CINCINNATI (January 7, 2025) – Surgeons at The Christ Hospital Health Network are the second team in the U.S. to implant the Nexus Duo aortic arch stent graft to treat a patient with prior aortic dissection and aneurysm formation. The team was led by Geoffrey Answini, MD Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at The Christ Hospital Health Network and Mark Harding, MD, vascular surgeon.
The Nexus Duo™ Aortic Arch Stent is a minimally invasive device used to treat aortic arch dissections or aneurysms in patients who are high-risk for surgery. Aortic arch disease can occur when arteries become dilated or torn and can result in reduced blood flow to the body or a rupture of the vessel. Symptoms include pain, fatigue, high blood pressure, breathing problems among other issues.
More than 120,000 patients suffer thoracic aortic arch disease every year in the United States, with only about 25% being diagnosed or treated. Despite significant advancements, open surgical aortic arch repair is associated with high mortality and morbidity. The new procedure is minimally invasive with the goal of lowering mortality rates and improving recovery times.
“Surgical aortic arch repair is often one of the most technically challenging areas to repair,” said Geoffrey Answini, MD. “The Nexus Duo ™ Aortic Arch Stent gives heart patients another option when it comes to repairing their aortic arch. We believe this stent will be used more commonly in the future and we are pleased that The Christ Hospital is one of the first in the country to be able to offer an alternative minimally invasive solution to patients who will benefit most by avoiding open surgical repair of their aortic arch.”
For more information on the heart team at The Christ Hospital Health Network as well as aortic aneurysm, click here. If you’re interested in photos of the Nexus Duo™Aortic Arch Stent and more details on studies of the procedure, click here.
About The Christ Hospital Health Network
The Christ Hospital Health Network consists of an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn, a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of medical offices throughout the region. For more than 135 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves. Made up for more than 1,300 physicians and more than 7,200 team members, our mission is to improve the health of our community by providing exceptional outcomes in an affordable way. The Network was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in the Cincinnati Region and named to Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals list in 2024.