What Is an Aortic Aneurysm?
An aortic aneurysm is a condition in which the aorta—the body's largest artery, carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body—becomes abnormally enlarged, creating a significant risk of rupture. Once rupture occurs, it becomes a life-threatening medical emergency with a very high mortality rate, and survival remains difficult even with immediate emergency surgery.
ーCurrent Treatment Landscape and Challengesー
Once an aortic aneurysm reaches a certain size, treatment becomes essential to prevent rupture. Currently, there are two primary treatment options:
* Open Surgical Repair (Aortic Graft Replacement)
A highly effective treatment option, but one that requires major surgery and is associated with significant procedural invasiveness.
* Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (Stent Graft Placement)
A minimally invasive treatment that has become widely adopted due to its reduced procedural burden and faster recovery.
However, a major challenge has remained in the treatment of aortic arch aneurysms.
Because the aortic arch gives rise to critical branch vessels that supply blood to the brain, conventional stent graft therapy has been difficult to apply in this region.
Overcoming the Barriers to Endovascular Treatment for Aortic Arch Aneurysms
The Innovative： “RIBS” Stent Graft System
An innovative endovascular approach combining retrograde in situ fenestration with branch stent-graft placement through cervical access.
Making the Impossible Possible
A Revolutionary Approach to Endovascular Treatment for Aortic Arch Aneurysms
The RIBS™ Stent Graft System is designed to reconstruct blood flow to the supra-aortic branches after deployment of the main stent graft across the aortic arch.
Using a retrograde approach from the cervical arteries, fenestrations are created in the main stent graft and connected to the target branch vessels using branch stent grafts.
This approach is designed to accommodate variations in individual patient anatomy, including differences in branch-vessel orientation and aortic arch configuration.
Through development of the RIBS™ Stent Graft System, we aim to provide a new endovascular treatment option for patients with complex aortic arch aneurysms who may have limited conventional treatment alternatives.
The system is being developed with the goal of enabling minimally invasive treatment without the need for open thoracic surgery or cardiopulmonary bypass in appropriate patients.
Our goal is to reduce procedural burden, support earlier recovery, and improve quality of life for patients with complex aortic disease.
RIBS Procedure Steps
①Place a spacer balloon at BCA ostium to ascending aorta to ensure brain blood flow
②Deploy main SG. Puncture the graft using fenestration needle at Lt.CCA ostium.
③Pre-dilate the fenestration using pre-dilation balloon
④Deploy branch stent graft at Lt.CCA.
⑤Withdraw the spacer balloon. Puncture the graft at BCA ostium.
⑥Deploy branch stent graft at BCA.
⑦Complete reconstruction of the target supra-aortic branches.