Journal of vascular surgery
-
The application of endovascular technology for the emergency treatment of traumatic vascular injuries is a new frontier. This study examines recent nationwide use of endovascular therapy in acute arterial traumatic injuries. ⋯ The use of endovascular therapy in the setting of acute trauma is increasing in a dramatic fashion and is being used to treat a wide variety of vessels injured by blunt and penetrating mechanisms. Endovascular therapy appears to be particularly suitable for patients who present with less severe injuries and greater hemodynamic stability. These preliminary data suggest that the use of endovascular therapy for acute traumatic arterial injuries yields shorter lengths of stay and improved survival.
-
True aneurysms of the innominate artery are rare. Successful axial reconstruction in the past has required a combined cervical and transthoracic approach with placement of a prosthetic graft. ⋯ Successful aneurysmectomy and axial reconstruction with a bifurcated graft was achieved by using cervical exposure alone. A subsequent staged revascularization of the upper extremity was successfully accomplished with a brachial to radial artery bypass and ulnar artery transposition.
-
Two techniques of vena cava filter placement with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance have been described previously. Placement with real-time IVUS imaging requires two venous access sites, one for the filter delivery system and one for the IVUS catheter, which makes the procedure more invasive. Alternatively, a single-access technique of IVUS imaging of the vena cava requires measuring the distance from the access site to the desired location for filter placement and then delivering the filter to that distance blindly, risking filter misplacement. We describe in this article a single puncture technique that allows for real-time imaging to position the filter delivery sheath using IVUS and reduces the uncertainty of the blind positioning of the filter delivery system.
-
Endovascular repair (EVAR) has been increasingly used for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs), especially in major academic centers. The goal of this article is to report our results with an EVAR-first approach for rAAA which we adopted in 2001 in our community hospital. ⋯ Our results show that EVAR is feasible with favorable outcomes in patients presenting with rAAA in a busy community hospital. There is a high secondary intervention rate, which can potentially be decreased by ensuring good iliac limb anatomy at the end of the procedure and by a closer follow-up.