Successful endovascular repair of iliac artery aneurysms with unsuitable anatomy by combining unibody bifurcated endograft and iliac branch systems to preserve hypogastric artery blood flow: a report of two cases

BACKGROUND: To overcome the anatomical limitation of a narrow aorta and short length from the renal artery to the terminal aorta, unibody endograft AFX2 and iliac branch endoprosthesis (IBE) can be combined. CASE PRESENTATION: Case 1: The first patient was an 89-year-old woman who had a right saccular common iliac artery (CIA) aneurysm (38 mm); the abdominal aorta was not aneurysmal (diameter, 19 mm). The right CIA’s origin was 10 mm in diameter. A bifurcated AFX2 was placed in an ordinary manner. Then, IBE was inserted in the right leg of the AFX2. Case 2: The second patient was an 87-year-old man diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (55 mm), right dissecting CIA aneurysm (20 mm), and right hypogastric artery aneurysm (22 mm) extending to the bifurcation of the superior and inferior gluteal arteries. The length between the renal artery and terminal aorta was 107 mm. The beginning of the right CIA was segmentally stenotic (13 mm). A bifurcated AFX2 was placed in the infrarenal aorta; IBE was advanced to the origin of the right limb of the AFX2. To control the type 1b endoleak, the right superior gluteal artery was embolized with coils and internal iliac components were deployed toward the inferior gluteal artery. Satisfactory results were obtained in both cases. CONCLUSION: The AFX2 main body and IBE could be combined to preserve hypogastric blood flow and overcome anatomical limitations.