Methods and apparatus for intraluminal placement of a bifurcated intraluminal graft

An intraluminal prosthesis comprising:

• a trouser graft having a trunk and two trunk legs diverging in a downstream direction from the trunk at a septum region, wherein the trouser graft is formed of a graft body having an external surface and an internal surface and comprises one or more expandable wireforms at its upstream end attachable to an aorta;
• wherein the trouser graft is of a specified length so that upon attachment of the trouser graft to the aorta the septum region is locatable upstream from an aortic bifurcation and at least a first trunk leg is of a specified length so that upon attachment of the trouser graft to the aorta the first trunk leg is locatable upstream from the aortic bifurcation;
• wherein the trunk has a circular cross-section and comprises a first trunk diameter at its upstream end conformable to the diameter of the aorta to which it will be attached and a second trunk diameter at its downstream end which is different from the first trunk diameter and wherein each trunk leg has a trunk leg diameter;
• and
• a tubular extension overlappingly connectable to a downstream end of the first trunk leg, the tubular extension having a first tubular extension diameter at an upstream end which is conformable to the trunk leg diameter to provide a consistent interface therewith and a second tubular extension diameter at a downstream end which is conformable to the diameter of a vessel to which it will be attached.

A method of implanting a modular intraluminal prosthesis while providing for a consistent interface between the modular components of the prosthesis comprising the following steps:

• determining a main vessel diameter and a branch vessel diameter;
• providing a bifurcated graft comprising a first trunk diameter at an upstream end which will conform to the main vessel diameter and a second trunk diameter at a downstream end which is different from the first trunk diameter, the bifurcated graft further comprising two trunk legs diverging in a downstream direction from the trunk at a septum region, each trunk leg having a standardized trunk leg diameter;
• endoluminally delivering the bifurcated graft to an implantation site and expanding the bifurcated graft so that the upstream end of the bifurcated graft is in contact with the main vessel;
• providing a tubular extension with at least a portion of the tubular extension having a standardized tubular extension diameter which will conform to the standardized trunk leg diameter;
• endoluminally delivering the tubular extension into position to overlappingly fit into a downstream end of one of the two trunk legs;
• and
• expanding the tubular extension so that the portion of the tubular extension having the standardized tubular extension diameter overlappingly connects to the downstream end of the one of the two trunk legs to provide a consistent interface therewith.

A method of implanting a modular intraluminal prosthesis while providing for a consistent interface between the modular components of the prosthesis comprising the following steps:

• determining a main vessel diameter and a branch vessel diameter;
• providing a bifurcated graft comprising a first trunk diameter at an upstream end which will conform to the main vessel diameter and a second trunk diameter at a downstream end which is different from the first trunk diameter, the bifurcated graft further comprising two trunk legs diverging in a downstream direction from the trunk at a septum region, each trunk leg having a standardized trunk leg diameter and at least a first trunk leg being of a specified length;
• endoluminally delivering the bifurcated graft to an implantation site and expanding the bifurcated graft so that the upstream end of the bifurcated graft is in contact with the main vessel while the septum region and the first trunk leg of the bifurcated graft are located upstream from a bifurcation of the main vessel into the branch vessel;
• providing a tubular extension having a first standardized tubular extension diameter at a first end which will conform to the standardized trunk leg diameter and a second tubular extension diameter at a second end which will conform to the branch vessel diameter;
• endoluminally delivering the tubular extension to an implantation site and expanding the tubular extension such that the first end of the tubular extension with the standardized tubular extension diameter overlappingly connects to the downstream end of the first trunk leg with the standardized trunk leg diameter and the second end of the tubular extension is in contact with the branch vessel.