ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT04746677Updated Apr 8, 2026

Safety and Efficacy of Endovascular Repair of Complex Aortic Pathology With Physician-modified Endovascular Grafts (PMEGs)

An interventional study of Endovascular aortic repair with a physician-modified endovascular graft (PMEG) and TREO graft in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Aortic Dissection, sponsored by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 21 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-08.

Primary conditionAortic Aneurysm, ThoracoabdominalRegistry: Aortic Aneurysm, AbdominalReclassifiedWhy we changed it
Registry
Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal — the first condition term the registry derived for this study.
ClinicalTrials.gg
Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracoabdominal
Why
  1. The study's listed conditions name Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracoabdominal, a narrower term within Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal.
Confidence
High: the new condition is named in the study's own listed conditions. Of 351 hand-checked studies reclassified this way, 68% were exactly right and 84% in the right disease family; the registry's first term was right for 5% (measured 2026-10-21). How we classify →
Wrong?
Tell us the study's main condition →

Sponsored by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Mar 2021; still recruiting 5 years 7 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
220
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
21 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The primary objective of this study is to examine the safety and effectiveness of physician-modified endovascular grafts (PMEGs) for endovascular repair of complex aortic pathology in high-risk patients. The study is divided into three study arms based on the subject's aortic pathology: (1) Complex abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA); (2) Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm; and (3) Aortic dissection.

Read the detailed description

Complex aortic pathology, comprised of aneurysmal disease and aortic dissection involving the visceral aortic segment, presents a technical challenge for repair due to involvement of the renal and/or mesenteric arteries. Traditionally, the gold standard for repair has been open repair. However, open repair of these diseases is associated with high perioperative morbidity and mortality. Therefore, for patients with significant medical comorbidities or complex surgical/anatomical features, the risk of open surgery may be prohibitive.

As endovascular techniques have become increasingly advanced, options for the endovascular treatment of complex aortic pathology involving the visceral segment have been developed. The predominant approach is fenestrated or branched endovascular aortic repair (F/B-EVAR) with fenestrated or branched endovascular grafts. Currently, there is only one device FDA-approved for commercial use in the United States, the Zenith Fenestrated AAA Endovascular Graft (Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN). However, its use is limited by the design specifications of the device and the required manufacturing time in patients requiring more urgent repair. Therefore, many patients with complex aortic pathology are not eligible for repair with this device, and there are currently no other FDA-approved options for definitive repair.

One option for definitive repair of complex aortic pathology in patients ineligible for the Zenith fenestrated device is endovascular repair with a physician-modified endovascular graft (PMEG). For this procedure, the operating surgeon modifies an FDA-approved endovascular graft to incorporate fenestrations or branches based on the patient's anatomy. Numerous reports have been published demonstrating that this procedure can be performed with high technical success, and acceptable perioperative and mid-term results in high-risk patients.

The primary objective of the study is to evaluate safety and effectiveness of PMEGs for the endovascular repair of complex aortic pathology in high-risk patients. The safety outcomes include perioperative mortality (defined as death \<30 days postoperative or during the index hospitalization) and major adverse events, along with mortality and adverse events during follow-up. Effectiveness outcomes include initial technical success, endoleak rate, target vessel patency, and rate of reintervention. Patients will be followed for five years. Patients will be evaluated preoperatively, at the time of the procedure, at the time of discharge from the index hospitalization, 1-month post-procedure, 6-months post-procedure, and 1-year post-procedure, and annually for five-years.

02

Conditions studied

  • Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
  • Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm
  • Aortic Dissection

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Keywords

  • Fenestrated endovascular aortic repair
  • Branched endovascular aortic repair
  • Complex aortic aneurysm repair
03

In context

Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracoabdominal Reclassified

63 studies on the registry are indexed under Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracoabdominal; 31 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 220 is above the median of 80 across 41 interventional studies indexed under Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracoabdominal.

Browse Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracoabdominal studies →

Lead sponsor

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 568 studies on the registry; 80 are open to participants now.

Of its 76 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 62 (82%) have results posted.

