Thoraflex™ Hybrid IDE Study

Vascutek Ltd has developed the Thoraflex™ Hybrid Device (Plexus™ 4 and Ante-Flo™) for the open surgical repair or replacement of damaged or diseased vessels of the aortic arch and descending aorta, with or without involvement of the ascending aorta, in cases of aneurysm and/or dissection. The Thoraflex™ Hybrid Device may be considered a development of the Elephant Trunk (ET) grafts with the addition of a stented distal section. In some cases this will allow for a single stage procedure to be carried out, dependent on the length of affected vessel. As the device is fully sealed and has a collar to aid anastomosis, it removes the requirement for in situ sealing and the suturing together of two devices, thereby reducing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time and overall procedure time. By reducing the procedure time and negating the need for as many subsequent procedures, this method could greatly improve the success of this procedure and may improve patient outcomes. The ability to treat complex anatomies in addition to reducing procedure and CPB time, justify the investigation of the Thoraflex™ Hybrid Device. Safety and effectiveness data for subjects treated with the Thoraflex™ Hybrid Device will be compared to historical data from subjects treated using standard ET surgical repair. It is anticipated that up to 83 patients will be recruited over a 14 month period (approximately). Patients will be evaluated at the following time points: Pre-procedure, Implant, Discharge/30 days, 3 months, 12 months, 24 months and 36 months. An additional visit may be performed for patients who undergo an extension procedure within 1 year of Thoraflex™ Hybrid Device implantation. 65 patients will be recruited to the primary study group (maximum 19 per site). An additional group of patients with a ruptured aorta may also be recruited (up to approximately 18 patients across all sites). A historical control population has been derived from a comparable patient population who received treatment for thoracic aortic disease using the current standard of care, which is the conventional (2-stage) elephant trunk technique. Using data from the comparator population a Performance Goal Target has been set at 57.4%. The study will be deemed a success if the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval, associated with the proportion of study patients who are free from the defined composite Major Adverse Events (permanent stroke, permanent paraplegia/paraparesis, unanticipated aortic related re-operation and all-cause mortality) at 1 year post procedure, is greater than 57.4%. Only patients included in the main study group will be included in the Performance Goal Analysis; patients recruited into the additional Aortic Rupture group will not be included in the primary endpoint analysis. All patients in the main study group will be included in the analysis regardless of whether or not an extension procedure has been performed.