Retroaortic left renal vein and inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm

The aim of this study was to report successful surgical management of an inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with a retroaortic left renal vein. The patient, a 78-year-old man, presented with diffuse abdominal pain, fever, and constipation. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed soft tissue surrounding the aneurysm and a left renal vein behind the aorta. Intraoperative findings confirmed the CT images. The patient is alive and well 6 months postoperatively.

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background: Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods: This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, r…

Renewed endovascular repair for recurrent acute abdominal aortic aneurysm

The aim of the study was to describe the successful endovascular management of a patient who was admitted urgently with a second episode of acute abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) 30 months after emergency endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (eEVAR) for a ruptured AAA. The patient, an 84 year-old male physician, presented with severe acute abdominal and back pain. Contrast-enhanced computer tomography scanning showed type III endoleak owing to complete disconnection of both graft limbs and the prosthetic main body. Treatment consisted of acute stent-grafting with two bridging stent-grafts to seal the endoleak and reline the graft. The patient is alive and well 6 months postoperative…

Elective surgery system strengthening: development, measurement, and validation of the surgical preparedness index across 1632 hospitals in 119 countries

© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licenseBackground: The 2015 Lancet Commission on global surgery identified surgery and anaesthesia as indispensable parts of holistic health-care systems. However, COVID-19 exposed the fragility of planned surgical services around the world, which have also been neglected in pandemic recovery planning. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel index to support local elective surgical system strengthening and address growing backlogs. Methods: First, we performed an international consultation through a four-stage consensus process to develop a multidomain index for hospital-level assess…

How should I treat concomitant post-endarterectomy carotid pseudoaneurysm and contralateral symptomatic stenosis?

Background A 74-year-old male patient complaining of crescendo TIAs, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia. Investigation Duplex ultrasound scan MR angiography. Diagnosis Pseudoaneurysm stemming from the ICA. Treatment An open or endovascular procedure for the right pECCA repair, or a left CEA or CAS.

Gluteal Compartment Syndrome Following Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Treatment: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Compartment syndrome (CS) is a pathological increase of the interstitial pressure within the closed osseous fascial compartments. Trauma is the most common cause, followed by embolization, burns, and iatrogenic injuries; it usually involves the limbs. The major issue when dealing with CS is the possibility to do an early diagnosis in order to intervene precociously, through a fasciotomy, reducing the risk of tissue, vascular and nervous damage. Although it is an infrequent condition, it is potentially life threatening. In our case report, we present a 59-year-old patient, smoker, affected by hypertension, dyslipidemia, chronic renal failure, and morbid obesity who came at our attention for …

Symptomatic Deep Femoral Artery Pseudoaneurysm Endovascular Exclusion. Case Report and Literature Review.

Deep femoral artery pseudoaneurysms (DFAPs) are rare and generally occur after penetrating trauma or surgical procedures. A 36-year-old obese man presented with pain in correspondence of the anterior-lateral thigh after 6 months from gunshot wound. Duplex and computed tomography (CT) showed a bilobed right DFAP (maximal diameter 12.9 cm). The patient was managed urgently, under local anesthesia, by placement in the distal DFA of a Viabahn 8 × 100-mm stent graft (W L Gore & Associates, Inc). The postoperative course was uneventful, and the 24-month CT showed regular stent-graft patency and 20-mm DFAP shrinkage. The literature review reported 8 cases of DFAPs; of these 6 were managed by endo…

Basal Cerebral Computed Tomography as Diagnostic Tool to Improve Patient Selection in Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis

One-hundred patients were included to evaluate the role of cerebral computed tomography (CT) to improve patient selection in asymptomatic internal carotid stenosis. Symptomatic patients were assigned to group A, asymptomatic patients to group B. A cerebral CT pattern A was observed in groups A and B in 60% and 20%, respectively ( P < .0001). Between A and B groups, type 6 plaques were found, respectively, in 26.7% and 7.5% of patients ( P = .01); a type 5 in 51.7% and 45% ( P = .32) of patients; and a type 4 in 21.7% and 47.5% of patients, respectively ( P = .006). Within B group, the association of CT pattern A and histological plaque level 4, 5, and 6 was, respectively, 25% ( P = .15)…

Case report of a large cephalic vein aneurysm inducing heart failure in a renal transplant patient with radio-cephalic fistula for haemodialysis

Highlights • The venous aneurysm is one of the most common complications of autologous AVF. • The vein aneurysm should be treat by surgical resection and anastomotic ligature. • AVF shouldn’t be ligated from 1-year kidney transplantation except in some cases. • Surgical ligation to prevent complications could be considered an option.

