NYU MEDICAL CENTER PERFORMS ITS FIRST PERCUTANEOUS REPAIR

NEW YORK, NY – January 14, 2008 – Recently a micro invasive alternative for the repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms has become available at several leading medical centers in Europe and the United States including NYU Medical Center - percutaneous (meaning "through the skin") endovascular repair.  This procedure is performed by a team of highly trained endovascular surgeons and interventional radiologists.

It consists of inserting the tubes and catheters needed for endovascular repair through tiny skin nicks over the groin arteries. No large incisions are made. Instead, a microsurgical device is used to insert sutures through the opening into the arteries using the same opening into the artery made for inserting the endograft system.  In addition to being less invasive than conventional endovascular repair and virtually bloodless, in some patients this form of endovascular repair may have a lower risk of groin complications.

NYU Medical Center’s first patient to undergo this procedure is available to discuss the improvement in his condition at his one month followup appointment Tuesday, January 15, 2008 or his three month followup (date to be determined). CT scans will be available that show the results of the repair.

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