Success of Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms and the Presence of Endoleak: The EUROSTAR Experience

The primary indication for endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EAR) is to prevent death from aneurysm rupture. Thus, long-term success of the treatment is obtained if the possibility of rupture is eliminated. However, rupture after endograft placement appears to occur in at least 1% of the cases annually, as pointed out in a recently published EUROSTAR report (1). EAR has also failed to meet its purpose if conversion to open repair or other secondary procedures are needed (2,3).