Explant of the Aortic Endograft: Today’s Solutions, Tomorrow’s Problems

Type 2 endoleaks remain the Achilles heel of abdominal aortic endografting. They drive imaging costs and repeat intervention. We believe that after two endovascular interventions, patients should be considered for either graft explantation or graft salvage through an open abdominal exploration. Graft explantation has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality but remains necessary in the face of non-correctible type 1a endoleaks, graft failure, or graft infection. In the majority of cases AAA expansion due to persistent type 2 endoleak is the culprit. In this situation, open repair, with oversewing of the lumbar or inferior mesenteric arteries, can be accomplished providing the seal zones and component overall zones are adequate. This approach does not require aortic clamping. We provide detailed descriptions and videos to facilitate the surgeon in performing these complex procedures.