A Novel Surgical Software Tool to Improve the Physician-Modified Endograft Workflow

OBJECTIVE: Three-dimensional models are increasingly used to facilitate the positioning of fenestrations on a physician-modified endograft (PMEG) during the fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (FEVAR) of complex abdominal aortic aneurysms (CAAA). The punch card technique was developed to eliminate the 3D printing workflow while preserving the benefits of having a 3D model. The objective of the current study is to evaluate the performance of the purpose-built software EndoDraft compared to manual punch card design. METHODS: An experimental study was performed to compare software-assisted and manual punch card creation. Fenestration data of readily available procedural plans were used for patients who underwent elective FEVAR for CAAA from May 2023 to September 2024. Time needed to complete punch card planning was recorded as well as inaccuracies of the manual technique were evaluated by measuring the vertical and circumferential position of the fenestrations on the punch card. RESULTS: A total of 76 punch cards and 288 fenestrations were made based on 38 patients' fenestration data. Preparation time was 233.0 ± 40.3 seconds for the manual group, whereas 63.2 ± 21.5 seconds for the software-aided group (p