Compared within Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracoabdominal, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
21 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

General inclusion criteria (applicable to all 3 study arms):

  • Aortic pathology that fits one of the study arms (see below for detailed description)
  • Aortic pathology that cannot be treated within the Instructions for Use of an FDA- approved, commercially-available device
  • Aortic aneurysm that can be treated within the Instructions for Use of an FDA-approved, commercially-available custom-manufactured device but deemed unsafe to wait the required time for device manufacturing
  • Subject is at high-risk of morbidity and mortality with open surgical repair based on cardiopulmonary function, extent of comorbid disease, and anatomic complexity
  • Iliac and/or femoral access vessel morphology that is compatible with vascular access techniques, devices, or accessories, with or without use of a surgical or endovascular conduit
  • Non-aneurysmal aortic segment proximal to the aortic pathology with a:

    • Minimum neck length of 20 mm
    • Diameter between 20 - 42 mm
  • Non-aneurysmal aortic or iliac segment distal to the aortic pathology with:

    • Aortic distal fixation site greater than 20 mm in length and diameter between 20-42 mm
    • Iliac artery distal fixation site greater than 10 mm in length and diameter range 8- 25 mm
  • Age ≥21 years old
  • : ≥2 years

Arm1:

  • Complex abdominal aortic aneurysm, specifically juxtarenal or suprarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm or type IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm, with maximum diameter of ≥5.5 cm for men or ≥5.0 cm for women, growth ≥0.5 cm in 6 months, or concomitant iliac aneurysm ≥3 cm
  • Prior endovascular aortic aneurysm repair with loss of proximal seal requiring incorporation of the renal arteries, SMA, and/or CA for repair, without aneurysmal disease extending above the diaphragmatic hiatus
  • Prior open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with aneurysmal disease proximal to the repair requiring incorporation of the renal arteries, SMA, and/or CA for repair, without aneurysmal disease above the diaphragmatic hiatus
  • Saccular complex abdominal aortic aneurysm deemed at significant risk for rupture
  • Symptomatic complex aortic aneurysm
  • Penetrating aortic ulcer with depth ≥1 cm or width ≥2 cm, for which endovascular repair requires incorporation of the renal arteries, SMA, and/or CA, without involvement of the aorta above the diaphragmatic hiatus
  • Aortic pseudoaneurysm for which endovascular repair requires incorporation of the renal arteries, SMA, and/or CA, without involvement of the aorta above the diaphragmatic hiatus

Arm2:

  • Type I, II, or III thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm with maximum diameter of ≥5.5 cm, or growth ≥0.5 cm in 6 months
  • Prior endovascular aortic aneurysm repair with loss of proximal seal requiring incorporation of the renal arteries, SMA, and/or CA for repair with aneurysmal disease extending above the diaphragmatic hiatus
  • Prior thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair with loss of distal seal requiring incorporation of the renal arteries, SMA, and/or CA for repair
  • Prior open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with aneurysmal disease proximal to the repair requiring incorporation of the renal arteries, SMA, and/or CA for repair, with aneurysmal disease above the diaphragmatic hiatus
  • Saccular type I, II, or III thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm deemed at significant risk for rupture
  • Symptomatic type I, II, or III thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm
  • Penetrating aortic ulcer with depth ≥1 cm or width ≥2 cm, for which endovascular repair requires incorporation of the renal arteries, SMA, and/or CA, with involvement of the aorta above the diaphragmatic hiatus
  • Aortic pseudoaneurysm for which endovascular repair requires incorporation of the renal arteries, SMA, and/or CA, with involvement of the aorta above the diaphragmatic hiatus

Arm 3:

  • Acute or chronic type B aortic dissection with indication for repair including, but not limited to renal, mesenteric, or lower extremity malperfusion, progression of dissection, or persistence of symptoms despite optimal medical therapy
  • Prior repair of type A dissection and development of acute or chronic type B dissection component with indication for repair (listed above)
  • Aortic intramural hematoma (IMH) with indication for repair including, but not limited to renal, mesenteric, or lower extremity malperfusion, progression of dissection, or more typically, persistence of symptoms despite optimal medical therapy

Arm 4

  • Patient does not meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria of Arms 1 - 3
  • Patient has prohibitive operative risk for open repair and no other viable endovascular treatment option
  • Estimated perioperative risk is lower than the estimated 1-year mortality without surgery

