Sign in
Taking people in United StatesNo phase

Surgeon-adjusted stent grafts for treating aortic disorders

Tests whether surgeon-modified stent grafts are safe for adults with aortic disorders.

Key facts

Who runs it
Chandler Long, MD
Where
Durham, United StatesSee the site
Trial code
Registry title
Duke Customized Aortic Aneurysm Repair With Endovascular Stent-grafts - Duke CARES Trial
Status
Recruiting
People taking part
30 people, planned
Started
13 Jan 2026
Expected to end
11 Dec 2031
Type of study
Interventional
Treatments tested
  • Physician Modified Endovascular Graft
Record updated
4 February 2026

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for adults with an aortic aneurysm near or above the kidney arteries. They must be at high risk with open surgery. They are treated with a stent-graft that the surgeon modifies to fit their body.

Age
18 years and older
Sex
All sexes
Disease stage
Aneurysm (a bulge in the aorta) that is juxtarenal, pararenal, paravisceral and/or thoracoabdominal. It must be larger than 5.5 cm (2.2 in) or 2 times the normal diameter, have grown more than 0.5 cm (0.2 in) in 6 months, be saccular with high rupture risk, cause symptoms, or have burst. Life expectancy must be more than 2 years.

Main reasons for not taking part

  • The aneurysm can be treated with a stent-graft already on the market, used as its instructions say
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Infected aneurysm or active infection in the body
  • Baseline creatinine greater than 2.0 mg/dL (177 µmol/L), unstable angina, or a connective tissue disorder such as Marfan Syndrome
  • Refusing blood transfusions, or morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 40 or BMI 30-39.9 with other illnesses)

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 32 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • A participant may be entered into the study if the participant has at least one of the following: An aneurysm with a maximum diameter of > 5.5 cm or 2 times the normal diameter just proximal to the aneurysm using orthogonal (i.e, perpendicular to the centerline) measurements; Aneurysm with a history of growth > 0.5 cm in 6 months; Saccular aneurysm deemed at significant risk for rupture; Symptomatic aneurysm; Ruptured aneurysm; AND
  • Extent of aorta to be treated: juxtarenal, pararenal that include 1 or 2 renal and/or accessory renal arteries, paravisceral that includes celiac artery and/or superior mesenteric artery, and/or thoracoabdominal
  • High risk of morbidity and mortality with open surgical repair as defined by:; Anatomic Criteria (Previous abdominal surgery; Previous thoracotomy; Previous aortic surgery) b. Physiologic Criteria (ASA Category III or higher; Age >70 years; Previous myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, or coronary artery stent; Coronary stress test with a reversible perfusion defect; Congestive heart failure (CHF); Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD))
  • Iliac or femoral access vessel morphology that is compatible with vascular access techniques, devices or accessories, with or without use of a surgical conduit
  • Nonaneurysmal aortic segment proximal to the aneurysm (neck) with a minimum neck length of 25 mm (Diameter in the range of 18 mm - 42 mm; Angle less than 60o relative to the axis of the aneurysm; Angle less than 60o relative to the axis of the suprarenal aorta); Minimum branch vessel diameter greater than 5 mm; Iliac artery distal fixation site greater than 20 mm in length and diameter in the range of 9 mm - 21 mm (for use of ZFEN); Contralateral iliac artery distal fixation site greater than 20 mm in length and diameter in the range of 7.5 mm - 20 mm; Age: ≥ 18 years old; Life expectancy: > 2 years

