endograft

An endograft is a medical device used to treat vascular disease from within the lumen of a blood vessel. It consists of a stent framework covered with graft material to form a new, protected conduit inside the vessel while excluding the diseased segment from blood flow. Endografts are delivered endovascularly, typically through small groin incisions and advanced via the femoral arteries under imaging guidance. Once deployed, the device expands to appose the vessel wall, lining the artery and sealing off aneurysm sacs or other pathology from circulation.

Endografts are most commonly associated with endovascular aortic procedures, such as endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysms and thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for thoracic aneurysms or traumatic injuries. Modern devices can be modular and may include fenestrations or branches to maintain blood flow to important side arteries in complex anatomies. Materials used include nitinol or stainless-steel stents with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) or Dacron graft fabric.

Advantages of endografts include reduced perioperative morbidity and faster recovery compared with open surgery, particularly for high-risk patients. Limitations include the need for lifelong imaging surveillance and potential device-related complications such as endoleaks (persistent perfusion of the excluded segment), stent migration, graft occlusion, or infection. Long-term outcomes depend on patient anatomy, device selection, and adherence to follow-up.

Endografts have broadened the scope of endovascular therapy beyond aneurysm repair to other vascular conditions, reflecting ongoing advances in device design and deployment techniques.