Danette Whiten, a 42-year-old single mother and home health aide from Harlem, recently underwent a groundbreaking procedure at Lenox Hill Hospital to repair an aneurysm in her aortic arch. Whiten, who leads an active life caring for clients and her 13-year-old daughter, began experiencing shortness of breath that prompted multiple visits to the emergency department.
Initial tests did not reveal heart problems, and she was diagnosed with heartburn. When symptoms persisted, further imaging revealed the true nature of her condition. Around this time, Northwell Health was invited to participate in a study involving the NEXUS Aortic Arch Stent Graft System—a new device designed specifically for repairing the aortic arch without requiring open-chest surgery or stopping the heart.
Whiten became the first patient in New York State and only the second person in the United States to receive this advanced stent graft system. The device consists of premanufactured tubes made from durable fabric that fit into branching arteries and lock together during deployment.
Dr. Brinster’s team at Lenox Hill conducted extensive imaging of Whiten’s aorta so that Endospan, which manufactures the NEXUS system, could create a custom-fitted stent graft for her anatomy. “The night before surgery, we go to the operating room and deploy a trial version of the graft in the model to ensure that it works,” says Dr. Brinster. “That allows us to preplan every move.”
On May 4, 2024, specialists from cardiothoracic and vascular surgery worked together on Whiten’s case. Catheters were inserted through small entry points in her arm and groin and guided using live X-ray imaging to deliver and secure the stent grafts at the damaged section of her aorta.
“You want a team in place that can manage anything that might happen,” said Alfio Carroccio, MD, chief of vascular surgery at Lenox Hill. “We’ve been working together a long time.” The procedure lasted less than two hours; afterward, Whiten’s artery was protected from further risk.