Endograft connector technique to treat popliteal artery aneurysm in a morbid obese patient.

Surgical repair of popliteal artery aneurysm in morbid obese patients poses additional challenges. We report a morbid obese patient who had a 59 mm right popliteal artery aneurysm which was successfully treated with the endograft connector technique. This technique was used to perform the distal anastomosis of the below-knee femoro-popliteal bypass. A 10 mm Dacron graft was used as a main graft bypass and an 11 mm/10 cm stentgraft as endograft connector. Following the respective tunnel of the Dacron graft, an end-to-side proximal anastomosis was performed at distal femoral artery. The aneurysm exclusion was obtained through a proximal and a distal ligation. Postoperative duplex showed adeq…

Total occlusion of aortic arch in a 62-year-old man presenting with acute myocardial infarction

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Position Paper on Young Vascular Surgeons Training of the Mediterranean Federation for the Advancing of Vascular Surgery (MeFAVS): State of the Art and Perspectives

ABSTRACT The Mediterranean Federation for the Advancing of Vascular Surgery (MeFAVS) was founded in 2018, with the aim to promote cooperation among vascular professionals within Mediterranean countries. Due to its prominent social and economic impact on national health systems, diabetic peripheral artery was selected as the very first topic to be investigated by the federation. In this second paper, different experiences from delegates of participating countries were shared to define common strategies to harmonize, standardize, and optimize education and training in the Vascular Surgery specialty.

Stent-assisted detachable coil embolization of wide-necked renal artery aneurysms

Renal artery aneurysms (RAAs) are rare with an estimated incidence of 0.1% in the general population, and they represent approximately 25% of all visceral aneurysms. The gold standard of treatment is open surgery, but it is associated with a high risk of nephrectomy, mortality, and morbidity. Less invasive endovascular therapies are becoming increasingly common for the treatment of RAAs. Here, we aimed to report three cases of wide-necked complex renal artery aneurysms treated endovascularly using stent-assisted coil embolization with self-expandable stent nitinol Solitaire AB and Concerto Axium coils. In addition, we describe the use of the waffle-cone technique in a case of wide-necked sa…

Endovascular Management of a Giant Celiac Artery Aneurysm

Anastomotic Pseudoaneurysm Complicating Renal Transplantation: Treatment Options

Introduction: Anastomotic pseudoaneurysm following renal transplantation is uncommon. Indications for repair, treatment options and outcomes remain controversial. Report: We present 6 renal transplant recipients with large anastomotic pseudoaneurysms. Five of the patients underwent open repair while one had a stent-grafting and delayed transplant nephrectomy for a ruptured pseudoaneurysm. A transplant nephrectomy was needed in all cases but one. Arterial reconstruction enabled limb salvage in all cases. One patient died of sepsis postoperatively. No patient presented late infection, failure of vascular reconstruction, nor pseudoaneurysm recurrence. Conclusions: Surgical excision of anastomo…

Hybrid Endograft Solution for Complex Iliac Anatomy

The purpose of this study was to evaluate single-center results with selective use of Gore Excluder limbs (W.L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) in a Cook Zenith body (Cook Inc, Bloomington, IN) for elective endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. A prospectively held database for patients with AAA, who were treated endovascularly between March 1999 and July 2008, was queried for patients treated with a Cook Zenith body and one or two Gore Excluder limbs. Indication, technical success, late limb occlusion, and disconnection were evaluated. From 276 patients who were treated with a Zenith body, 29 underwent repair with hybrid graft components with, in total, 41 Gore Exclud…

The SIC-GIRCG 2013 Consensus Conference on Gastric Cancer.

