Hybrid repair of an aberrant right subclavian artery with Kommerell's diverticulum

This publication describes a hybrid endovascular and open\ud surgical approach to treating a large aneurysm of an aberrant right subclavian artery (Kommerell’s diverticulum). A 76-year old man presented with dysphagia lusoria due to a 3.5 x 3.0 cm aneurysm involving an aberrant right subclavian artery. The patient was treated by a thoracic aortic endograft, left subclavian artery debranching (by its transposition to the left common carotid artery) and right subclavian artery revascularisation. This approach avoids the requirement for a thoracotomy or sternotomy needed with open surgical repair. At a 6 months follow-up assessment the aneurysm was shown to be thrombosed with no evidence of endoleak

Association of total white cell count with mortality and major adverse events in patients with peripheral arterial disease: a systematic review

Objectives: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is principally caused by atherosclerosis, an established inflammatory disease. Total white cell count (TWCC) is a marker of inflammation and has been associated with outcomes for patients with inflammatory diseases. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the association of TWCC with mortality and major adverse events (MAEs) in PAD patients.\ud \ud Methods: Studies investigating the association of TWCC with outcome in patients with PAD were identified by a literature search using the Medline and Cochrane databases. To be eligible for inclusion, studies needed to investigate the association of TWCC with mortality or a composite endpoint that included mortality in patients with PAD. Studies were excluded when the primary focus was carotid artery disease, aortic aneurysmal disease, intracranial vascular disease, or rheumatoid arthritis and treatment with chemotherapy or transplantation of stem cells. Secondary searching of reference lists and relevant reviews was performed.\ud \ud Results: Ten studies including 8,490 patients with PAD met the inclusion criteria. All studies investigated more than 100 patients with four studies assessing more than 1,000 patients. Study quality varied with well-established risk factors of outcome such as age, smoking, diabetes, and the ankle brachial index being adjusted for inconsistently. The study populations were also disparate. Few studies reported relative risk and 95% confidence intervals for the association of TWCC with mortality or MAE. TWCC was positively and significantly associated with death alone in four of five studies investigating 3,387 patients. TWCC was positively and significantly associated with MAE in five of six studies investigating a total of 6,846 patients.\ud \ud Conclusions: Current evidence suggests a positive association of TWCC with mortality and MAEs in patients with PAD. Further well-designed prospective studies are required with high-quality analysis and more complete reporting of outcomes.rting of outcomes

Multicentre Covariate Adjustment Analysis of Short-Term and 5-Year Outcomes after Endovascular Repair according to Sex

Background. Several studies have reported worse outcomes in women compared to men after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). This study aimed to evaluate sex-specific short-term and 5-year outcomes after EVAR. Methods. A total of 409 consecutive patients underwent elective EVAR from 2004 to 2017 at two tertiary hospitals in Western Australia. Baseline, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were examined retrospectively according to sex. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality (death within 30 days after EVAR). Secondary outcomes were 30-day composite endpoint, length of stay after EVAR, 5-year survival, freedom from reintervention, residual aneurysm size after EVAR, and major adverse event rate at 5-year follow-up. Results. A cohort of 409 patients, comprising 57 women (14%) and 352 men (86%), was analysed. Female patients were older (median age, 76.8 versus 73.5 years, p=0.017). Male patients were more likely to be past smokers (40.9% versus 22.8%, p=0.005) and have a history of coronary artery bypass grafting (11.2% versus 3.5%, p=0.042) and malignancy (24.1% versus 10.5%, p=0.014). No difference in 30-day mortality or composite endpoints was demonstrated for female patients compared with male patients (3.5% versus 0.3%, p=0.052 and 31.6% versus 27.8%, p=0.562, respectively). The Kaplan–Meier curves demonstrated similar 5-year mortality outcomes amongst male and female patients (p=0.928). Long-term survival analysis adjusting for covariates demonstrated no significant difference in long-term mortality, composite endpoints, and reintervention rate between sexes. Conclusion. This study found no significant differences in 30-day and 5-year outcomes between female and male patients treated with EVAR, implying that EVAR remains a safe treatment choice for female patients

General anaesthesia versus local anaesthesia for carotid surgery (GALA): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial

Background: The effect of carotid endarterectomy in lowering the risk of stroke ipsilateral to severe atherosclerotic carotid-artery stenosis is offset by complications during or soon after surgery. We compared surgery under general anaesthesia with that under local anaesthesia because prediction and avoidance of perioperative strokes might be easier under local anaesthesia than under general anaesthesia. Methods: We undertook a parallel group, multicentre, randomised controlled trial of 3526 patients with symptomatic or asymptomatic carotid stenosis from 95 centres in 24 countries. Participants were randomly assigned to surgery under general (n=1753) or local (n=1773) anaesthesia between June, 1999 and October, 2007. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with stroke (including retinal infarction), myocardial infarction, or death between randomisation and 30 days after surgery. Analysis was by intention to treat. The trial is registered with Current Control Trials number ISRCTN00525237. Findings: A primary outcome occurred in 84 (4·8%) patients assigned to surgery under general anaesthesia and 80 (4·5%) of those assigned to surgery under local anaesthesia; three events per 1000 treated were prevented with local anaesthesia (95% CI -11 to 17; risk ratio [RR] 0·94 [95% CI 0·70 to 1·27]). The two groups did not significantly differ for quality of life, length of hospital stay, or the primary outcome in the prespecified subgroups of age, contralateral carotid occlusion, and baseline surgical risk. Interpretation: We have not shown a definite difference in outcomes between general and local anaesthesia for carotid surgery. The anaesthetist and surgeon, in consultation with the patient, should decide which anaesthetic technique to use on an individual basis. Funding: The Health Foundation (UK) and European Society of Vascular Surgery. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

General anaesthesia versus local anaesthesia for carotid surgery (GALA): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: The effect of carotid endarterectomy in lowering the risk of stroke ipsilateral to severe atherosclerotic carotid-artery stenosis is offset by complications during or soon after surgery. We compared surgery under general anaesthesia with that under local anaesthesia because prediction and avoidance of perioperative strokes might be easier under local anaesthesia than under general anaesthesia. METHODS: We undertook a parallel group, multicentre, randomised controlled trial of 3526 patients with symptomatic or asymptomatic carotid stenosis from 95 centres in 24 countries. Participants were randomly assigned to surgery under general (n=1753) or local (n=1773) anaesthesia between June, 1999 and October, 2007. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with stroke (including retinal infarction), myocardial infarction, or death between randomisation and 30 days after surgery. Analysis was by intention to treat. The trial is registered with Current Control Trials number ISRCTN00525237. FINDINGS: A primary outcome occurred in 84 (4.8%) patients assigned to surgery under general anaesthesia and 80 (4.5%) of those assigned to surgery under local anaesthesia; three events per 1000 treated were prevented with local anaesthesia (95% CI -11 to 17; risk ratio [RR] 0.94 [95% CI 0.70 to 1.27]). The two groups did not significantly differ for quality of life, length of hospital stay, or the primary outcome in the prespecified subgroups of age, contralateral carotid occlusion, and baseline surgical risk. INTERPRETATION: We have not shown a definite difference in outcomes between general and local anaesthesia for carotid surgery. The anaesthetist and surgeon, in consultation with the patient, should decide which anaesthetic technique to use on an individual basis. FUNDING: The Health Foundation (UK) and European Society of Vascular Surgery