Simultaneous surgical intervention to coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease and superior mesenteric artery stenosis.

A patient, suffering from angina pectoris, claudicatio intermittens and postprandial abdominal pain underwent coronary and peripheral arteriographic examination; coronary arterial disease and aortoiliac occlusive disease was diagnosed. Color Doppler ultrasonography revealed superior mesenteric artery stenosis. CABG with MIDCAB (minimal invasive direct coronary artery bypass) technique was performed together with aortabifemoral graft interposition and graft bypass to superior mesenteric artery and considerable success was obtained.     

Early superior mesenteric artery revascularization for acute type A aortic dissection with cardiac tamponade and mesenteric malperfusion

We report herein the successful treatment of a case of acute type A aortic dissection complicated by cardiac tamponade and mesenteric malperfusion. The patient was a 60-year-old man with back and abdominal pain and in shock, who was transported to our hospital 2 h after symptom onset. Computed tomography revealed DeBakey type I dissection with massive hemopericardium and obstruction of both the celiac artery and superior mesenteric artery. After emergency pericardiotomy and removal of the hematoma, superior mesenteric artery-external iliac artery bypass was constructed with a vein graft, and this restored mesenteric perfusion. Open distal hemiarch replacement was then performed. The postoperative course was uneventful. Superior mesenteric artery revascularization achieved immediately after release of the cardiac tamponade prevented further mesenteric ischemia and paved the way for the aortic repair.     

Revascularization with the branched graft in middle aortic syndrome

A case of middle aortic syndrome which was thought to be the thoracoabdominal type of Takayasu's disease was successfully treated with the branched graft bypass. Patient was a 23 year-old woman with hypertension and abdominal pain. The preoperative angiography revealed aortic stenosis from the celiac axis to the left renal artery. The operative procedures were as follows; patient was positioned in supine with her left shoulder and arm raised. Eighth intercostal thoracotomy and midline laparotomy was performed with the thoracoabdominal incision. The branched graft was made previously with woven Dacron (phi 18 mm) and three EPTFEs (phi 8mm). The woven Dacron of the graft was used for the bypass from the descending thoracic aorta to the infrarenal abdominal aorta, and the branched EPTFEs of the graft were used for the bypasses to the common hepatic artery, the superior mesenteric artery and the right renal artery in this order. The bypasses were placed along the anatomical courses in the retroperitoneal space. Postoperatively, the blood pressure dropped and the abdominal pain disappeared. The plasma renin activity decreased and the renal function improved. Two months after operation the bypasses were patent by the angiography and now six months after operation she has returned to her social life healthily. The approach to the aorta and its abdominal branches by thoracotomy and laparotomy and bypass with the three branched graft was useful for middle aortic syndrome.     

A Ruptured Pancreaticoduodenal Artery Aneurysm Repaired by Combined Endovascular and Open Techniques

Aneurysms of the pancreaticoduodenal arteries (PDA) are rare, accounting for <2% of all visceral aneurysms. An association with celiac artery stenosis has been reported. Many present with rupture, and a high mortality can be expected. Treatment is therefore challenging. Arterial ligation, anuerysmectomy, or bypass has been the mainstay of treatment. We recently treated a patient (who had no celiac axis) with a ruptured PDA aneurysm with combined open and endovascular techniques. A 46-year-old man was transferred to our hospital with a 1-day history of abdominal pain and syncope. On admission, an abdominal and pelvis computerized tomographic (CT) scan identified a large mesenteric hematoma, a 1.9 cm PDA aneurysm, and an occluded celiac axis. Mesenteric angiography revealed no active aneurysm leak and a stenotic superior mesenteric artery (SMA) origin. All hepatic blood flow originated from the stenotic SMA via markedly enlarged PDA collaterals. The patient was brought to the operating room, where absence of the celiac axis was confirmed. An aorto-to-proper hepatic and SMA bypass was performed using a bifurcated polyester graft. The next day, the patient was brought to the angiography suite, where the PDA aneurysm was coiled. Postprocedure CT scans confirmed thrombosis of the aneurysm. Ruptured mesenteric artery aneurysms are a challenging problem for the vascular surgeon. PDA aneurysms are rare and often occur in an unfavorable location. There appears to be an association with anatomic anomalies of the mesenteric circulation. Prompt invasive and noninvasive diagnostic studies aid in the definitive management of this often fatal problem. Combined endovascular and open techniques can be used for successful treatment.     

Massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to a ruptured superior mesenteric artery aneurysm duodenum fistula

This case report describes sudden massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to a ruptured superior mesenteric artery aneurysm-duodenal fistula following mitral and aortic valvular replacement surgery due to infectious endocarditis. The superior mesenteric artery false aneurysm was diagnosed by computed tomography scanning. The intraoperative findings included a rupture at the trunk of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and a perforation on the anterior wall of the third portion of the duodenum. The patient was treated by emergency surgery, which consisted of an interposition repair of the SMA with a saphenous vein graft for the superior mesenteric artery and a duodenojejunal Roux-en-Y anastomosis for the perforation of the duodenum. At 30-months follow-up, the patient is alive and well with no abdominal pain and eating a regular diet.     

Duodenal ulcer penetration into the superior mesenteric artery after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent placement for acute mesenteric ischemia: report of a case

A 78-year-old male presented with the chief complaints of abdominal pain and vomiting. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography and abdominal angiography showed occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery due to thrombosis, and emergency percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent placement were carried out. Two months later, stent thrombosis developed, and a second stent was placed. Eight months later, he complained of general fatigue and anorexia. Gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a duodenal ulcer at the third portion close to the superior mesenteric artery. Thirteen days after conservative management, duodenal ulcer penetration into the superior mesenteric artery with subsequent air embolism developed, and the patient died of multiple organ failure.     

Non-obstructive mesenteric ischemia: a potentially lethal complication after cardiovascular surgery: report of two cases

We report two cases of non-obstructive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI), a rare but potentially lethal complication after cardiovascular surgery, which was successfully managed. In both cases (a 74-year-old chronic hemodialysis patient who underwent emergency aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), and a 74-year-old patient who underwent emergency abdominal aortic aneurysm operation), NOMI occurred early postoperatively (on day 8 and 22, respectively). They suffered from severe abdominal pain, confusion, and metabolic acidosis. Contrast-enhanced multi-detector CT (MDCT) scan and subsequent selective mesenteric angiography revealed characteristic signs of NOMI, for which selective papaverine infusion through the angiography catheter was performed. It was effective in both cases to halt progressive bowel ischemia and bided our time to perform a hemicolectomy of the necrotic segment. Contrast-enhanced MDCT scan and subsequent selective angiography are vital for diagnosis. If the condition does not improve after selective papaverine infusion, exploratory laparotomy and resection of necrotic intestinal segment should be performed immediately.     

Celiac axis, superior mesenteric artery, and inferior mesenteric artery occlusion: surgical considerations.

Occlusion of the celiac, superior mesenteric, and inferior mesenteric artery has been studied in 46 patients treated by operation. The condition was acute and was caused by embolic obstruction of the superior mesenteric artery in four cardiac patients and detachment of the inferior mesenteric artery in two patients during removal of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms. The condition was chronic and involved two or all three of the vessels in 40 patient. Embolic obstruction caused severe abdominal pain but few physical signs early in the process,, but the picture of an acute abdomen indicating bowel gangrene developed in a few hours. Ischemia from inferior mesenteric detachment was observed at operation. Patients with chronic obstruction had abdominal pain, weight loss, and diarrhea. Patients with embolic obstruction were treated successfully by embolectomy, and patients developing intraoperative sigmoid ischemia were treated by reattachment of inferior mesenteric arteries to aortic graft. Various procedures were employed in patients with chronic multiple obstruction. However, graft bypass using Dacron tubing was preferable because of its simplicity and because the frequently (48%) associated occlusive disease and aneurysm of the distal aorta were treated at the same time. Confining operation to the abdomen significantly reduced the magnitude of operation and eliminated risks in this age group. Of the 46 patients, 91% survived and were relieved of their symptoms despite associated disease. The 5-year survival rate in this group of patients was 62%.     

Angiographic demonstration of mesenteric arterial changes in postcoarctectomy syndrome

A 32-year-old man developed abdominal pain and the paradoxical hypertension after aortic coarctation repair. Abdominal angiography revealed widespread changes of the branches of the superior mesenteric artery and the celiac axis. After the conservative treatment, both the abdominal pain and the angiographic changes disappeared.     