Abstract The topic chosen by the Board of the Italian Society of Surgery for the 2013 annual Consensus Conference was gastric cancer. With this purpose, under the direction of 2 chairmen, 36 experts nominated by the Regional Societies of Surgery and by the Italian Research Group for Gastric Cancer (GIRCG) participated in an experts consensus exercise, preceded by a questionnaire and mainly held by telematic vote, in accordance with the rules of the Delphi method. The results of this Consensus Conference, presented to the 115th National Congress of the Italian Society of Surgery, and approved in plenary session, are reported in the present paper.

Endograft repair of spontaneous infrarenal abdominal aortic dissection

A 71-year-old man with a history of hypertension and a recent myocardial infarction experienced a sudden periumbilical and back pain. Abdominal tenderness was found at physical examination, with no changes in electrocardiogram and serial enzyme determinations. Computed tomographic angiography (CTA) showed a normal thoracic aorta, an infrarenal aortic dissection extending into the left common iliac artery and a contralateral iliac occlusive disease (A, Cover). Although antihypertensive therapy was administered, the patient had persistent pain; subsequently, he underwent endovascular repair with a bifurcated stent graft (Talent, Medtronic Ave, Santa Rosa, Calif) introduced via the left femora…

Late carotid artery stent erosion and pseudoaneurysm after accidental hyperextension of the neck

A 75-year-old man was referred to our unit complaining of a large pulsatile neck mass that appeared 2 days after an accidental fall and hyperextension of the neck. One month earlier, he was submitted to left carotid artery stenting for symptomatic high-grade stenosis. His medical history included diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and a right femoropopliteal bypass for critical limb ischemia. At the time of admission, he was afebrile and had no evidence of local erythema, draining sinus, or leukocytosis. Moreover, C-reactive protein was 1 mg/dL. The clinical examination revealed a large swelling in the region of the left carotid bifurcation and mild dyspnea. Arterial duplex imaging…

SARS-CoV-2 infection and venous thromboembolism after surgery: an international prospective cohort study

SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with an increased rate of venous thromboembolism in critically ill patients. Since surgical patients are already at higher risk of venous thromboembolism than general populations, this study aimed to determine if patients with peri-operative or prior SARS-CoV-2 were at further increased risk of venous thromboembolism. We conducted a planned sub-study and analysis from an international, multicentre, prospective cohort study of elective and emergency patients undergoing surgery during October 2020. Patients from all surgical specialties were included. The primary outcome measure was venous thromboembolism (pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis) within 30 da…

The Endovascular Management of an Iatrogenic Superior Gluteal Artery Rupture Following Bone Marrow Biopsy

We herein report an uncommon case of a life-threatening retroperitoneal hematoma after a bone marrow biopsy. Two hours after iliac crest bone harvesting, the patient experienced syncope and severe hypotension. Urgent contrast-enhanced computed tomography demonstrated extravasation from the superior gluteal artery. Transcatheter coil embolization was performed successfully, without complications. Life-threatening complications caused by retroperitoneal bleeding after bone marrow biopsy are very rare. There are few reports on the use of endovascular treatment in the management of life-threatening hemorrhagic complications after bone marrow biopsy.

A wire-loop technique for implantation of an iliac branched device in a patient with previous surgery for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm

We described a modified technique for implanting a bridging stent-graft into an iliac branched device. A 79-year-old male who had received aortobiiliac synthetic graft surgery for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm six months earlier was admitted to our unit for treatment of a left common iliac aneurysm involving the origin of the hypogastric artery. A standard technique was unsuccessful at implanting the bridging stent-graft, and therefore a wire-loop guidewire over the graft bifurcation was used to stabilize the contralateral sheaths and to complete the implantation. © Turkish Society of Radiology 2012.

Carotid artery stenting with contralateral carotid occlusion in a rare aortic arch configuration

We present the case of a 47-year-old man admitted to our department with an episode of aphasia. Duplex scan showed an occluded right internal carotid artery and severe left internal carotid artery stenosis. Contrast-enhanced computer tomography demonstrated a common trunk for both common carotid arteries anterior to the trachea and aberrant right subclavian artery posterior to the esophagus. The patient was considered to be a high risk for carotid endarterectomy and, consequently, we performed stenting of the left carotid artery. To our knowledge, this is the first case reporting the combination of these two aortic arch anomalies and the concomitant endovascular treatment of atherosclerotic…

Single staged hybrid approach for multilevel aortic-iliac-femoral-popliteal disease

Highlights • Multilevel peripheral arterial disease in diabetic patients is cause of amputation. • Herein we report a case of critic limb ischemia addressed by hybrid procedure. • Hybrid procedure outcomes seem to be as good as with open revascularization. • Hybrid procedure show less morbidity and shorter intensive care and hospital stay.

