Real-world outcomes in patients from the ANCHOR registry at three years show safe and effective performance of the Heli-FX EndoAnchor system (Medtronic) in complex abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) anatomy—particularly in hostile aortic neck anatomies.
William Jordan presented three-year data from the registry at the VEITHsymposium (13–17 November) in New York, USA. Jordan is professor of surgery and chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy at Emory University School of Medicine (Atlanta, USA) as well as the co-principal investigator of the ANCHOR registry. The clinical evidence demonstrated the Heli-FX EndoAnchor system provides additional security when used with approved endovascular stent grafts in patients with hostile infrarenal AAAs.
The ANCHOR registry is a prospective, multicentre international study involving sites in the USA and in Europe, to evaluate the real-world utilisation for EndoAnchors in patients. The registry aims to enrol 2,000 patients, with the three-year data so far including 800 patients treated for AAA with Heli-FX in combination with a graft (primarily from Medtronic, Gore, Cook or Jotec).
The majority of patients enrolled received EndoAnchor implants prophylactically, while a smaller group received them following a previously failed endovascular repair (EVAR) treatment (therapeutic revision). The data presented today includes a subset of patients from these groups who were eligible for clinical and imaging follow up at three years.
Patients had short, hostile neck anatomies with median neck lengths of 11.2mm in the prophylactic group, and 10.2mm in the therapeutic revision group. Specific results through three years include:
- Low rates of Type Ia endoleaks: 1.7% prophylactic (2/120) and 2.4% therapeutic revision (1/41) at three years.
- Positive sac stability and regression despite the hostile anatomy characteristics: 96.5% prophylactic (111/115) and 80.0% therapeutic revision (32/40) at three years.
- High rates of freedom from secondary procedures to treat Type Ia endoleak based on Kaplan-Meier estimate: 98.7% prophylactic and 86.3% therapeutic revision through three years.
- High rates of freedom from aneurysm related mortality (ARM) based on Kaplan-Meier estimate, which is notable given the short neck lengths: 98.3% prophylactic and 91.1% therapeutic revision through three years.
“Hostile aortic necks are frequently seen in clinical practice and have historically presented challenges for physicians treating patients through an endovascular approach,” said Dr. Jordan. “With these data, we are continuing to validate that by using Heli-FX in these challenging cases, we have the ability to successfully treat this critical patient population and expand applicability of EVAR to those with complex aortic anatomies.” In conclusion, Jordan submitted that the Heli-FX EndoAnchor system provides “an opportunity to more securely fix the endograft to the aortic wall”.
