Plugging and sealing technique by Onyx to prevent type II endoleak in ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm

Control of back bleeding from the hypogastric artery into the aneurysm after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of a ruptured aorto-iliac aneurysm may be necessary in order to avoid a type II endoleak. It is an emergency situation and selective catheterization and embolization of the hypogastric artery may be time-consuming and more importantly, it has to be performed before complete exclusion of the aneurysm has been established. We describe a plugging and sealing technique that embolizes the hypogastric artery after the exclusion of a ruptured aorto-iliac aneurysm using the embolizing agent Onyx. The mortality rate of the 16 patients treated in our institute with this technique was 25% (4/16) at 30-day and 31% (5/16) at 90-day follow up. One patient had a type II endoleak at one-year follow-up. The EVAR procedure can focus completely on controlling the acute life-threatening situation, with the embolization performed at the end of the procedure.