Chest pain due to late huge coronary pseudoaneurysm following stent implantation

A 50-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of persistent atypical chest pain. His past medical history was remarkable for a non ST elevation myocardial infarction, treated five months previously with PCI on the right coronary artery. Two months later, for chest pain, he underwent coronary angiography that showed a right coronary artery with slight ectasia near the stent. Five months later for the persistence of atypical chest pain he came to our clinic. Chest CT showed a 31.5 mm hematoma of the right coronary artery. Coronary angiography revealed a giant aneurysm, proximal to the stent. In the light of rapid growth of aneurysm, the risk of rupture and symptoms, we decided to tre…

Fenestrated Stent Grafting for Short-necked and Juxtarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Objectives: To present an 8-year clinical experience in the endovascular treatment of short-necked and juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with fenestrated stent grafts. Methods: At our tertiary referral centre, all patients treated with fenestrated and branched stent grafts have been enrolled in an investigational device protocol database. Patients with short-necked or juxtarenal AAA managed with fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (F-EVAR) between November 2001 and April 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients treated at other hospitals under the supervision of the main author were excluded from the study. Patients treated for suprarenal or thoraco-abdominal aneurysms wer…

Late, giant brachial artery aneurysm following hemodialysis fistula ligation in a renal transplant patient: case report and literature review.

Brachial artery aneurysm (BAA) following long-standing arteriovenous fistula ligation after renal transplantation is uncommon. Herein, we describe the case of a 64-year-old man who developed a giant symptomatic BAA 21 years after ligation of the fistula. He was submitted to surgical excision of the aneurysm followed by interposition prosthetic graft.

Endovascular treatment of spontaneous isolated abdominal aortic dissection

Isolated abdominal aortic dissection is a rare clinical disease representing only 1.3% of all dissections. There are a few case series reported in the literature. The causes of this pathology can be spontaneous, iatrogenic, or traumatic. Most patients are asymptomatic and symptoms are usually abdominal or back pain, while claudication and lower limb ischemia are rare. Surgical and endovascular treatment are two valid options with acceptable results. We herein describe nine cases of symptomatic spontaneous isolated abdominal aortic dissection, out of which four successfully were treated with an endovascular approach between July 2003 and July 2013. All patients were men, smokers, symptomati…

Altered expression of inflammation-related genes in human carotid atherosclerotic plaques.

Abstract Objective Inflammation is a pivotal process in atherosclerosis development and progression, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely obscure. We have conducted an extensive expression study of atherosclerotic plaques to identify the inflammatory pathways involved in atherosclerosis. Methods We studied 11 human carotid plaques, their respective adjacent regions and 7 control arteries from different subjects. Expression of 92 genes was studied by TaqMan low-density array human inflammation panel. Human aortic endothelial and smooth muscle cells were used for in vitro experiments. Results The mRNA levels of 44/92 genes (48%) differed significantly between the tissues exa…

Contrast-induced Nephropathy after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Simple Lesions: Risk Factors and Incidence are Affected by the Definition Utilized

Aim To compare the incidence, and risk factors, in-hospital and at the 18-month prognosis of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) according to the definition utilized: as an increase in serum creatinine (Scr) ≥0.5 mg/dL (CIN 1) or as an increase in Scr ≥25% above baseline values (CIN 2). Methods and Results We prospectively evaluated CIN according to two different definitions in 150 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in simple lesions employing a low-medium dose of contrast media. Incidence of CIN was higher using the CIN 2 definition than CIN 1 (9.3% vs. 4%; p=0.0133). Patients with CIN 1 had a higher incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (66.7% vs. 13.9%; p=…

