Coverage of Accessory Renal Arteries During Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair: What Are the Consequences and the Implications for Clinical Practice?

An accessory renal artery (ARA) represents an anatomic variation which can challenge endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). The aim of this review was to summarize the current knowledge on postoperative outcomes following ARA coverage during EVAR. We performed a systematic literature review. The MEDLINE database was searched on September 2017, and 8 relevant studies were included. The frequency of ARA in patients undergoing EVAR varied between 9.5% and 16.2%, and the frequency of ARA coverage varied between 5.2% and 9.4%. Four reports did not observe any significant changes on postoperative renal function, whereas 1 study reported an early transient increase in creatinine after ARA coverage. The occurrence of renal infarct varied from 20% to 84%. Five studies did not observe endoleaks related to ARA coverage, whereas one reported the occurrence of type II endoleaks in 3 of 18 patients who had ARA coverage. No significant change in blood pressure, mortality, and mean length of hospital stay was observed. The ARA coverage can potentially have renal and vascular consequences, but none of them were critical. Further studies may be useful to identify preoperative criteria that may help to choose the most appropriate surgical approach before ARA coverage.