Massa, Italy, 07 April, 2021 - The first implantation of Castor® Aortic Branched Stent-Graft and Delivery System ("Castor®"), developed by Shanghai MicroPort Endovascular MedTech (Group) Co., Ltd. (“Endovastec™”), a subsidiary of MicroPort Scientific Corporation (MicroPort®, 00853.HK), has been successfully completed in Italy. This is the fourth overseas market for Castor®, following its introduction in Poland, Spain, and Argentina.
The first implantation of Castor® in Italy was performed by a team led by Dr. Sergio Berti and Dr. Antonio Rizza of G. Pasquinucci Heart Hospital. The patient's CT angiography revealed a PAU (penetrating aortic ulcer) in the aortic arch, approximately 1.8 cm in size and located at the opening of the left subclavian artery (LSA). Due to the size of the PAU, the location of the lesion at the opening of the LSA, and the absolute dominance of the left vertebral artery (i.e., the left side of the main blood vessel), it was imperative to reconstruct the LSA.
LSA reconstruction methods include chimney stenting, hybrid operation, the fenestration technique and the branch stenting technique. As the lesion was located in the aortic arch, comprehensive consideration was required to determine which method would be most effective. The chimney stenting, hybrid operation and fenestration technique all had their limitations, leading the surgical team to decide on Castor® for the surgery.
The procedure went smoothly, with the surgical team taking only 40 minutes to implant the stent, which successfully conformed to the vessel shape and attached tightly to the vessel wall. Proximal multi-mini springs of the stent graft sealed effectively without any endoleaks, ensuring smooth blood flow in the LSA.
Zhenghua Miao, President of Endovastec™, noted, "Since its entry to the overseas market, Castor® has performed well in clinical use in many countries in Europe and South America, and it has won high recognition from experts. As Endovastec™ continues its expansion into new markets, we will also continue to strengthen and deepen our cooperation with overseas clinical experts. We are committed to promoting more high-quality, innovative aortic and peripheral vascular disease treatment solutions to overseas markets and bringing benefits to more patients worldwide.”
About MicroPort Endovastec™
Shanghai MicroPort Endovascular MedTech （Group）Co., Ltd. (“Endovastec™”), which is a subsidiary of MicroPort Scientific Corporation (MicroPort®, 00853.HK), was founded in Shanghai SIMZ Century Medicine Park in 2012. Endovastec™ was granted Shanghai High-tech Enterprises, Shanghai Science and Technology Little Giant Enterprise, and the first batch of Specialized and New“Little Giant”Enterprise, AAA-level Credit Enterprise and Multinational R&D Center in China. Endovastec™ was listed on the STAR Market (Stock code: 688016) of the Shanghai Stock Exchange on July 22, 2019.
About Castor®
Castor® is a stent-graft system for simultaneous aorta and aortic arch repair through minimally invasive treatment. Its unique unibody structure adapts to a variety of arch anatomies and allows one-off access and release, ensuring a safe and convenient method of rebuilding the left subclavian artery while reducing “gutter” endoleaks that are commonly caused by the chimney technique. Castor® has shown to offer long-term stability and reduces the risk of stent migration in the future. Since its launch, Castor® has been introduced to more than 500 hospitals in China and its innovative features have won recognition from clinical experts.