Endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic anastomotic pseudoaneurysm. The experience of two centers.

INTRODUCTION: Abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysms are a rare but serious complication of aortic surgery. Treatment with traditional open surgery is associated with a high rate of perioperative mortality and morbidity. Endovascular treatment is less invasive and guarantees lower mortality and morbidity rates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of short-, medium- and long-term endovascular treatment of these pseudoaneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over the past 10 years, 14 patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms, which developed after prior aortic surgery, underwent endovascular treatment involving implantation of an endoprosthesis at our institutions. Exclusion criteria were emerg…

Simultaneous endovascular treatment of multiple peripheral aneurysms

A 69-year-old man with a history of hypertension and severe pulmonary disease had asymptomatic bilateral common iliac and popliteal artery aneurysms. A bifurcated Talent and two Wallgraft stent-grafts were deployed via open femoral arteriotomies to exclude the aneurysms, respectively. The patient had an uncomplicated recovery, with no transfusion need; the hospital stay was 4 days. After a 5-year follow-up, no complication or endoleak has been detected, with patency of endografts and a mean decrease of 15% in aneurysm transverse diameters. Simultaneous endovascular repair should be considered in the treatment of multiple peripheral aneurysms, to avoid sequential conventional or endovascular…

Intraoperative cell salvage in ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms

Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of intraoperative cell salvage (ICS) on the early outcome after open repair (OR) of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA). Methods. This is a retrospective review of 73 consecutive patients who underwent emergency OR of infrarenal rAAA with ICS between 2005 and 2008 (Group I), compared to 51 repairs from 2002-2004 with no ICS (Group II). In addition, a transfusion protocol of platelets and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) administration on admission and during surgery was adopted in patients in Group I to maintain coagulation competence. Results. ICS reduced bank blood demand by 63.6% (from 11 to 4 units, P<0.001) compared to controls, and …

Carotid endarterectomy in heart transplant patients

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical outcome of carotid endarterectomy in heart transplant recipients and morphologic features of atherosclerotic plaques removed during operation. METHODS: Between April 1993 and October 2001 5 heart transplant patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis >70% underwent carotid endarterectomy with regional anesthesia, including a staged bilateral procedure in one patient. Cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol were evaluated in each patient. The plaques ( n=6) underwent histologic analysis after carotid endarterectomy. Carotid artery duplex imaging was added to the routine postoperative evaluation. RESULTS: Carotid pla…

Trattamento delle steno-ostruzioni della biforcazione aorto-iliaca mediante la tecnica "kissing-stents"

Carotid endarterectomy versus stenting in patients with contralateral carotid artery occlusion

Aim. The aim of this prospective study was to compare outcomes after CEA and CAS in patients with contralateral carotid artery occlusion. Methods. Between 2004 and 2009, 527 consecutive patients underwent CEA (N.=281) or CAS (N.=246) for severe stenosis of internal carotid artery (ICA). Of them, 85 (16.1%) were identified with contralateral carotid artery occlusion. CEA was performed in 31(36.4%) patients with contralateral ICA occlusion, and 15 (48.4%) were symptomatic. Intraoperative shunts were placed in 12% versus 41.9% (P<0.001) patients with patent (N.=250) or occluded contralateral ICA (N.=31). Fifty-four (63.5%) patients with contralateral ICA occlusion underwent CAS with distal pro…