MercyOne surgeons are the first in Iowa to perform a groundbreaking type of vascular surgery

Des Moines, Iowa; August 26, 2024 – The MercyOne vascular surgery team performed the first commercial non-trial site GORE® EXCLUDER® Thoracoabdominal Branch Endoprosthesis (TAMBE) procedure in Iowa on July 24, 2024.

David Chew, MD and Zane Young, MD, MercyOne Iowa Heart Center vascular surgeons, performed Iowa’s first procedure at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center.

This minimally invasive approach for treating thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms and high-risk patients with pararenal and juxtarenal aortic aneurysms had been in the clinical trial phase until recently.

“TAMBE requires advanced expertise and imaging equipment, which are available only in select centers in the state. It significantly increases our flexibility to operate on the entire aorta in a minimally invasive approach, offering patients with this complex issue the highest level of specialty care,” said Dr. Chew.

An aortic aneurysm is a weakening in the wall of the body's main artery, the aorta, which carries blood from the heart to the body. When untreated, it will lead to rupture and potential death. Aortic aneurysms can occur anywhere in the aorta. Typically, there are no symptoms except when the aneurysm dissects or ruptures, which causes sudden, severe pain in the abdomen and lower back.

Using advanced imaging techniques, physicians implant the TAMBE, excluding the aneurysm from the flow channel. Additionally, the device has four built-in portals to facilitate the placement of bridging stent grafts into the visceral arteries, allowing blood to flow directly to the kidneys and other nearby large internal organs.

Traditional procedures did not allow surgeons to fix aneurysms involving the vessels connected to internal organs without using open surgical repair. This minimally invasive approach can lower the risk of life-threatening tears or ruptures and allows for rapid recovery from surgery.

NOTE: If the media would like to talk to Dr. Chew, please get in touch with me, and I will set-up an interview. Todd Mizener – todd.mizener@mercyone.org