Open and endovascular surgery for popliteal artery aneurysm

Popliteal artery aneurysm make up 70% of peripheral artery aneurysms, having a estimated prevalence of 1% in men over 65 years of age. Claudication, chronic limb ischemia and acute limb ischemia are possibly severe complications due to thromboembolism. Treatment is based on exclusion of the aneurysm from circulation by either open or endovascular repair. Vascular Centre, Skåne University Hospital, is a endovascularly oriented clinic and endovascular treatment for popliteal artery aneurysms are being used to an increasing extent. However, endovascular repair is a relatively new treatment method and needs to be further evaluated, both in itself and in comparison to open repair. There is no previous study on how well vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists conform to the Instruction For Use criteria, and in what way this affects the patency of the stent graft. There is also a lack of data on potential endoleak after endovascular repair.

The aims of this project are to evaluate open and endovascular repair of popliteal artery aneurysm in both elective and acute treatment, as well as study anatomical and technical variables' impact on patency and the extent of endoleak in patients treated with endovascular repair.