Sir  na Vascular Center

How a stent graft is deployed

 

We use stent grafts as a minimally invasive way of fixing aneurysms or opening blocked arteries. They are inserted through a needle stick or a small cut down incision. A thin wire is guided carefully through the diseased artery. The stent graft is either wrapped on a catheter, like shown here, or is folded inside a deployment sheath. It then rides over the wire and is positioned under fluoroscopy (continuous x ray). This stent graft is deployed by pulling a rip cord. Other types of stent grafts are deployed by unsheathing them (pulling back the covering sheath, so that they are allowed to unfold).