Exclusion criteria

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

General Exclusion Criteria

  • Subject is eligible for enrollment in a manufacturer-sponsored IDE at the site
  • Subject is unwilling to comply with the follow-up schedule
  • Inability or refusal to give by subject or legal representative
  • Subject is pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Subject has a ruptured aneurysm

Arm 5 • Patient meets criteria for Arms 1-4

- Patient is undergoing repair using the TREO bifurcated stent graft

Indications for using TREO bifurcated stent graft:

  • Patient has undergone a prior endovascular aortic repair and meets criteria for repair; OR
  • -Patient has measured length from the lowest renal artery to the aortic bifurcation (either de novo or from a prior endograft) \< 115 mm; OR

    • In patients with notable vessel tortuosity, where centerline measurement may not accurately reflect the distance covered needed in situ; OR
    • Additional clinical or anatomic scenarios where forthcoming experience may demonstrate the TREO endograft to be superior to the currently-used Alpha/Alpha 2 endograft.

Medical Exclusion Criteria

  • Known sensitivities or allergies to the materials of construction of the devices
  • Known or to anticoagulation or contrast media that cannot be adequately medically managed
  • Uncorrectable coagulopathy
  • Body habitus that would inhibit x-ray visualization of the aorta or exceeds the safe capacity of the equipment
  • Systemic or local infection that may increase the risk of endovascular graft infection
  • Diagnosis of connective tissue disorders (e.g., Marfan Syndrome, Ehler's Danlos Syndrome)

Anatomic Exclusion Criteria

  • Inability to perform open or endovascular iliac conduit in patients with inadequate femoral/iliac access
  • Excessive thrombus or calcification within the neck of the aneurysm
  • Visceral vessel anatomy not compatible with placement of a physician-modified endovascular graft due to occlusive disease or small size
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(5)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Life expectancy

The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
220 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Complex abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)

    Includes juxtarenal AAA, suprarenal AAA, and type IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm

    Device: Endovascular aortic repair with a physician-modified endovascular graft (PMEG)

  • Experimental
    Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA)

    Includes Type I, Type II, and Type III TAAA

    Device: Endovascular aortic repair with a physician-modified endovascular graft (PMEG)

  • Experimental
    Type B aortic dissection

    Includes all Type B dissections

    Device: Endovascular aortic repair with a physician-modified endovascular graft (PMEG)

  • Experimental
    Expanded Selection Arm

    Includes high risk subjects who do not meet inclusion criteria for Arms 1-3

    Device: Endovascular aortic repair with a physician-modified endovascular graft (PMEG)

  • Experimental
    Expanded Treatment

    Includes subjects who will have the PMEG TREO graft

    Device: TREO graft

Interventions

  • DeviceEndovascular aortic repair with a physician-modified endovascular graft (PMEG)

    Endovascular aortic repair with a physician-modified endovascular graft (PMEG)

  • DeviceTREO graft

    Endovascular aortic repair with a physician-modified endovascular graft (PMEG) using the TREO graft

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Perioperative mortality

    Rate of death

    Time frame: Up to 30-days after surgery

  2. Perioperative major adverse events

    Rates of: * Stroke * Respiratory failure (defined as postoperative intubation \>48 hours or reintubation) * Myocardial infarction * Bowel ischemia requiring treatment * Renal failure requiring dialysis * Acute limb ischemia * Paraplegia

    Time frame: Up to 30-days after surgery

  3. All-cause mortality

    Rate of death due to any cause at: 30-days, 6-months, 1-year, and annually to 5-years

    Time frame: 30-days to 5-years

  4. Aneurysm-related mortality

    Rate of aneurysm-related death at: 30-days, 6-months, 1-year, and annually to 5-years

    Time frame: 30-days to 5-years

  5. Long-term major adverse events

    Rate of major adverse events at: 6-months, 1-year, and annually to 5-years Long-term major adverse event is defined as having at least one of the following: * Death * Stroke (deemed related to the device, the procedure, or a reintervention) * Bowel ischemia requiring treatment (deemed related to the device, the procedure, or a reintervention) * Renal failure requiring dialysis (deemed related to the device, the procedure, reintervention, or follow-up imaging) * Acute limb ischemia (deemed related to the device, the procedure, or a reintervention)

