Cook Medical Creates Custom-Made Fenestrated Graft for FET Aortic Procedure

September 30, 2024—Cook Medical announced that it created a custom-made device for the frozen elephant trunk (FET) aortic procedure.

The company advised that the FET procedure is a hybrid technique that combines surgically replacing the aortic arch and simultaneously stenting the descending thoracic aorta. Patients requiring FET procedures often have complex aortic arch disease. One of the significant benefits of using a FET is that it enables the physician to complete the aortic repair in a single operation instead of multiple operations, noted Cook.

As explained in the press release, François Dagenais, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon based in Quebec City, Canada, approached Cook Medical earlier this year. Dr. Dagenais advised the company that he needed to perform an FET procedure on a patient with severe complex aortic arch disease but wondered if Cook could extend to the descending thoracic aorta and include a unique fenestration for the left subclavian artery (LSA).

According to Cook Medical, a FET procedure had not been performed with a custom-made device that had a fenestration. Adding a fenestration in the aortic graft removed the need for surgical intervention for the LSA vessel, allowing for a smooth endovascular LSA stenting and a streamlined, more minimally invasive procedure.

While working with Dr. Dagenais on the custom-made device for the FET procedure, Cook Medical’s product and engineering teams used prototypes and three-dimensional anatomic models to evaluate how the device would deploy. This process provided an opportunity for fast device improvements that led to the final device specifications, noted the company.

“We performed the world’s first procedure using a fenestrated FET device,” commented Dr. Dagenais in Cook Medical’s press release. “This unique case was designed through Cook Medical’s custom-made device program.”

Dr. Dagenais continued, “During FET procedures, the LSA can be challenging to access surgically. Using an endovascular technique to revascularize the LSA through a predesigned fenestration within the FET graft facilitates the procedure, decreases operative time, and minimizes the complication rate of the FET procedure.”

He concluded, “The development of this unique FET device is an example of collaboration between clinicians and the expertise of Cook Medical in fenestrated graft technology. Many thanks to Cook Medical for your support; one more step forward in our journey of innovation for the best interest of patient care.”