Since 80% – 90% of the complications following the initial treatment of the aorta occur in the aortic arch and proximal descending aorta, there is a window of opportunity for a targeted treatment of these anatomical segments. By using the Ascyrus Medical Dissection Stent (AMDS) as an adjunct to the current standard of care replacing the ascending aorta, the doctors can now effectively treat the disease beyond the ascending aorta. The AMDS implantation takes approximately 3-5 minutes. First, the doctor removes the ascending aorta. The AMDS is a metal mesh stent that is inserted into the aortic arch and beyond using a specially designed inserter. The ascending aorta is now replaced with the polyester graft (identical to today’s standard of care) and the patient is closed up.
There are several benefits to using the AMDS device. First, because the stent is made of mesh, the major blood vessels do not need to be relocated, and this dramatically reduces the surgery time (from 3 hours to 3-5 minutes) and the complications that were discussed elsewhere on this site. In addition, because the stent is putting outward pressure on the aortic wall, the false lumen (secondary channel) is closed and natural healing eliminates the dissection over time. Thus the AMDS aims to cure the problem, reducing the need for multiple hospitalizations and second operations and in turn the related medical costs and health care economic losses.
