Annals of vascular surgery
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Review Case Reports
Covered stent exclusion of blunt traumatic carotid artery pseudoaneurysm: case report and review of the literature.
Injury to the carotid artery from blunt trauma, when not lethal, will often go unrecognized. A 37-year-old male was the belted driver in a motor vehicle accident 15 years prior to presenting with intermittent left upper extremity parasthesias and weakness. A large, calcified distal right internal carotid artery (ICA) pseudoaneurysm was diagnosed and successfully excluded with a 7 x 30 mm covered stent.
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Comparative Study
Low quality of life prior to screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm: a possible risk factor for negative mental effects.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect on quality of life (QOL) of screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in a population-based AAA screening program. Twenty-four patients with screening-detected AAA and 45 controls with normal aortic diameter were studied in a prospective, controlled, population-based study. Prior to and 12 months after the ultrasonography examination, all participants completed Short-Form 36 and at 12 months, 10 AAA-specific questions were added. ⋯ Our results showed that screening for AAA results in impairment of QOL among those who have the disease and who suffered a low QOL prior to screening. Among those who had an age-adjusted normal QOL prior to screening and who were found to have the disease, and among those who were found to have normal aortas, no negative effect on QOL was observed. Thus, low QOL before screening is a possible risk factor for negative mental effects of diagnosing an AAA by screening.
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Although bedside placement of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters by means of transabdominal duplex ultrasound is possible in most patients, those with inadequate visualization have traditionally required fluoroscopy. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of bedside IVC filter placement with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) when transabdominal duplex ultrasound imaging is inadequate. Between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2002, 256 IVC filter placements were performed (207 with transabdominal duplex ultrasound [81%], 21 with fluoroscopy [8%], and 28 with IVUS [11%]). ⋯ One patient died from causes unrelated to IVC filter placement. From these results we conclude that IVC filter placement with IVUS is technically feasible and safe. This may allow for expanded bedside IVC filter placement capabilities in patients with inadequate IVC visualization on transabdominal duplex ultrasound.