Distal false lumen occlusion in aortic dissection with a homemade extra-large vascular plug: the candy-plug technique

PURPOSE: To report a technique to create an extra-large vascular plug for occlusion of a large distal false lumen in chronic aortic dissection.

TECHNIQUE: The "candy-plug" technique is demonstrated in a 58-year-old multimorbid man with a history of complicated acute type B aortic dissection and a 9-cm chronic thoracic false lumen aneurysm. The patient underwent a staged repair with a cervical debranching procedure as a first step and a thoracic endovascular aortic repair from the innominate artery to the celiac artery as a second step. To occlude the large false lumen from a distal route, a stent-graft was modified on-table with a diameter-restricting suture, giving it a wrapped candy-like shape. This plug was deployed into the false lumen, and the remaining opening was occluded with a standard vascular plug. On 3-month follow-up imaging, the thoracic false lumen aneurysm remained completely thrombosed.

CONCLUSION: The candy-plug technique can facilitate complete occlusion of chronic thoracic false lumen aneurysm by prohibiting distal false lumen backflow.