10038131Meridian - Development and validation of an innovative fenestrated endovascular stent graft for aortic aneurysm repairClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKAbdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) causes ~6000 deaths/year in England and Wales, and \>175 000 deaths globally. These figures will likely increase due to our ageing population. AAAs occur in the aorta as it passes through the abdomen and may occur at any age but are most common as patients age, especially beyond 60 years of age. The condition is caused by weakening of the aortic wall and is associated with multiple risk factors including age, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, family history and genetics, plus lifestyle factors such as smoking. Historically, open surgery was used to repair AAA using artificial tubes sewn inside the aorta above and below the bulging section, a challenging procedure with many risks and mortality rates higher than open heart surgery. More recently, minimally invasive procedures involving endovascular grafting (EVAR) have been developed which significantly reduce the risks for patients. However, the individual anatomy of the patient's blood vessels can create technical challenges for EVAR as ~50% of patients with AAAs have anatomy that is not ideal for treatment using standard endovascular grafts. To overcome this, fenestrated endovascular grafts (FEVAR) have been developed for patients where the AAA gets close to key blood vessels. FEVAR devices have holes created in them to allow blood to flow to key organs close to the AAA. This is now a fairly common treatment for patients who may not otherwise be candidates for endovascular repair. FEVAR devices are relatively large and are often not compatible with safe treatment for women and some ethnic groups, thus disadvantaging them. Lombard will develop a new fenestrated graft product (Meridian) which provides a solution for challenging anatomies and enables FEVAR for patients with narrow blood vessels; it has the potential to significantly increase the diversity of patients that can be treated due to its much narrower size relative to any competitor device. Meridian is a ground-breaking medical innovation by: \*Increased applicability in those with severe vascular disease, females, and non-Caucasian groups. \*Reduced delivery diameter leads to lower vessel trauma and complication rates. \*Extending the use of the device to include the treatment of iliac aneurysms. \*Less limb ischaemia and easier insertion allows more procedures under local anaesthetic which reduces operative times and hospital stays.