This year's featured leaders illustrate medtech's ability to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing business environment.

Steve Halasey

September 1, 2007

2 Min Read
The Evolution of Endovascular Repair

COVER STORY

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Private, with a Passion

Over more than four decades, Cook Medical has pioneered numerous innovations aimed at reducing patient risk and improving the quality of care physicians can provide. An example is the Zenith AAA endograft, which provides an alternative to traumatic surgery for treatment of the life-threatening condition abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

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AAA occurs when a section of the abdominal aorta, the body's main circulatory vessel, weakens and bulges into a fragile, balloon-like swelling. Traditionally repaired by means of open surgery, these aneurysms can now be treated with a minimally invasive procedure. Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) involves relining the aorta with a tube-like fabric graft reinforced with metal Z-stents to reduce pressure on the aneurysmal sac.

"Cook helped pioneer EVAR," says Barry Thomas, vice president and global leader for Cook Aortic Intervention. "Today, it is one of the few companies actively pursuing endovascular treatment solutions for aortic disease along the entire length of the vessel."

Featuring a modular design that can be personalized to match the aortic anatomy of most patients, the Zenith AAA endograft system incorporates a number of innovations that have helped eliminate problems associated with earlier AAA endograft designs. For example, the Zenith's unique suprarenal fixation barbs hold the graft in place after deployment, reducing the likelihood of stent-graft migration.

The newly introduced 36-mm Zenith Flex AAA endovascular graft provides an effective minimally invasive option for patients with large abdominal aortic neck diameters. These people had previously been ineligible for EVAR, for anatomic reasons. The largest AAA endograft on the market, the 36-mm Zenith Flex allows physicians to perform interventional treatment of AAA in aortic necks ranging from 29 to 32 mm in diameter.

Cook Medical has made great strides in its mission of improving patient outcomes by providing physicians with treatment options covering a much broader range of patients with AAA. "This evolution of endovascular repair demonstrates Cook's dedication to addressing the individual needs of each patient," Thomas says. "The company recognizes that it's no longer a one-size-fits-all device market."

Copyright ©2007 MX

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