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A new device to prevent ruptures in the thoracic aorta won Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in March. The device, called the Gore Tag Thoracic Endoprosthesis system, is the first grafting system to treat aneurysms of the thoracic aorta to win FDA approval.

 

The device is a synthetic graft and metal support structure placed inside the aorta through a catheter inserted through the groin. It lines the inside of the vessel to strengthen it and ease pressure. In clinical trials comparing it with surgery, the new device was associated with fewer deaths, shorter hospital stays, and quicker recoveries.

 

Although the device is on the market, physicians need a training course before using it. For more information, visit the FDA's Web site at http://www.fda.gov and enter "Gore Tag" in the search box.