Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to evaluate the duplex results of endovenous laser ablation in the treatment of incompetent great saphenous veins (GSV) and small saphenous veins (SSV) with at least 1-year follow-up. METHODS: A retrospective registry was entered by 11 centers from Europe and America, organized by the International Endovenous Laser Working Group. Data concerning 1,020 limbs in patients with incompetence of the GSV and/or SSV, treated with the Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA) procedure, were collected. EVLA failures were defined on duplex imaging as reflux confined to the saphenofemoral or saphenopopliteal junction, reflux confined to the main saphenous trunk, or reflux of both junction and main trunk (totally patent saphenous vein) were analyzed at one or more years postoperatively. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 54 +/- 5 years (range: 18-91 years). The average body mass index was 25. There was a paucity of severe complications: One case of third-degree skin burn, six patients with postsurgical deep vein thrombosis (0.6%), and 27 cases of sensory nerve damage (2.7%). At 1-year, the rate of complete occlusion of the saphenous trunk was 93.1%. There were 79 cases of treatment failures as evidenced by duplex: 22 isolated junction failures (2.2%), 44 isolated trunk failures (4.4%), and 13 totally patent veins (1.3%). Two-year duplex results were reported for 329 limbs with the identification of 19 new cases of failure. No new cases of failure were reported at 3-year follow-up of 130 limbs. Cumulative failure rates estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis were 7.7% at 1-year and 13.1% at 2- and 3-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of a duplex scan performed at least 1-year post-treatment, this multicenter registry confirms the safety and efficacy of the EVLA procedure in the treatment of GSV and SSV reflux. Considering the continued failure rate documented in the present study, an annual follow-up by duplex is recommended to 2 years after EVLA

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) remains a viable option for treating carotid artery lesions in high surgical risk patients. We retrospectively reviewed our experience in performing CAS in patients with complex aortic arch anatomy. The ''coronary technique'' uses an AL1 guiding catheter to engage the origin of the common carotid artery permitting delivery of protection device and stent. In total, 12 patients had complex arch anatomy which precluded access using the standard technique as determined on preoperative imaging. A total of 8 patients with such anatomy underwent femoral artery catheterization with placement of an Amplatz AL1 guide catheter into the common carotid artery. All were able to be successfully treated, with no dissection, neurovascular deficit, or other major complication. Based on this case series, we describe the coronary technique as a safe and viable method for CAS in the setting of complex anatomy which might otherwise preclude CAS

Endovascular repair is becoming the mainstay of treatment for aneurysmal disease of the abdominal and thoracic aorta. Access related issues comprise a major reason for failure or conversion to open repair and can contribute to a significant amount of morbidity and mortality. This article will discuss a multitude of access related complications and their treatment. Preoperative imaging is paramount to the success of endovascular procedures. Intraoperative adjuncts, such as iliac artery angioplasty/stenting, the 'pull-down' technique, and aorto mono iliac/femoral systems will be discussed. Occasionally, challenging iliac or femoral anatomy may preclude access through these vessels and the endovascular specialist may need to gain direct access through the aorta or via the carotid artery. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of an entirely percutaneous technique will be discussed. Finally, peri-operative complications such as rupture, dissection, pseudoaneurysm and infection will be discussed and various treatment modalities reviewed. As stent graft technology and our own skill sets and experience continue to improve, fewer patients will be refused an endovascular repair based on access issues alone

BACKGROUND: Atypical claudication is a relatively uncommon problem within the general population. However, suspicion for the diagnosis is raised when young and athletic patients present with symptoms of claudication during exercise. The most common causes of atypical claudication are anatomical variants, including popliteal artery entrapment syndrome and tarsal tunnel syndrome. These variants result in impaired arterial flow and nerve compression, respectively. In this report, we present a seminal case of dorsalis pedis artery entrapment by the extensor hallucis brevis tendon during active dorsiflexion of the foot. METHODS: The patient was a 42-year-old male without significant past medical history, who presented with claudication in both feet upon active dorsiflexion. He underwent dynamic arterial duplex studies that first revealed normal flow in the neutral position and then revealed complete cessation of flow in both duplex and Doppler modes on dorsiflexion of the foot. He also underwent dynamic magnetic resonance angiography of bilateral lower extremities that revealed an incomplete pedal arch with early termination of the posterior tibial artery on static images and termination of the dorsalis pedis artery at notching on the dorsum of the foot during dorsiflexion. The patient was taken to the operating room for bilateral dorsalis pedis artery exploration. During exploration, the patient was found to have entrapment of the dorsalis pedis artery by the extensor hallucis brevis (EHB) tendon. This was documented by both direct visualization and intraoperative cessation of Doppler signal on dorsiflexion. Since the EHB tendon provides only secondary function to the extensor hallucis longus (EHL) tendon, the EHB was transected near its insertion and transposed directly to the EHL tendon. This allowed for normal extensor function of the great toe and restored triphasic Doppler signals during dorsiflexion. CONCLUSION: Dorsalis pedis arterial entrapment is a novel cause of atypical claudication. It is extremely uncommon as patients must have both abnormal anatomy and an incomplete pedal arch to display symptoms. Similar to other entrapment syndromes, if identified before permanent arterial scarring, the treatment does not require a bypass procedure. Removal of the tendon along with transposition will allow cessation of symptoms without impaired dorsiflexion of the great toe

