En bloc tibial thrombectomy

A 58-year-old man with hypertension and 40-pack year smoking history presented to the emergency department complaining of approximately 20 hours of right lower extremity pain

Management of aneurysms involving branches of the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries: A comparison of surgical and endovascular therapy

ObjectiveAneurysms involving branches of the superior mesenteric and celiac arteries are uncommon and require proper management to prevent rupture and death. This study compares surgical and endovascular treatment of these aneurysms and analyzes outcome.MethodsPatients at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York who were treated for aneurysms in the branches of the celiac artery and superior mesenteric artery were identified through a search of the institution’s medical records and endovascular database. Patient demographics, history, clinical presentation, aneurysm characteristics, treatments, and follow-up outcome were retrospectively recorded. Significant differences between patients treated by surgical or endovascular therapy were determined by using Student’s t test and χ 2 analysis.ResultsBetween January 1, 1991, and July 1, 2005, 59 patients with 61 aneurysms were treated at a single institution. Twenty-four patients had surgical repair, and 35 underwent endovascular treatment, which included coil embolization and stent-graft therapy. Splenic (28) and hepatic (22) artery aneurysms predominated. Eighty-nine percent of splenic artery aneurysms were true aneurysms and were treated by endovascular and surgical procedures in near equal numbers (14 and 11, respectively). Pseudoaneurysms were significantly more likely to be treated by endovascular means (P < .01). The technical success rate of endovascular treatment for aneurysms was 89%, and failures were successfully treated by repeat coil embolization in all patients who presented for retreatment. Patients treated by endovascular techniques had a significantly higher incidence of malignancy than patients treated with open surgical techniques (P = .03). Furthermore, patients treated by endovascular means had a shorter in-hospital length of stay (2.4 vs 6.6 days, P < .001).ConclusionEndovascular management of visceral aneurysms is an effective means of treating aneurysms involving branches of the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries and is particularly useful in patients with comorbidities, including cancer. It is associated with a decreased length of stay in the elective setting, and failure of primary treatment can often be successfully managed percutaneously

Trends in the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of acute lower extremity ischemia in the United States Medicare population

OBJECTIVE: Acute lower extremity ischemia (ALI) is a common vascular surgery emergency associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to assess contemporary trends in the incidence of ALI, the methods of treatment, and the associated mortality and amputation rates in the U.S. Medicare population. METHODS: This was an observational study using Medicare claims data between 1998 and 2009. Outcomes examined included trends in the incidence of ALI; trends in interventions for ALI; and trends in amputation, mortality, and amputation-free survival rates. RESULTS: Between 1998 and 2009, the incidence of hospitalization for ALI decreased from 45.7 per 100,000 to 26.0 per 100,000 (P for trend \u3c .001). The percentage of patients undergoing surgical intervention decreased from 57.1% to 51.6% (P for trend \u3c .001), whereas the percentage of patients undergoing endovascular interventions increased from 15.0% to 33.1% (P for trend \u3c .001). In-hospital mortality rates decreased from 12.0% to 9.0% (P for trend \u3c .001), whereas 1-year mortality rates remained stable at 41.0% and 42.5% (P for trend not significant). In-hospital amputation rates remained stable at 8.1% and 6.4% (P for trend not significant), whereas 1-year amputation rates decreased from 14.8% to 11.0% (P for trend \u3c .001). In-hospital amputation-free survival after hospitalization for ALI increased from 81.2% to 85.4% (P for trend \u3c .001); however, 1-year amputation-free survival remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Between 1998 and 2009, the incidence of ALI among the U.S. Medicare population declined significantly, and the percentage of patients treated with endovascular techniques markedly increased. During this time, 1-year amputation rates declined. Furthermore, although in-hospital mortality rates declined after presentation with ALI, 1-year mortality rates remained unchanged. Copyright © 2014 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved

Investigating uncommon vascular diseases using the Vascular Low Frequency Disease Consortium

BackgroundStandardized databases such as the Vascular Quality Initiative and National Surgical Quality Improvement Project assess the quality of care related to common vascular surgery procedures, but are not designed for uncommon vascular diseases. We describe a method of assessing uncommon vascular diseases using a multi-institutional collaboration, the Vascular Low Frequency Disease Consortium (VLFDC).MethodsUncommon vascular diseases are identified through a systematic literature review. A disease-specific database is developed and tested at a single institution, then refined and circulated to participating VLFDC investigators. Detailed inclusion and exclusion criteria and data point definitions are provided, allowing for standardized data collection across institutions. Each participating institution identifies all patients over a specific time period and enters the data into a VLFDC-provided database. The data are then de-identified and transmitted to our centralized data center for analysis.ResultsSince 2003, the VLFDC has conducted and published nine studies and enrolled 4532 patients, involving 232 institutions and 271 investigators. The studies include renal artery aneurysms, isolated femoral artery aneurysms, spontaneous mesenteric dissection, adventitial cystic disease, carotid body tumors, and vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Each published study reported on a minimum of 10 times the number of patients collected in previously published studies over the same time period, allowing stronger conclusions to be drawn from the larger sample size. Each study both confirmed previous management principles, which were based on small single-institution experiences, and challenged conventional management paradigms.ConclusionsWhen only small clinical series exist to provide guidance in managing uncommon vascular diseases, and/or where conflicting recommendations are made on the treatment of uncommon vascular diseases, a multi-institutional consortium can provide high-volume standardized data that either confirm or changes prior management principles

Management of a patient with Turner syndrome presenting with an isolated left subclavian artery aneurysm

We describe a case of a 52-year-old female with Turner syndrome found to have an isolated 3.5-cm left subclavian artery aneurysm. Surgical intervention was performed to decrease the risk of compressive symptoms, distal embolization, and rupture. This entailed exclusion of the aneurysm proximally using thoracic stent graft, carotid-subclavian bypass, and ligation of the subclavian artery distal to the aneurysm. One-year follow-up demonstrated exclusion of the aneurysm with a 5-mm reduction in maximum aneurysm sac diameter. This case represents the management of a rare isolated left subclavian artery aneurysm, in the setting of Turner syndrome, treated with a successful endovascular approach