Press Release Details

The Christ Hospital Health Network Implants First-in-Country Stent Graft System for Chronic Dissection

The implantation is part of a U.S. clinical study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the device in treating thoracic aortic lesions involving the aortic arch.

2/9/2021

CINCINNATI (February 9, 2021) – The Christ Hospital Health Network is pleased to announce it has implanted the first NEXUS™ Aortic Arch Stent Graft System as part of the TRIOMPHE IDE study for a chronic dissection. TRIOMPHE is a multi-arm, multicenter, nonrandomized, prospective, clinical study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Nexus aortic arch stent graft system in treating thoracic aortic lesions involving the aortic arch. The study will enroll 100 patients at up to 30 sites, including The Christ Hospital.

This was the first time in the United States that the NEXUS™ Aortic Arch Stent Graft System was implanted for a chronic thoracic dissection, and the second time the graft has been implanted in the country.

“Aortic arch repair is customarily one of the most technically difficult areas to repair,” said Geoffrey Answini, MD, FACS, Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Division at The Christ Hospital. “As with most aortic arch procedures, the patient involved had a previous open aortic arch repair and was not suitable for another large invasive procedure. We are pleased that The Christ Hospital is able to offer an alternative minimally invasive solution to patients to avoid large open repairs of their aortic arch.”

More than 120,000 patients suffer thoracic aortic arch disease every year in the United States and Europe, with only about 25% diagnosed or treated. Despite significant advancements, open surgical aortic arch repair maintains high mortality and morbidity. Patients with excessive perioperative risk or anatomical factors are not indicated for surgery, yet anatomical complexity and lack of approved devices for the arch has often prohibited endovascular repair. This makes the choice of treatment difficult or even impossible for some patients. Providing the alternative of minimally invasive repair decreases the requirement for extra corporal circulation and possibility of hypothermia, translating into reduced procedure and hospitalization time.

“As part of the TRIOMPHE study, we were able to use the NEXUS™ Aortic Arch Repair stent graft system to safely repair this patient’s chronic dissection by means of a minimally invasive procedure,” said Mark Harding, MD, FACS, Vascular Surgeon at The Christ Hospital. “Endovascular surgery has completely revolutionized our specialty. Not only has it made it a safer and less invasive experience for patients, it has allowed us to treat those we never could have in the open surgical era. Many more people can now undergo lifesaving aortic surgery than we ever could have dreamed of in the past.”

Click here for downloadable animation of device

For more information on NEXUS™, please visit Endospan.com

About The Christ Hospital Health Network The Christ Hospital Health Network is an acute care hospital locate in Mt. Auburn with a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of offices conveniently located throughout the region. More than 1,300 talented physicians and more than 6,000 dedicated team members support the Network. Its mission is to improve the health of the community and to create patient value by providing exceptional outcomes and the finest experiences, all in an affordable way. The Network has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in the Cincinnati Region and awarded Healthgrades “America’s 50 Best Hospitals” for being in the top 1% in the nation for providing the highest clinical quality year over year. It is also a Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award recipient, which recognizes top-performing healthcare organizations that achieve the 95th percentile or above of performance in patient experience. The Christ Hospital is among a select number of hospitals in the nation to be awarded Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. For more than 130 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves. ###