Physician-made pericardium stent graft as a potential endovascular alternative for infectious aortic disease - an ex-vivo proof-of-concept study.

This first xenogeneic stent graft could be manufactured and deployed successfully. In the future this may provide a bridging alternative for high-risk patients with infected native aortic aneurysm or aortic fistulas, eventually followed by surgical or thoracoscopic/laparoscopic debridement. Further studies on simulators or animal models are needed to test the technique and investigate its long-term durability. Additionally, this study prompts reflection on whether materials currently used should be further developed to prevent graft infections.