Endovascular treatment of isolated spontaneous celiac artery dissection

This report presents the case of a patient with isolated spontaneous celiac artery dissection. The patient developed acute abdominal pain that was induced by eating. Computed tomography and selective angiography revealed an intimal flap that separated the true and false lumens located 3 cm from the origin of the celiac artery. We treated the patient with a stent that was deployed endovascularly into the celiac artery to seal the entry site. Postoperative angiography revealed that the graft was patent and the follow-up period was uneventful. The etiology, clinical features, diagnostic modalities and treatment options of isolated spontaneous celiac artery dissection are reported.     

Successful treatment of pseudoaneurysms of celiac and superior mesenteric arteries by combined endovascular and surgical approach

Pseudoaneurysm after pancreas resection poses serious complications, including rupture and hemorrhage. Here we report a case of delayed massive hemorrhage from celiac and superior mesenteric arteries, which was successfully treated with a combined endovascular and surgical approach. The patient was a 52-year-old man who presented with pseudoaneurysms of the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries after distal pancreatectomy. Following the detection of sentinel bleeding from the abdominal drain, emergency angiography of the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries revealed stenosis of the celiac artery and pseudoaneurysms in the superior mesenteric artery. We occluded these lesions with a platinum coil, using an interventional radiological technique combined with bypass grafting between the abdominal aorta and the SMA, using the saphenous vein. However, re-bleeding into the abdominal cavity occurred from the proximal SMA pseudoaneurysm. We inserted an endoluminal stent-graft into the abdominal aorta and completed bypass grafting between the aorta and bilateral renal arteries. The hemorrhage ceased and the postoperative course was uneventful. The patient was discharged 34 days after the treatment (149 days after the initial operation). In conclusion, this combined endovascular and surgical approach is feasible and seems appropriate for pseudoaneurysms arising from proximal sites in visceral arteries.     

Preoperative evaluation of the right gastroepiploic artery using abdominal ultrasonography

Preoperative evaluation of the right gastroepiploic artery was performed by abdominal ultrasonography to determine whether the graft was adequate for coronary artery bypass. The gastroepiploic artery was used when the graft diameter was greater than 2 mm with pulsatile flow. Postoperative angiography revealed the gastroepiploic artery dominant, and the graft diameter measured by angiography was almost the same size as that of abdominal ultrasonography. The right gastroepiploic artery (GEA) has been an important arterial graft in coronary revascularization, and the opportunities to use this artery as the in situ or free graft have been increasing lately. However we sometimes experience cases in which the GEA is not suitable for the graft because the diameter is not large enough to anastomose or the blood flow is poor. The aim of this study was to evaluate the graftability of the GEA using abdominal ultrasonography preoperatively.     

Aortoceliac Artery Bypass Using an Anastomosis Device with a Saphenous Vein Graft from the Supraceliac Aorta

We describe the clinical experience of application of an aortic anastomotic device for aortoceliac artery bypass with a saphenous vein graft from the supraceliac aorta.A 53-year-old female with celiac artery occlusion and multiple superior pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysms had an aortoceliac artery bypass surgery using the aortic anastomosis device. Coil embolization of the aneurysms was performed via the superior mesenteric artery. The postoperative angiogram revealed good graft patency and complete aneurysm embolization. This device can be considered for application in various anastomotic situations.     

Distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer with vascular anomaly after coronary bypass grafting using the right gastroepiploic artery

A 77-year-old woman with a history of coronary artery bypass grafting 5 years earlier presented with anemia and was diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer involving the pylorus. Preoperative angiography revealed that the right gastroepiploic artery (RGEA) graft was patent. Multidetector-row computed tomography showed the running pattern of the RGEA graft and also revealed a vascular anomaly belonging to type V of Adachi's classification. Adachi's type V is a rare vascular anomaly in which the common hepatic artery originates from the superior mesenteric artery. The patient was treated successfully with a distal gastrectomy and removal of the D2 lymph node with preservation of the RGEA graft. Because of the difficulty in confirming the running pattern of the artery during the surgery, it is important to define the arterial running pattern preoperatively by using multidetector-row computed tomography, including 3-dimensional angiographic imaging.     