    Time frame: 6-months to 5-years

  6. Technical success

    Defined as successful delivery of the physician-modified graft in the planned location with patency of all intended target vessels and without unintentional coverage of any aortic branches, along with successful removal of the delivery system

    Time frame: 24 hours

  7. Device-related reintervention

    Rate of device-related reintervention at: 30-days, 6-months, 1-year, and annually to 5-years

    Time frame: 30-days to 5-years

  8. Aneurysm rupture

    Rate of aneurysm rupture at: 30-days, 6-months, 1-year, and annually to 5-years

    Time frame: 30-days to 5-years

  9. Conversion to open repair

    Rate of conversion to open repair at: 30-days, 6-months, 1-year, and annually to 5-years

    Time frame: 30-days to 5-years

  10. Endoleaks

    Rate of Type I, II, III, IV, and V endoleaks at: 30-days, 6-months, 1-year, and annually to 5-years

    Time frame: 30-days to 5-years

  11. Main device occlusion

    Rate of main device occlusion at: 30-days, 6-months, 1-year, and annually to 5-years

    Time frame: 30-days to 5-years

  12. Target vessel patency

    Rate of target vessel patency at: 30-days, 6-months, 1-year, and annually to 5-years

    Time frame: 30-days to 5-years

  13. Residual aneurysm sac status

    Rate of residual sac status (stable, regressing, expanding) at 6-months, 1-year, and annually to 5-years, defined as the following: * Stable: maximum diameter within 5 mm of the diameter at 30-day follow-up * Regressing: maximum diameter ≥5 mm less than the diameter at 30-day follow-up * Expanding: maximum diameter ≥5 mm greater than the diameter at 30-day follow-up

    Time frame: 6-months, 1-year, and annually to 5-years

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
    Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
    Recruiting
    • Jessica Kelliher, BSN · Contactjjkellih@bilh.org · 617-632-9975
    • Marc L Schermerhorn, MD · Principal investigator
    • Lars Stangenberg, MD · Sub investigator
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Darling JD, Caron E, Park J, van Galen I, Guetter CR, Gomez-Mayorga J, Sanders AP, Stangenberg L, Schermerhorn ML. The effect of Fiber Optic RealShape technology on perioperative and postoperative outcomes following complex abdominal aortic repair. J Vasc Surg. 2025 Apr;81(4):830-838. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2024.12.037. Epub 2024 Dec 17. PubMed 39694152 ↗
  • Sanders AP, Gomez-Mayorga J, Manchella MK, Swerdlow NJ, Schermerhorn ML. Ten years of physician-modified endografts. J Vasc Surg. 2025 Jan;81(1):1-12.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2024.07.108. Epub 2024 Aug 23. PubMed 39181337 ↗
  • Sanders AP, Swerdlow NJ, Yadavalli SD, Marcaccio CL, Stangenberg L, Schermerhorn ML. Reinterventions and sac dynamics after fenestrated endovascular aortic repair with physician-modified endografts for index aneurysm repair and following proximal failure of prior endovascular aortic repair. J Vasc Surg. 2024 Jun;79(6):1287-1294.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2024.01.002. Epub 2024 Jan 5. PubMed 38185213 ↗
  • Sanders AP, Swerdlow NJ, Jabbour G, Schermerhorn ML. The effect of Fiber Optic RealShape technology on the reduction of radiation during complex endovascular surgery. J Vasc Surg. 2024 Apr;79(4):954-961. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2023.11.002. Epub 2023 Nov 4. PubMed 37931886 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 8, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04746677
Responsible party
Marc L. Schermerhorn, MD (Chief, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center) — Principal investigator
First posted
Feb 10, 2021
Start date
Mar 15, 2021
Primary completion
Mar 31, 2031 (estimated)
Completion
Mar 31, 2031 (estimated)
Last update
Apr 8, 2026

Study contacts

Jessica Kelliher, BSN
Contact
jjkellih@bilh.org
617-632-7845

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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