KVAL: Software Application for Navigation in Endovascular Repair

Endovascular repair is an alternative to open surgery for many patients with cardiovascular diseases. The treatment is effective and gentle, with faster recovery and shorter hospital admissions. In this project, we have focused mainly on abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is a widening of the aorta in the abdomen. Such an aneurysm can, in the worst case, rupture, which is associated with high mortality. In endovascular treatment, the arterial wall is reinforced by an artificial tube (stent graft) inside the artery. The instruments are passed from openings in the groin to reach the aneurysm where the stent graft is released and forms an artificial, inner wall that prevents the aneurysm from rupturing. To guide the operator, the instruments must be visualized inside the patient's body. This routinely requires an extensive use of ionizing X-ray imaging, imposing a long-term risk for both patients and operators. Contrast agents (which are injected to visualize blood vessels with X-rays) can also be harmful, especially for patients with kidney disease. Our group has for many years performed research on new, alternative techniques that can reduce the need for X-rays and contrast material. This project has helped to prove the usefulness of this technology in repair of aneurysms and provided important clarifications for introducing these research results into routine clinical use.

Prosjektets resultater vil gjøre det enklere for oss å jobbe videre med å ta i bruk nye metoder for å redusere røntgenstråling i forbindelse med behandling.