Femoral-femoral stabilizing buddy wire for embolization of the internal iliac artery

Internal iliac artery (IIA) embolization is performed in a variety of clinical scenarios, most commonly in patients undergoing endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) with an iliac artery aneurysm or inadequate distal landing zone. In these patients, IIA embolization with iliac limb extension is often performed. While IIA embolization can be routinely performed with either ipsilateral or contralateral femoral arterial access, it can be challenging in some patients with an acutely angulated aortic or iliac bifurcation and in patients with short or ectatic common iliac arteries. In this select group of patients with difficult anatomy, IIA embolization can be challenging and may lead to increased radiation exposure and contrast administration. Having a sheath precisely positioned and stabilized at the internal iliac artery origin will facilitate embolization of the IIA. This report describes a novel technique in which crossover femoral-femoral artery buddy wire placement achieves stable positioning of large sheaths for concurrent IIA embolization at the time of EVAR.