Vascular surgeons at St. Peter’s Hospital have performed the Capital Region’s first procedure of its kind to treat life-threatening aortic aneurysms.

The surgeons have successfully performed the first thoracoabdominal branch endoprosthesis (TAMBE). These types of aneurysms occur when the aorta weakens and bulges across both chest and abdominal regions. They present no symptoms until they rupture. The only treatment previously was high-risk open surgery.

The new technique involves implanting a Gore Excluder TAMBE device. These are specialized stents in the aorta that preserve blood flow to vital organs and redirect pressure away from weakened arterial walls, St. Peter’s said.

The surgeons who performed the procedure were Dr. Yaron Sternbach, chief of vascular surgery at St. Peter’s Hospital, and Dr. William Raible of St. Peter’s Vascular Associates. The patient was Jay Tucker, 73, of Round Lake. The procedure was discovered during a routine screening. His father had died from an aortic aneurysm at age 63.

Sternbach said it is a major breakthrough.

“We’re dealing with one of vascular medicine’s most complex and dangerous conditions. The TAMBE technique offers high-risk patients a crucial alternative that eliminates major open surgery and dramatically reduces risks, while offering shorter recovery times and improved outcomes,” she said in a statement.