High-energy devices in different surgical settings: lessons learnt from a full health technology assessment report developed by SICE (Società Italiana di Chirurgia Endoscopica)

Background The present paper aims at evaluating the potential benefits of high-energy devices (HEDs) in the Italian surgical practice, defining the comparative efficacy and safety profiles, as well as the potential economic and organizational advantages for hospitals and patients, with respect to standard monopolar or bipolar devices. Methods A Health Technology Assessment was conducted in 2021 assuming the hospital perspective, comparing HEDs and standard monopolar/bipolar devices, within eleven surgical settings: appendectomy, hepatic resections, colorectal resections, cholecystectomy, splenectomy, hemorrhoidectomy, thyroidectomy, esophago-gastrectomy, breast surgery, adrenalectomy, and p…

Embolization of a Symptomatic Pseudoaneurysm Developing after Transplant Nephrectomy

Managing Peripheral Artery Disease in Diabetic Patients: A Questionnaire Survey from Vascular Centers of the Mediterranean Federation for the Advancing of Vascular Surgery (MeFAVS)

Background The Mediterranean Federation for the Advancing of Vascular Surgery (MeFAVS) was founded on October 1, 2018, to enhance cooperation among vascular professionals within Mediterranean countries. Due to its prominent social and economic impact on national health systems, diabetic arteriopathy has been selected as the very first topic to be investigated by the federation. Methods MeFAVS members were asked to reply to a questionnaire on the management of diabetic ischemic foot. Results were collected and analyzed statistically. The questionnaire consisted of 15 multiple choice answers regarding diabetic foot (DF) diagnosis and treatment. The questionnaire was submitted to 21 centers on…

Endovascular versus open surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm with concomitant malignancy

Background The management of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and concurrent malignancy is controversial. This study retrospectively assessed the outcome of endovascular repair (EVAR) and open repair (OR) for the treatment of AAA in patients undergoing curative treatment for concomitant malignancies. Methods All patients who underwent surgery for a nonruptured infrarenal AAA of ≥5.5 cm and concomitant malignancy between 1997 and 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. Results Identified were 25 patients (22 men; mean age, 70.3 years) with nonruptured infrarenal AAA of ≥5.5 cm (mean size, 6.4 cm) and concomitant malignancy amenable for curative treatment. EVAR was used to treat 11 p…

Ureteroiliac Artery Fistula in a Young Woman with Short Bowel Syndrome for Radiation Enteritis

Ureteral-iliac artery fistula is a rare and potentially life-threatening complication, typically occurring after radiation therapy in already surgically treated cancer patients. This case report describes the diagnostic challenges and the successful management, with the positioning of an intra-arterial prosthesis, of a fistula between the internal iliac artery and the left ureter presenting as massive hematuria in a young woman with history of total colectomy and pelvic radiotherapy for rectal cancer and subsequent wide ileal resections and bilateral ureteral stent positioning for radiation enteritis. Ureteroiliac artery fistulas require a prompt diagnosis and intervention, to avoid life th…

Decreased Paraoxonase-2 Expression in Human Carotids During the Progression of Atherosclerosis

Objective— Many gene products involved in oxidation and inflammation are implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We investigated paraoxonase 2 (PON2), 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), and 5-LO activating protein (FLAP) expression and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in carotid lesions to assess their involvement in plaque formation. Methods and Results— We measured gene expression and MDA levels in atherosclerotic plaques from 59 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy, and in plaque-adjacent tissue from 41/59 patients. Twenty-three fetal carotids and 6 mammary arteries were also investigated. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry revealed decreased PON2 expression i…

Single-centre experience and preliminary Results of intravascular ultrasound in endovascular aneurysm repair

Background Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has been introduced as diagnostic adjunct to provide new insights into the diagnosis and therapy of vascular disease. Herein, we compared the outcomes of conventional endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and EVAR with IVUS in patients presenting with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm using a propensity-matched cohort. Methods From May 2013 to August 2017, 221 patients were retrospectively analyzed. Of that, 122 patients were eligible for inclusion and underwent propensity score matching. Perioperative mortality and morbidity, renal function impairment, endoleak incidence, mean contrast medium usage, operative time, radiation exposure (including f…