Outcome after Interruption or Preservation of Internal Iliac Artery Flow During Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aorto-iliac Aneurysms.

AIM: The aim was to conduct a systematic review of the literature investigating outcomes after interruption or preservation of the internal iliac artery (IIA) during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).

METHODS: A systematic review was undertaken using the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases to identify studies reporting IIA management during EVAR. The search identified 57 articles: 30 reported on IIA interruption (1468 patients) and 27 on IIA preservation (816 patients).

RESULTS: The pooled 30 day buttock claudication (BC) rate was 29.2% (95% CI 24.2-34.7). Patients undergoing bilateral IIA interruption had a higher incidence of BC than patients with unilateral IIA interruption (36.5% vs. 27.2%, OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.11-2.6, p = .01). During a median follow up of 17 months, the pooled rate of persistent BC was 20.5% (95% CI 15.7-26.2). Of the patients, 93.9% underwent an endovascular revascularization procedure for IIA preservation. Most patients (87.6%) had an iliac branched device, and technical success was 96.2%. Within 30 days of EVAR, 4.3% of internal iliac branches occluded. During a median follow up of 15 months, the pooled occlusion rate at the site of IIA revascularization was 8.8% (95% CI 6.8-11.3). In patients treated with an iliac-branched device, 5.2% of internal iliac branches and 1.7% of external iliac arteries occluded. The pooled BC rate on the side of the IIA revascularization during follow up was 4.1% (95% CI 2.9-5.9). Pooled rates of late device related endoleak type I or III and secondary procedures on the side of the previous IIA revascularization were 4.6% (95% CI 3.2-6.5) and 7.8% (95% CI 5.7-10.7) respectively.

CONCLUSION: Unilateral or bilateral IIA occlusion during EVAR seems to carry a substantial risk of significant ischemic complications in nearly one quarter of patients. Bilateral IIA occlusion was related to a significantly higher rate of BC. IIA preservation techniques represent a significant improvement in the treatment of aorto-iliac aneurysms and have been associated with high technical success and low morbidity.