascular grafting in patients with small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). It has begun a US trial to assess whether treating certain aneurysms smaller than 5cm in diameter with a graft is superior to periodic surveillance, or "watchful waiting". The prospective, randomised study, which will use the firm's AneuRx AAA stent graft in patients undergoing endovascular intervention, will enrol nearly 1,700 subjects at over 50 centres. Its primary endpoint is the cumulative occurrence of the composite of rupture or aneurysm-related death within three years. The trial's results could alter thinking surrounding the use of endovascular stent graft systems, said Medtronic.