Who cannot take part

  • Major surgical or interventional procedure unrelated to the treatment of the aneurysm planned < 30 days of the endovascular repair
  • Deemed a high risk due to significant comorbidities, adjudicated by severity according to the Society for Vascular Surgery reporting standards for endovascular aortic repair involving the renal-mesenteric arteries; ANATOMICAL EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
  • Refusal to give informed consent by the subject or legal representative. Note: Inability to consent prior to surgery will not be exclusionary if it is for life-saving measures
  • Mycotic aneurysm or evidence of active systemic infection; MEDICAL EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
  • Known sensitivities or allergies to the materials of construction of the devices, including nitinol (nickel, titanium), polyester, polypropylene, gold, stainless steel, and/or solder (tin, silver)
  • Known hypersensitivity or contraindication to anticoagulation or contrast media that cannot be adequately medically managed
  • Unstable angina (defined as angina with a progressive increase in symptoms, new onset at rest or nocturnal angina)
  • History of connective tissue disorders (e.g., Marfan Syndrome, Ehler's Danlos Syndrome)
  • Anatomy that would not allow maintenance of at least one patent hypogastric artery; Inadequate femoral or iliac access to accommodate the required delivery systems; Requirement for iliac conduit in cases of inadequate femoral/iliac access; Absence of a suitable non-aneurysmal segment of distal thoracic aorta and significant aortic tortuosity; Target vessel anatomy not compatible with fenestrated or branched stent graft incorporation, including vessels with severe stenosis, tortuosity and/or insufficient size to accommodate stent graft placement; Early target vessel bifurcation precluding safe or effective stent graft placement; Unsuitable iliac artery fixation site and/or anatomy for iliac limb extension or iliac branch device placement, as defined by the device instructions for use; Note: Patients with life-threatening aortic disease who have no acceptable surgical or endovascular alternatives will be allowed to receive treatment under this IDE in the non-statistical cohort; Non-statistical Cohort; This cohort will include patients who meet the inclusion criteria and meet any of the above exclusion criteria* with the exception of the following:
  • Known sensitivities or allergies to the materials of construction of the devices will be allowed in a life-threatening situation where the patient would not survive open surgery
  • Baseline creatinine greater than 2.0 mg/dL
  • GENERAL EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
  • Able to be treated in accordance with the instructions for use with a currently marketed endovascular prosthesis
  • Unwilling to comply with the follow-up schedule
  • Inability or refusal to give informed consent by subject or legal representative
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Prefers to receive treatment at another hospital with access to a non-physician modified endovascular prosthesis
  • Refusal of blood transfusions for religious or personal reasons
  • Participation in another investigational clinical or device trial, with the exception of another investigational endovascular stent-graft protocol or percutaneous aortic valve protocol, not encompassed by the IDE protocol and performed remotely from the fenestrated procedure (> 30 days). Examples include remote (>30 days) participation in a thoracic, abdominal or iliac branch device trial, or participation in a percutaneous aortic valve trial
  • Uncorrectable coagulopathy
  • Body habitus that would inhibit x-ray visualization of the aorta or exceeds the safe capacity of the equipment; Morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 40 or BMI 30-39.9 with comorbidities)
  • Thrombus or excessive calcification within the neck of the aneurysm
  • Presence of significant thrombus and/or excessive calcification within the intended proximal or distal seal zone of the aneurysm
  • Branch stenosis > 75% (if left untreated)
  • Able to be treated in accordance with the instructions for use with a currently marketed endovascular prosthesis
  • Subject prefers to receive treatment at another hospital with access to a custom-made endovascular prosthesis

Other criteria

  • MAIN COHORT

Where in United States

  • Duke University Health SystemDurham, United StatesContact: Ellen BurkettTaking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

The purpose of this study is to see if physician modified endovascular grafts (PMEG) can be used safely for the treatment of aortic disorders. The surgeon will modify a commercially available graft tailored to the participant's anatomy for surgery. The researchers will follow participants for 5 years, which will require regular visits to the clinic for follow-up imaging and follow-up blood tests.

The group in the trial

  • Physician Modified Endovascular GraftTreatment being tested

    The participant's surgeon will modify a commercially available graft tailored to their anatomy for their surgery.

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Duke Customized Aortic Aneurysm Repair With Endovascular Stent-grafts - Duke CARES Trial
Plain-language title
Surgeon-adjusted stent grafts for treating aortic disordersGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 14 November 2026.
Record updated
4 February 2026