Endovascular grafts for treating the iliac arteries and methods of delivery and deployment thereof

1. An endovascular stent graft comprising:

a. a main tubular body of a biocompatible graft material having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion and a lumen extending between the proximal and distal end portions;

b. a first leg defining a first lumen and a second leg defining a second lumen, the first and second legs extending from the distal end portion of the main tubular body and wherein the first and second lumens are in fluid communication with the lumen of the main tubular body; the first and second legs each having facing surface wherein the respective surfaces of the first and second legs are in at least partial abutting relationship;

c. a first fenestration formed in the surfaces of each of the first and second legs, and wherein the respective first fenestrations at least partially align with each other;

d. wherein at least one of the first and second legs comprises a side branch extending from the at least one of the first and second legs, the side branch comprising a tubular body of a biocompatible graft material having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion and a lumen extending between the proximal and distal end portions, the side branch lumen being in fluid communication with the lumen of the at least one of the first and second legs from which it extends;

e. wherein the proximal end portion of the side branch extends from the at least one of the first and second legs at a location that is substantially adjacent to the first fenestration in the leg from which it extends; and

f. wherein the stent graft is configured to be deployed into the vasculature of a patient with at least one of the first and second legs being located in the common iliac artery and the side branch being directed towards an internal iliac artery of the common iliac artery.

2. The graft of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second legs is a longer leg and one is a shorter leg.

3. The graft of claim 2 wherein the side branch extends from the longer leg.

4. The graft of claim 3 wherein each of the first and second legs comprises a distal end portion and wherein at least a portion of the proximal end of the side branch extends from the longer leg at a location that is proximal to the distal end portion of the shorter leg.

5. The graft of claim 2 wherein the side branch extends from the longer leg at a location that is substantially diametrically opposite to the first fenestration in the longer leg.

6. The graft of claim 2 further comprising a second fenestration formed in the longer leg and wherein the proximal end portion of the side branch extends from the second fenestration.

7. The graft of claim 2 wherein the shorter leg further comprises a first stent located proximal to the first fenestration in the shorter leg and a second stent located distal to the first fenestration in the shorter leg.

8. The graft of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the first and second legs further comprises at least one self-expanding stent located proximal to the first fenestration or distal to the first fenestration.

9. The graft of claim 1 wherein the respective first fenestrations are attached.

10. A method for treating a diseased vessel, the method comprising:

a. introducing a delivery device carrying an endovascular graft into a patient's vasculature, the endovascular graft comprising:

i. a main tubular body of a biocompatible graft material having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion;

ii. a long leg and a short leg each extending from the distal end portion of the main tubular body and wherein each of the legs has a surface wherein the respective surfaces of the legs are adjacent and in at least partial abutting relationship;

iii. a first fenestration formed in each of the surfaces of the long and short legs which fenestrations at least partially align with each other;

iv. a side branch extending from the long leg, the side branch comprising a tubular body of a biocompatible graft material having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion and a lumen extending therebetween, and wherein the proximal end portion of the side branch extends from the long leg at a location that is substantially adjacent to the first fenestration formed therein;

b. positioning the endovascular graft in the patient's vasculature such that at least the long leg is located in the common iliac artery and the side branch is directed towards an internal iliac artery of the common iliac artery;

c. at least partially deploying the endovascular graft in the patient's vasculature.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

a. introducing a second delivery device though a lumen of the short leg, the second delivery device carrying a second endovascular graft thereon, the second endovascular graft comprising a tubular body defining a lumen;

b. advancing the second delivery device through the respective first fenestrations formed in the surfaces of the long and short legs and into the lumen of the side branch,

c. positioning the second endovascular graft within the internal iliac artery;

d. at least partially deploying the second endovascular graft in the internal iliac artery.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the respective first fenestrations are attached.

13. An endovascular stent graft comprising:

a. a main tubular body of a biocompatible graft material having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion and a lumen extending between the proximal and distal end portions;

b. a first leg defining a first lumen and a second leg defining a second lumen, the first and second legs extending from the distal end portion of the main tubular body to form a bifurcation, wherein the first and second lumens are in fluid communication with the lumen of the main tubular body; the first and second legs each having a surface wherein the respective surfaces of the first and second legs face each other and are in at least partial abutting relationship;

c. a first fenestration through the first leg surface and a second fenestration through the second leg surface, wherein the first and second fenestrations are at least partially aligned with each other and in fluid communication with each other;

d. wherein at least one of the first and second legs comprises a side branch extending from the at least one of the first and second legs, the side branch comprising a tubular body of a biocompatible graft material having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion and a lumen extending between the proximal and distal end portions, the side branch lumen being in fluid communication with the lumen of the at least one of the first and second legs from which it extends;

e. wherein the proximal end portion of the side branch extends from the at least one of the first and second legs at a location that is substantially proximate to the bifurcation.

14. The endovascular stent graft of claim 13 , wherein the first leg is a longer leg and the second leg is a shorter leg and the side branch extends from the longer leg.

15. An endovascular stent graft comprising:

a main tubular body of a biocompatible graft material having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion and a lumen extending between the proximal and distal end portions;

a first leg defining a first lumen and a second leg defining a second lumen, the first and second legs extending from the distal end portion of the main tubular body and wherein the first and second lumens are in fluid communication with the lumen of the main tubular body; the first and second legs each having a surface wherein the respective surfaces of the first and second legs are in at least partial abutting relationship; and

a first fenestration formed in the surfaces of each of the first and second legs,

wherein the respective first fenestrations at least partially align with each other.

16. An endovascular stent graft comprising:

a main tubular body of a biocompatible graft material having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion and a lumen extending between the proximal and distal end portions;

a first leg defining a first lumen and a second leg defining a second lumen, the first and second legs extending from the distal end portion of the main tubular body to form a bifurcation, wherein the first and second lumens are in fluid communication with the lumen of the main tubular body; the first and second legs each having a surface wherein the respective surfaces of the first and second legs face each other and are in at least partial abutting relationship;

a first fenestration through the first leg surface and a second fenestration through the second leg surface, wherein the first and second fenestrations are at least partially aligned with each other and in fluid communication with each other.

17. A method for treating a diseased vessel, the method comprising:

introducing a delivery device carrying an endovascular graft into a patient's vasculature, the endovascular graft comprising:

a main tubular body of a biocompatible graft material having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion;

a long leg and a short leg each extending from the distal end portion of the main tubular body and wherein each of the legs has a surface wherein the respective surfaces of the legs are adjacent and in at least partial abutting relationship;

a first fenestration formed in each of the surfaces of the long and short legs which fenestrations at least partially align with each other;

positioning the endovascular graft in the patient's vasculature such that at least the long leg is located in the common iliac artery; and

at least partially deploying the endovascular graft in the patient's vasculature.