A case of minimum invasive debranch thoracic endovascular aortic repair for isolated left vertebral artery: complete revascularization without artificial vessels via a single small incision

J Surg Case Rep. 2024 Oct 5;2024(10):rjae595. doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjae595. eCollection 2024 Oct.

Abstract

Isolated left vertebral artery (ILVA) is one of the most frequent vertebral abnormalities. When performing thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), the ILVA may have to be closed depending on the position of the stent graft; in these cases, the decision to reconstruct the ILVA depends on the state of cerebral blood flow. Here, we report a case of a 68-year-old male, in whom the Willis arterial circle was incomplete; we therefore performed a reconstructive method during zone 2-landing TEVAR that ensured ILVA and left subclavian artery blood flow without the use of artificial vessels. Only one supraclavicular incision was required for reconstruction. This method has some procedural difficulties; however, it does not use artificial blood vessels and can be performed with a single incision.

Keywords: Willis arterial circle; isolated left vertebral artery; thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

Publication types

  • Case Reports