American Board of Surgery Qualifying Exam (ABS QE) Practice Test 2025 - Free Surgery Exam Practice Questions and Study Guide

The usual method of treating a Type 1 endoleak is to extend cuffs of the stent. This type of endoleak occurs when there is a failure of the seal at the graft's attachment site, usually occurring either proximally or distally to the endovascular stent graft. The primary goal in managing a Type 1 endoleak is to restore an adequate seal between the graft and the aorta or the iliac artery.

Extending the cuffs of the stent effectively addresses this issue by providing additional coverage and creating a tighter seal at the potential site of leakage. This method tends to be less invasive than surgical approaches and has the advantage of preserving the graft while directly addressing the leak.

In contrast, while embolization, surgical ligation, and replacement of the entire graft can be treatments for other types of endoleaks or complications, they are not the first-line treatment for a Type 1 endoleak due to the specific nature of its cause and the need to maintain the integrity of the stent graft itself. These options may be reserved for cases that cannot be resolved by adjusting the positioning or extent of the endograft cuffs.