Purpose: To describe early experience with an endovascular suite created for procedures requiring surgical access, endograft placement, or combined surgical and interventional radiologic expertise.
Materials and methods: After examining the operating room and angiography environments, practice guidelines, state law, and regulatory agency requirements, a multidepartmental task force recommended reconfiguring an angiography suite to serve as an endovascular suite. Forty patients have been treated; 28 underwent vascular endograft placement and 12 underwent other combined procedures.
Results: Procedures included 31 femoral and axillary cutdowns; placement of one aortobifemoral graft, two iliofemoral grafts, two femoropopliteal grafts, and two femoral-femoral crossover grafts; two abdominopelvic exposures for aortic access, and five endarterectomies, including one at the carotid bifurcation performed in combination with common carotid stent placement. Three of the abdominopelvic procedures were not planned, including two emergency conversions. No patient had to be moved to an operating room. There was one major infection (2.5%), two minor wound infections (5%), and one wound with delayed healing (2.5%).
Conclusion: Early experience with a combined surgical-interventional suite has been favorable, but a vigilant approach is warranted.