Total Endovascular Repair of the Aortic Arch:Initial Experience in the Netherlands

Background. We report procedural and early results in the Netherlands of the Relay Branch device (Terumo Aortic, Sunrise, FL) for total endovascular repair of the aortic arch. Methods. Between 2014 and 2018, all consecutive patients who received the Aortic Relay double-branched stent graft in the Netherlands were included in a multicenter, retrospective registry. Results. The Relay Branch device was used in 11 patients to treat saccular (n = 4), fusiform (n = 5), or false aneurysms (n = 2) in the aortic arch. Patients were deemed unfit or extreme high-risk for open (redo) surgery. The brachiocephalic trunk and left common carotid artery were branched using a retrograde approach in all cases. Additional surgical left subclavian artery revascularization was performed in 8 patients. The main device and the branches were successfully introduced, positioned, and deployed with complete exclusion of the aortic pathology in all patients (100% technical success). There was no retrograde type A dissection or conversion to open surgery. Two procedure-related deaths occurred, both caused by perioperative or postoperative strokes. There were 2 minor strokes with full recovery. One patient recovered from transient paraplegia after spinal fluid drainage. No permanent paraplegia was observed. Follow-up imaging showed persistent adequate exclusion of aortic arch pathology. Mean follow-up was 17 months (range, 3-42 months). Conclusions. Total endovascular aortic arch repair using the Relay Branch device is technically feasible and effective in excluding aortic arch pathology. The observed stroke rate in the initial experience, however, was considerable. Although appealing, this new less-invasive technique should be carefully introduced and its progress thoroughly evaluated. (C) 2020 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeon

Editor's Choice – Radiation Dose Reduction During Contralateral Limb Cannulation Using Fiber Optic RealShape Technology in Endovascular Aneurysm Repair

Objective: The increasing number of endovascular procedures has resulted in an increasing radiation burden, particularly for the treatment team. Fiber Optic RealShape (FORS) technology uses laser light instead of fluoroscopy to visualise the endovascular guidewire and catheters. These devices can be used during the navigational part of procedures, such as cannulation of the contralateral limb (CL) in endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). The aim of this study was to describe the effect of using FORS on radiation dose during CL cannulation in standard EVAR. Methods: This was a non-randomised, retrospective comparison study of prospectively collected, single centre data from FORS guided EVAR compared with a conventional fluoroscopy only guided EVAR cohort. A total of 27 FORS guided cases were matched 1:1 based on sex, age, and body mass index (BMI) with 27 regular (fluoroscopy only) EVARs. This study primarily focused on (1) technical success of FORS and (2) navigation time and radiation dose (cumulative air kerma [CAK], air kerma area product [KAP], and fluoroscopy time [FT]) during cannulation of the CL. In addition, overall procedure time and radiation dose of the complete EVAR procedure were studied. Results: In 22 (81%) of the 27 FORS guided cases the CL was successfully cannulated using FORS. All radiation dose parameters were significantly lower in the FORS group (CAK, p < .001; KAP, p = .009; and FT, p < .001) for an equal navigation time (p = .95). No significant differences were found when comparing outcomes of the complete procedure. Conclusion: Use of FORS technology significantly reduces radiation doses during cannulation of the CL in standard EVAR

The Current Era of Endovascular Aortic Interventions and What the Future Holds

Today, more than 30 years after the first endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) by Juan Parodi and Julio Palmaz [...

Esophageal Resection, Gastric Tube Reconstruction, and Omental Flap Coverage of Iatrogenic Aortoesophageal Fistula After Secondary Thoracic Stentgraft Infection : A Case Report

Secondary stent graft infection is a life-threatening complication after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). There is no consensus on optimal treatment strategy, but combined antibiotic and surgical treatment is advocated. Two years after his TEVAR procedure, a 70-year-old patient was admitted to the hospital with a secondary periaortic abscess. At first, the abscess was managed with clindamycin and transesophageal drainage. The abscess would not dissipate, and an infected iatrogenic aortoesophageal fistula was formed, which was surgically treated with esophageal resection, gastric tube reconstruction, and omental flap coverage

Superficial Femoral Artery Recanalization Using Fiber Optic RealShape Technology

Purpose: Report of a successful case of endovascular recanalization of an occluded superficial femoral artery (SFA) using Fiber Optic RealShape (FORS) technology. Case Report: A 79-year-old male was referred for evaluation of multiple ischemic pretibial ulcers of the right lower extremity. Computed tomography&ndash;angiography (CTA) imaging confirmed significant stenosis of the right common femoral artery (CFA) and an occlusion of the SFA from its origin to the Hunter&rsquo;s canal. The patient was treated with a hybrid surgical procedure: an endarterectomy of the CFA and SFA origin was performed combined with an endovascular recanalization of the occluded SFA using FORS technology. During recanalization, the FORS guidewire slowly twisted subintimally around the occluded lumen of the SFA, maintaining the created corkscrew shape after pre-dilation with the percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) balloon and subsequent stenting. Conclusions: FORS technology can be successfully used during recanalization of an occluded SFA without the use of fluoroscopy. The corkscrew shape formed during recanalization in this case was retained during PTA balloon pre-dilation and stenting; this potentially improves hemodynamics and thereby reduces the risk of in-stent restenosis. However, expanding patient series and longer follow-up data are needed to increase the understanding of the feasibility and effectiveness of using FORS in the treatment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease

