Recently, the Castor™ Branched Aortic Stent Graft System (Castor™), developed by Endovastec™, completed its first implantations in Malaysia, Kazakhstan, and South Korea, making significant milestones in the product’s global clinical adoption. Additionally, the first implantation of its fenestration was recently performed in Singapore, expanding the device’s footprint in personalized endovascular care.

In Malaysia, the first implantation was performed by Dr. Yew Pung Leong, Director of Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur, and his team. Professor Chang Shu, Director of Vascular Surgery at Fuwai Hospital in China, provided on-site procedural guidance.

In Kazakhstan, Professor Marat Asanovich Aripov, Director of the Cardiac Center at the Corporate Fund University Medical Center (UMC), led the first successful case.

In South Korea, the first clinical use of Castor™ was carried out by Professor Song Suk-Won from the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Professor Lee Kwang Hun from the Department of Interventional Radiology at Ewha Woman’s University Medical Center, with guidance from Professor Chang Shu.

Separately, in Singapore, the Castor™ Fenestration saw its first implantation at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. The procedure was performed by Professors Glenn Tan, Pua Uei, and Lawrence Kwek, with Professor Wei Wang, Director of Vascular Surgery at Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, providing in-person clinical support.

The Castor™ system is the flagship thoracic aortic intervention solution in Endovastec™’s portfolio. First approved in China in 2017, it has been clinically adopted in over 20 countries and regions worldwide. While Castor™ is designed to address thoracic aortic pathologies, complex cases – such as lesions extending beyond the left subclavian artery or anatomical variations in the supra-aortic branches, including retrograde dissections, aortic arch aneurysms, and dissections involving the left vertebral artery originating from the arch—often require high-risk open-chest surgery. The Castor™ Fenestration product offers a minimally invasive option for these challenging cases.

As precision medicine gains momentum, the demand for customized medical devices is reshaping the landscape of endovascular care. “Compared with surgeon-modified grafts, a factory-fenestrated stent dramatically shortens operative time and delivers consistent quality,” Prof. Wei Wang noted. “Today, we are using customized grafts in thoracic aortic interventions, but the same principle could soon extend to abdominal, iliac, and even venous procedures.”