DUBLIN and SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - February 9, 2016 - Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT), a global leader in medical technology, services and solutions and Sanford Health, one of the nation's largest health care systems, today announced the first patient enrolled in a clinical study using the Medtronic Valiant® TAAA Stent Graft System for minimally invasive repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm.

An aortic aneurysm is a dangerous bulge or ballooning in a segment of the wall of the aorta that can rupture and cause sudden death if left untreated. Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms start in the chest and extend through the abdomen, and represent about 15 percent of all thoracic aneurysms. The aneurysms typically involve the branch arteries that supply blood to multiple internal organs. Historically this challenging anatomy has been treated with a complex open surgical procedure that is associated with high morbidity and mortality.

The procedure was performed by Patrick Kelly, M.D., through a physician sponsored, investigational device exemption (PS-IDE - NCT02294435), approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dr. Kelly, a physician and inventor who leads Sanford Vascular Innovations, reports the patient was a 58-year-old female with few alternative medical options for treatment of her aneurysm.


"The mortality rate is 25 percent when treating a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm with an open surgical technique, which involves cutting open the aorta. Providing the patient with an option for a less-invasive approach is needed," said Dr. Kelly. "This procedure marked an important step in the process to obtain FDA approval, and Sanford's support of such innovation will give hope to patients afflicted with challenging disease states such as this."

The Valiant TAAA Stent Graft System is intended to allow for an off-the-shelf endovascular solution to one of surgery's most difficult pathologies. The device garners broad attention as physicians search for options to treat patients with severe and challenging aortic disease.

"The Valiant TAAA approach allows for the procedure to be staged at any time and lets the operator work on each branch vessel individually," said James Black III, M.D., chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy at Johns Hopkins Hospital. "When taking on challenging cases, the device leverages skill sets that are quite routine for vascular surgeons."

"The novel device is customizable and diverse," said Thomas Naslund, M.D., chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "It's critical that our field focus on innovative ways to treat these kinds of aneurysms."

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