OBJECTIVES: Inadvertent subclavian artery catheterization during attempted central venous access is a well-known complication. Historically, these patients are managed with an open operative approach and repair under direct vision via an infraclavicular and/or supraclavicular incision. We describe our experience and technique for endovascular management of these injuries. METHODS: Twenty patients were identified with inadvertent iatrogenic subclavian artery cannulation. All cases were managed via an endovascular technique under local anesthesia. After correcting any coagulopathy, a 4-French glide catheter was percutaneously inserted into the ipsilateral brachial artery and placed in the proximal subclavian artery. Following an arteriogram and localization of the subclavian arterial insertion site, the subclavian catheter was removed and bimanual compression was performed on both sides of the clavicle around the puncture site for 20min. A second angiogram was performed, and if there was any extravasation, pressure was held for an additional 20min. If hemostasis was still not obtained, a stent graft was placed via the brachial access site to repair the arterial defect and control the bleeding. RESULTS: Two of the 20 patients required a stent graft for continued bleeding after compression. Both patients were well excluded after endovascular graft placement. Hemostasis was successfully obtained with bimanual compression over the puncture site in the remaining 18 patients. There were no resultant complications at either the subclavian or the brachial puncture site. DISCUSSION: This minimally invasive endovascular approach to iatrogenic subclavian artery injury is a safe alternative to blind removal with manual compression or direct open repair

Acute mesenteric ischemia is caused by a critical reduction in intestinal blood flow that frequently results in bowel necrosis and is associated with a high mortality. Clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion because a prompt diagnosis and early aggressive treatment before the onset of bowel infarction results in reduced mortality. Medical management includes aggressive rehydration and the use of antibiotics, anticoagulation, vasodilators, and inhibitors of reperfusion injury. If acute mesenteric ischemia is suspected, early angiography is imperative, as it permits accurate diagnosis and possible therapeutic intervention. Therapeutic options during angiography depend on the cause of ischemia and include administering intra-arterial vasodilators and/or thrombolytic agents and angioplasty with or without stent placement. If interventional techniques are not possible or if the patient presents with suspicion of bowel infarction, surgery is warranted. Surgical techniques include superior mesenteric artery embolectomy or visceral artery bypass, which should be used before bowel resection to ensure only resection of nonviable bowel

Splenectomy remains the most commonly performed abdominal operation for trauma. Although the vast majority of these patients (pts) are young and healthy, histologic evaluation is still routinely performed. We propose that routine histologic sampling of an injured yet otherwise grossly normal spleen is unnecessary. A retrospective review of 100 consecutive pathologic specimens of pts undergoing splenectomy for trauma at a Level I trauma center was performed during a 25-month period. Data are reported as mean +/- SD. Average age was 34.4 +/- 15.1 years. There were 78 men and 22 women. Average injury severity score was 28.3 +/- 12.9. The most common mechanisms of injury were motor vehicle collisions (56%) and motorcycle collisions (15%). Average length of stay was 17.4 +/- 19 days. Microscopic pathologic findings returned as benign with no evidence for neoplasia in 99 of 100 specimens. Mean specimen weight was 184.6 +/- 188.7 g. Only one spleen, which appeared grossly abnormal and weighed 1,800 g, had abnormal histology demonstrating extramedullary hematopoiesis. This pt died before further workup. Our review suggests that the routine microscopic evaluation of spleens removed after traumatic injury, as is currently the standard of care at our institution, is unnecessary. Such examination should only be performed in cases of marked splenomegaly or in spleens that appear grossly abnormal

OPINION STATEMENT: Acute mesenteric ischemia is caused by a critical reduction in intestinal blood flow that frequently results in bowel necrosis and is associated with a high mortality. Clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion because a prompt diagnosis and early aggressive treatment before the onset of bowel infarction results in reduced mortality. Medical management includes aggressive rehydration and the use of antibiotics, anticoagulation, vasodilators, and inhibitors of reperfusion injury. If acute mesenteric ischemia is suspected, early angiography is imperative, as it permits accurate diagnosis and possible therapeutic intervention. Therapeutic options during angiography depend on the cause of ischemia and include administering intra-arterial vasodilators and/or thrombolytic agents and angioplasty with or without stent placement. If interventional techniques are not possible or if the patient presents with suspicion of bowel infarction, surgery is warranted. Surgical techniques include superior mesenteric artery embolectomy or visceral artery bypass, which should be used before bowel resection to ensure only resection of nonviable bowel.