Annals of vascular surgery
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Case Reports
Combined emergency abdominal aortic aneurysm repair and valve replacement in a patient with severe aortic stenosis.
Simultaneous open surgery has been advocated in the elective management of abdominal aortic aneurysm patients with significant ischemic heart disease, as staged procedures risk worsening myocardial ischemia or aortic rupture, depending on which is the first intervention. The argument for combined aneurysm and valve repair is less established. ⋯ The patient was successfully managed with emergency combined open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair and open aortic valve replacement. We would advocate that such a strategy be considered as a salvage technique in similarly difficult management dilemmas.
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Review Meta Analysis
Updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials comparing carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomy in the treatment of carotid stenosis.
To compare carotid artery stenting (CAS) versus carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in the treatment of carotid stenosis, including two recently published, large, prospective, randomized trials of these therapies. ⋯ CAS is inferior to CEA with regard to the incidence of stroke or death for periprocedural outcomes, especially in symptomatic patients. However, CAS was associated with a lower incidence of myocardial infarction. These procedures may be considered complementary rather than competing modes of therapy, each of which can be optimized with careful patient selection.
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Comparative Study
A positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) evaluation of asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms: another point of view.
To assess the prevalence of increased (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in aneurysmal walls, adopting a case-control approach in a population of asymptomatic patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). ⋯ In conclusion, our results suggest that FDG hot spot, as well an increased diffuse uptake of FDG, in PET/CT studies is an extremely rare finding in patients with AAA of diameter close to surgical indications.
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The patient, a 55-year-old female Jehovah's Witness who had suffered type B aortic dissection since the age of 53 years, presented with enlargement of the false lumen in the distal aortic arch and was subsequently admitted to our hospital. While hospitalized, her enlarged false lumen ruptured and she underwent replacement of the distal aortic arch and descending thoracic aorta without blood transfusion. Blood conservation strategies for this patient included the following: 1) meticulous hemostasis when incising muscle or soft tissue, 2) minimal use of gauze and discard suckers, 3) exclusive use of a cell salvage device "from skin to skin," 4) low-prime cardiopulmonary bypass, 5) minimal laboratory blood sampling, and 6) preoperative and postoperative erythropoietin treatment. ⋯ The patient had an uneventful postoperative course, except for prolonged rehabilitation. The postoperative lowest Hb value was 5.2 g/dL on postoperative day 5, and the Hb value at hospital discharge (postoperative day 55) was 11.0 g/dL. Our experience with blood conservation surgery on this Jehovah's Witness patient suggests that ruptured chronic type B aortic dissection can be safely repaired on bypass through a left thoracotomy with no blood transfusion if the preoperative Hb value is >10.0 g/dL.
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Comparative Study
Relationship between plasma homocysteine and the morphological and immunohistochemical study of carotid plaques in patients with carotid stenosis over 70%.
Several clinical and epidemiological studies describe hyperhomocysteinemia as an independent cardiovascular risk factor. Implication of cellular immunity in atherosclerosis also seems clear. This study aimed to analyze the association among plasma hyperhomocysteinemia, neurological clinical events, and the morphology and immunocytology of carotid plaques in patients with carotid stenosis >70% receiving surgical treatment. ⋯ The present study confirms high hyperhomocysteinemia prevalence in patients with extracranial cerebrovascular disease, although no relationship between plaque complication phenomena and this cardiovascular risk factor was observed.