Assessment of signs of foot infection in diabetes patients using photographic foot imaging and infrared thermography

Patients with diabetic foot disease require frequent screening to prevent complications and may be helped through telemedical home monitoring. Within this context, the goal was to determine the validity and reliability of assessing diabetic foot infection using photographic foot imaging and infrared thermography. For 38 patients with diabetes who presented with a foot infection or were admitted to the hospital with a foot-related complication, photographs of the plantar foot surface using a photographic imaging device and temperature data from six plantar regions using an infrared thermometer were obtained. A temperature difference between feet of >2.2 °C defined a "hotspot." Two independent observers assessed each foot for presence of foot infection, both live (using the Perfusion-Extent-Depth-Infection-Sensation classification) and from photographs 2 and 4 weeks later (for presence of erythema and ulcers). Agreement in diagnosis between live assessment and (the combination of ) photographic assessment and temperature recordings was calculated. Diagnosis of infection from photographs was specific (>85%) but not very sensitive ( 90%) but not very specific ( 60%) and specific (>79%). Intra-observer agreement between photographic assessments was good (Cohen's κ=0.77 and 0.52 for both observers). Diagnosis of foot infection in patients with diabetes seems valid and reliable using photographic imaging in combination with infrared thermography. This supports the intended use of these modalities for the home monitoring of high-risk patients with diabetes to facilitate early diagnosis of signs of foot infectio

Telehealth and telemedicine applications for the diabetic foot: A systematic review

The aim of this systematic review is to assess the peer-reviewed literature on the psychometric properties, feasibility, effectiveness, costs, and current limitations of using telehealth and telemedicine approaches for prevention and management of diabetic foot disease. MEDLINE/PubMed was searched for peer-reviewed studies on telehealth and telemedicine approaches for assessing, monitoring, preventing, or treating diabetic foot disease. Four modalities were formulated: dermal thermography, hyperspectral imaging, digital photographic imaging, and audio/video/online communication. Outcome measures were: validity, reliability, feasibility, effectiveness, and costs. Sixty-one studies were eligible for analysis. Three randomized controlled trials showed that handheld infrared dermal thermography as home-monitoring tool is effective in reducing ulcer recurrence risk, while one small trial showed no effect. Hyperspectral imaging has been tested in clinical settings to assess and monitor foot disease and conflicting results on its diagnostic use show that this method is still in an experimental stage. Digital photography is used to assess and monitor foot ulcers and pre-ulcerative lesions and was found to be a valid, reliable, and feasible method for telehealth purposes. Audio/video/online communication is mainly used for foot ulcer monitoring. Two randomized controlled trials show similar healing efficacy compared with regular outpatient clinic visits, but no benefit in costs. In conclusion, several technologies with good psychometric properties are available that may be of benefit in helping to assess, monitor, prevent, or treat diabetic foot disease, but in most cases, feasibility, effectiveness, and cost savings still need to be demonstrated to become accepted and used modalities in diabetic foot care

Mid-Term Outcomes of Chimney Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: To provide an overview of the literature on the mid-term outcomes of chimney EVAR (ChEVAR) for the treatment of juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (JAAA). METHODS: Different electronic databases were searched for published articles up to January 2020. The eligibility criteria were studies describing mid- or long-term outcomes of chimney EVAR (mean follow-up at least 1 year) for treatment of JAAA, including more than 10 cases, published in English, and with full text available. The outcomes measure were overall survival rate, target vessel patency, and freedom from reintervention at 3 years. Quality of the included studies was analyzed using the MINORS criteria. Pooled effect estimates were analyzed using random-effect models and heterogeneity was tested using I2 statistics. RESULTS: Thirteen articles met the inclusion criteria. The included studies described 1,019 patients. According to the quality assessment, methodological quality was moderate to poor. The pooled overall survival, freedom from reintervention, and target vessel patency at 3 year was 81.4 % (95%CI 73.8-87.9), 85.7% (95%CI 75.6-93.5), and 95.1% (95%CI 89.3-98.7) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this review show good to acceptable short and mid-term survival and good mid-term durability, which supports that ChEVAR as a suitable alternative in high-risk JAAA. However, proper patient selection for ChEVAR seems essential to attain good mid-term outcomes, and further large prospective and good quality studies are required to demonstrate its long-term results and enable conclusions on specific determinants for outcome