Use of through-and-through guidewire for delivering large stent-grafts into the distal aortic arch

The availability of large diameter stent-grafts is now allowing the endovascular treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms. Most aneurysms are closely related to the distal arch and it is thus necessary to pass the delivery systems into the arch to effectively cover the proximal neck. Even with extra-stiff guidewires in position, it may still be difficult to achieve this, as a result of tortuosity at the iliac arteries and the aorta. We detail a technique where a stiff guidewire is passed from a brachial entry point through the aorta and out at the femoral arteriotomy site. This allows extra-support and may enable the delivery system to be passed further into the aortic arch than it could with just the regular guidewire position.