Journal of vascular surgery
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Multicenter Study
Retroperitoneal hematoma volume is a good predictor of perioperative mortality after endovascular aneurysm repair for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.
The objective of this study was to validate the usefulness of retroperitoneal hematoma volume as a predictor of perioperative mortality after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA). ⋯ Our study suggests that retroperitoneal hematoma volume may be a good predictor of perioperative mortality after EVAR for rAAA, especially for patients with Fitzgerald classification >III and a best cutoff value of 6.97%.
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Comparative Study
Preoperative point-of-care ultrasound and its impact on arteriovenous fistula maturation outcomes.
Duplex ultrasound as a preoperative assessment tool in the clinic may help identify anatomic factors predictive of fistula maturation. Preoperative point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) offers surgeons an alternative to routine formal vein mapping as it can be performed by the operator during the initial clinic visit. We sought to determine the impact of POCUS as an adjunct to physical examination on arteriovenous fistula maturation. ⋯ POCUS as an adjunct to physical examination for dialysis access patients leads to decreased rates of primary failure, new access creation, and fistula abandonment compared with patients who undergo only physical examination. Ultrasound examination improved times to functional fistula maturation and secondary patency. Further studies are required to compare POCUS with formal preoperative vein mapping for arteriovenous fistula planning.
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Although thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is commonly used for chronic DeBakey type IIIB (CDIIIB) dissections, aortic remodeling outcomes after the procedure have been unsatisfactory. Persistent retrograde flow to the false lumen (FL) through re-entry tears commonly causes treatment failure. The aim of this study was to clarify the safety and effect of the FL procedure (FLP) for aortic remodeling in patients with CDIIIB dissections. ⋯ Full-coverage TEVAR with the FLP seems to be a safe endovascular treatment and promotes thoracic FL thrombosis for patients with CDIIIB dissections.
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Comparative Study
Utilization, patency, and complications associated with vascular access for hemodialysis in the United States.
This study examines the utilization and outcomes of vascular access for long-term hemodialysis in the United States and describes the impact of temporizing catheter use on outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence, patency, and associated patient survival for pre-emptively placed autogenous fistulas and prosthetic grafts; for autogenous fistulas and prosthetic grafts placed after a temporizing catheter; and for hemodialysis catheters that remained in use. ⋯ Temporizing catheter use was associated with higher mortality, higher infection, and lower patency, thus undermining the highly prevalent approach of electively using catheters as a bridge to permanent access. Autogenous fistulas are associated with longer time to catheter-free dialysis but better patency, lower infection risk, and lower mortality compared with prosthetic grafts in the general population.
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Even in the ruptured endovascular aneurysm repair first era, there are still patients who will not survive their ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA). All previously published mortality risk scores include intraoperative variables and are not helpful with the decision to operate or in providing preoperative patient and family counseling. The purpose of this study was to develop a practical preoperative risk score to predict mortality after repair of rAAA. ⋯ Our rAAA mortality risk score is based on four variables readily assessed in the emergency department and allows accurate prediction of 30-day mortality after repair of rAAAs. It also has a direct impact on clinical decision-making by adding prognostic information to the decision to transfer patients to tertiary care centers and aiding in preoperative discussions with patients and their families.