An interventional study of Physician Modified Endovascular Graft in Aortic Disorders, sponsored by Chandler Long, MD. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-04.
Sponsored by Chandler Long, MD · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The purpose of this study is to see if physician modified endovascular grafts (PMEG) can be used safely for the treatment of aortic disorders. The surgeon will modify a commercially available graft tailored to the participant's anatomy for surgery. The researchers will follow participants for 5 years, which will require regular visits to the clinic for follow-up imaging and follow-up blood tests.
The primary objective of the clinical investigation Duke CARES Trial is to assess the use of physician-modification of commercially available, off-the-shelf, endovascular stent-grafts to treat juxtarenal, pararenal and paravisceral complex abdominal aneurysms or thoracoabdominal aneurysms in high-risk for open surgery subjects having appropriate anatomy. The primary intent of the study is to assess safety and efficacy of the device acutely (i.e., treatment success and technical success), at 30 days (i.e., the rate of major adverse events (MAE)) and at 6 months, 12 months and annually to 5 years (i.e., the proportion of treatment group subjects that achieve and maintain treatment success).
Additionally, the study will assess domains for improvement of patient selection criteria, device design, operative techniques, and follow-up regimens to benefit patients undergoing complex endovascular aneurysm repair
Main Study - Statistical Cohort Physician Modified Endovascular Grafts are indicated for endovascular repair of juxtarenal, pararenal, paravisceral and thoracoabdominal aneurysms, in high-risk for open surgery subjects having appropriate anatomy as defined in the eligibility section.
Non-statistical cohort Patients with life-threatening aortic disease who have no acceptable surgical or endovascular alternatives will be allowed to receive treatment under this IDE. Enrollment of these patients under the IDE permits systematic data collection and FDA oversight, while their separation from the primary study cohort preserves the integrity of the safety and effectiveness analyses. This approach provides a treatment option for critically ill patients by offering access to a potential therapeutic option within a regulated and monitored environment without compromising the scientific validity of the trial. The patients in this cohort will follow standard of care, which includes follow-up at 1 month, 6 months and then annually. Data collection and presentation in this cohort will be consistent with the primary study cohort; however, data from this cohort will not be included in the statistical analysis.
MAIN COHORT
INCLUSION CRITERIA:
AND
High risk of morbidity and mortality with open surgical repair as defined by:
a. Anatomic Criteria (Previous abdominal surgery; Previous thoracotomy; Previous aortic surgery) b. Physiologic Criteria (ASA Category III or higher; Age >70 years; Previous myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, or coronary artery stent; Coronary stress test with a reversible perfusion defect; Congestive heart failure (CHF); Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD))
Nonaneurysmal aortic segment proximal to the aneurysm (neck) with a minimum neck length of 25 mm (Diameter in the range of 18 mm - 42 mm; Angle less than 60o relative to the axis of the aneurysm; Angle less than 60o relative to the axis of the suprarenal aorta);
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
GENERAL EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
MEDICAL EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
Body habitus that would inhibit x-ray visualization of the aorta or exceeds the safe capacity of the equipment
ANATOMICAL EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
Anatomy that would not allow maintenance of at least one patent hypogastric artery
Note: Patients with life-threatening aortic disease who have no acceptable surgical or endovascular alternatives will be allowed to receive treatment under this IDE in the non-statistical cohort
Non-statistical Cohort
This cohort will include patients who meet the inclusion criteria and meet any of the above exclusion criteria* with the exception of the following:
The participant's surgeon will modify a commercially available graft tailored to their anatomy for their surgery.
Device: Physician Modified Endovascular Graft
The participant's surgeon will modify a commercially available graft tailored to their anatomy for their surgery. All components used to create the final device (PMEG), made specifically for each participant and tailored to their individual anatomy, are FDA-approved, although the final graft itself (the PMEG) is considered investigational.
Incidence of major adverse events (MAE)
The primary safety endpoint is freedom from major adverse events (MAE) at 30 days or during hospitalization if this exceeds 30 days. MAE include death, bowel ischemia, myocardial infarction, paraplegia, renal failure, respiratory failure, stroke, and estimated procedural blood loss \> 1000 cc.
Time frame: 30 days, or during hospitalization if this exceeds 30 days
Proportion of study participants with treatment success
Treatment success requires all the following criteria to be met: * Technical success * Absence of death from the initial procedure, secondary intervention, or aorta-related cause * Absence of persistent type I or type III endoleak * Absence of aneurysm sac expansion \>5 mm * Absence of device migration \>10 mm * Absence of failure due to device integrity issues * Absence of aneurysm rupture * Absence of conversion to open surgical repair * Device infection or thrombosis
Time frame: 1 year
Technical success
Technical success - defined as the successful introduction, deployment and withdrawal of the device, in the absence of surgical conversion or mortality, absence of Type I and III endoleak, absence of branch occlusion ensuring unimpeded flow to the branch vessel(s) intended for preservation or absence of graft limb obstruction.
Time frame: Within 24 hours
Incidence of death
Time frame: 30 days
Incidence of bowel ischemia
Time frame: 30 days
Incidence of myocardial infarction
Time frame: 30 days
Incidence of paraplegia
Time frame: 30 days
Incidence of renal failure
Time frame: 30 days
Incidence of respiratory failure
Time frame: 30 days
Incidence of stroke
Time frame: 30 days
Estimated procedural blood loss > 1000 cc
Time frame: During procedure
Incidence of paraparesis
Time frame: 30 days
Proportion of study participants with treatment success
Treatment success requires all the following criteria to be met: • Technical success • Absence of death from the initial procedure, secondary intervention, or aorta-related cause • Absence of persistent type I or type III endoleak • Absence of aneurysm sac expansion \>5 mm • Absence of device migration \>10 mm • Absence of failure due to device integrity issues • Absence of aneurysm rupture • Absence of conversion to open surgical repair • Device infection or thrombosis
Time frame: 30 days, 6 months, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, and 5 years
Proportion of participants who experience any of the specified events
Events include: * Aneurysm enlargement * Aneurysm-related mortality * Aneurysm rupture * Conversion to open repair * Secondary intervention for: * Migration * Type I (a, b, c) endoleak (See definitions and Figure 1) * Type III (a, b, c) endoleak (See definitions and Figure 1) * Device integrity failure (e.g., fracture) * Patency-related events (i.e., device stenosis or occlusion and embolic events) * Renal failure * All-cause mortality * Endoleaks * Device integrity failure (e.g., fracture) * Patency -related events (i.e., endovascular graft or stent component stenosis or occlusion and embolic events) * Other device-related events
Time frame: 30 days, 6 months, 12 months, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, and 5 years
Plan to share: No
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