Delray Medical Center Becomes First Hospital in Florida to Use Innovative Treatment for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Delray Medical Center, part of the Palm Beach Health Network, is the first hospital in Florida to treat a patient with the Nectero Endovascular Aneurysm Stabilization Treatment (Nectero EAST^®) System.

The procedure is an innovative potential treatment for small- to mid-sized infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), dangerous bulges in the abdominal section of the aorta. The aorta is the largest blood vessel carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body. If an AAA ruptures or leaks, it causes bleeding in the abdomen, which is a life-threatening medical emergency requiring immediate medical attention.

The Nectero EAST system delivers a single dose of 1,2,3,4,6 pentagalloyl glucose (PGG) directly at the site of the AAA. This procedure is designed to prevent aneurysm growth or rupture and can allow patients to avoid future surgery for aneurysm repair. The drug is administered through a dual-balloon delivery catheter via the femoral artery. The procedure can be conducted under local anesthesia, takes under an hour to complete, and leaves no implant behind. 

Current surgical or endovascular AAA treatments are reserved for AAAs larger than 5.5 cm in diameter for men and 5.0 cm for women, in symptomatic patients, or in rapidly expanding aneurysms. Smaller AAAs are traditionally monitored with serial ultrasounds or computed tomography (CT) surveillance. The patients enrolled in the Nectero EAST clinical trial included women with AAAs between 3.5 cm–4.5 cm and men with AAAs between 3.5 cm–5.0 cm.

"If proven safe and effective, this therapy has the potential to have a profound impact on patients living with aneurysmal disease,” said Heather Haverciak, the hospital’s CEO.

AAAs, which occur in nearly 5% of the population, represent a significant public health problem. In the U.S., 4,500 deaths per year are attributed to AAA ruptures. An additional 1,400 deaths annually result from attempted AAA repair. About 1.1 million patients in the U.S. are estimated to have small- to mid-sized AAAs (3.5 cm–5.0 cm in diameter).