Journal of vascular surgery
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Multicenter Study
Defining the high-risk patient for carotid endarterectomy: an analysis of the prospective National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database.
Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is the gold standard for the treatment of carotid stenosis, but carotid angioplasty and stenting has been advocated in high-risk patients. The definition of such a population has been elusive, particularly because the data are largely retrospective. Our study examined results for CEA in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (both Veterans Affairs and private sector). ⋯ Carotid endarterectomy results across a spectrum of Veterans Affairs and private sector hospitals compare favorably to contemporary studies. These data will assist in selecting patients who are at an increased risk for adverse outcomes. Use of regional anesthetic significantly reduced perioperative complications in a risk-adjusted model, thus suggesting that it is the anesthetic of choice when CEA is performed in high-risk patients.
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Comparative Study
Totally percutaneous aortic aneurysm repair: experience and prudence.
Totally percutaneous aortic aneurysm repair has been shown to be technically feasible, with low morbidity. Complications from percutaneous arterial closure are not insignificant, however, and can be fatal. We sought to evaluate our experience with this technique, compare it with the published literature, and identify factors associated with conversion to open repair and complications. ⋯ Totally percutaneous aortic aneurysm repair is technically feasible in most cases, with no effect on the luminal diameter of the accessed femoral artery. Complications occur more often in morbidly obese patients and with sheaths larger than 20F. These complications can be minimized with meticulous technique and good patient selection. The capability for expeditious open femoral arterial repair is mandatory with this approach.
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The value of motor evoked potentials in reducing paraplegia during thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair.
Paraplegia after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair mainly occurs in patients with Crawford extent I and II. We assessed the impact of monitoring spinal cord integrity and the subsequent adjusted surgical maneuvers on neurologic outcome in repairs of type I and II TAAAs. ⋯ Monitoring MEPs is a highly reliable technique to assess spinal cord ischemia during TAAA repair. A surgical protocol including cerebrospinal fluid drainage, left heart bypass, and monitoring of MEPs can reduce the paraplegia rate significantly. Adjusted hemodynamic and surgical strategies induced by changes in MEPs could restore spinal cord ischemia in most patients, preventing early and late paraplegia in all type I patients. In type II patients, early paraplegia occurred in 4.2% and delayed neurologic deficit in 2.9%. Despite all available measures, complete prevention of paraplegia in type II aneurysms seems to be unrealistic.
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Carotid artery stenting (CAS) has emerged as an acceptable treatment alternative in patients with carotid bifurcation disease. Although early results of CAS have been promising, long-term clinical outcomes remain less certain. We report herein the frequency, management, and clinical outcome of in-stent restenosis (ISR) after CAS at a single academic institution. ⋯ Our study showed that ISR after CAS remains uncommon. Successful treatment of ISR can be achieved by endovascular interventions, which incurred no instance of periprocedural complications in our series. Patients who developed ISR after CEA were likely to develop restenosis after IRS intervention. Diligent ultrasound follow-up scans are important after CAS, particularly in patients with post-CEA restenosis.
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This report describes a new approach for management of iliac vein injury. These injuries are often difficult to expose, and the associated hemorrhage further hinders visualization and subsequent repair. In this case, the use of an endovascular balloon from groin access controlled venous hemorrhage and permitted a primary repair of a torn left iliac vein. We believe that this approach is unique in that it uses a compliant, low-pressure balloon, thus preventing further iatrogenic injury in otherwise fragile venous structures and allowing direct access to the tear when exposure in the operative field is limited.