A case of ruptured aneurysm of the thoraco-abdominal aorta associated with Beh?et's disease

A 41-year-old male with incomplete type of Beh?et's disease was operated on because of ruptured aneurysm of the thoraco-abdominal aorta. A saccular pseudoaneurysm developed by rupture of the aortic wall involved the left postero-lateral portion of the supra-renal abdominal aorta. The defect in the aneurysm was closed using Dacron patch. The post-operative course was uneventful. However, seven months after discharge, the patient developed severe back pain at midnight, and was referred to our institution. On physical examination, a pulsatile mass was found in the right epigastric area. CT and DSA showed saccular pseudoaneurysm at the patch anastomotic site. Extra-anatomic long bypass grafting was performed from the ascending aorta to the infra-renal abdominal aorta. The abdominal aorta was occluded just below the diaphragm and the supra-renal portion of the aorta. Reconstruction of coeliac artery and superior mesenteric artery was made using branch grafts attached to the long graft. Surgical treatment of the complicated Beh?et's disease should include extra-anatomic bypass, especially in the re-operative cases of ruptured aneurysm of the aorta.     

Technical consideration in the management of chronic mesenteric ischemia

Our aging population may result in a rise in the prevalence of chronic mesenteric ischemia. This report reviews our contemporary experience with a tailored surgical approach to chronic mesenteric ischemia. The medical records of 17 patients operated on for chronic mesenteric ischemia were retrospectively reviewed. Symptom-free survival and long-term patency documented by duplex scanning when available were also analyzed. Sixteen patients ranging in age from 32 to 80 years were included in the study. Seventy-five per cent of the patients were female. The most common preoperative complaints were postprandial abdominal pain and weight loss. Revascularization was tailored to the arterial anatomy and included bypass to the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) alone (eight), bypass to the celiac artery and SMA (six), SMA reimplantation onto the aorta (one), SMA/inferior mesenteric artery reimplantation (one), and transaortic endarterectomy of the celiac artery/SMA (one). Bypass conduits included Dacron (eight), saphenous vein (four), and polytetrafluoroethylene (two). Bypass grafts originated from the supraceliac aorta in 12 patients; the remaining bypass originated from the left limb of an aortofemoral graft. There was one perioperative death (mortality 5.6%). Follow-up duplex scans at a mean of 34 months (range 1-114) showed no graft thromboses. We conclude that a variety of surgical techniques can provide durable relief of mesenteric ischemia. A tailored approach to revascularization optimizes patency and provides long-term symptom-free survival.     

Antegrade aortomesenteric revascularisation originating from the supracoeliac aortic segment--a promising surgical option in chronic ischaemia of the visceral arteries

INTRODUCTION: Ischaemia of the visceral arteries is considered to be an extraordinary challenge in the interdisciplinary therapeutic management. AIM AND METHOD: Using a case series of patients with chronic ischaemia of the visceral arteries, our diagnostic and therapeutic experience was analysed with regard to postoperative quality of life (increase of body weight, frequency in daily diarrhoea), perioperative morbidity and hospital mortality in dependence on the type of surgical reconstruction of the visceral arteries. RESULTS: During a time period of 2 years, 3 patients (male/female=1:2; mean age, 61.7 years) underwent surgical interventions on the visceral arteries from a total of 1118 vascular interventions (main indication revealed by colonoscopy and pathohistology of mucosal biopsy: ischaemic colitis). In all cases, symptomatology was affected by abdominal angina. Duplex sonography, angiography, and multislice CT scan revealed the combination of an occlusion of the coeliac trunk and of the superior mesenteric artery by atherosclerosis in 2 cases. In the remaining case, there was an isolated occlusion at the origin of the superior mesenteric artery. For revascularisation, the aortomesenteric reconstruction was subdivided according to the: i) target vessel: -combination of revascularised common hepatic artery and superior mesenteric artery (n=1) with an autologous Y-vein bypass ("reversed technique"), -exclusive revascularisation of the superior mesenteric artery (n=2)-prosthetic bypass; ii) origin of the bypass: -from the supracoeliac aortic segment (antegrade) n=3 (primarily in patients 1 and 3; as a redo operation in patient 2); -from the infrarenal segment (retrograde) n=1 (initial surgical intervention in patient 2) using an autologous venous bypass. In all cases, a significant improvement of the quality of life was observed as indicated by an increase of body weight (n=3; +no further abdominal angina) and primary wound healing in all 3 cases (hospital mortality, 0). CONCLUSION: Chronic ischaemia of the visceral arteries is characterised by an increasing incidence and a stealthy onset and requires an interdisciplinary approach to find the correct diagnosis using all available diagnostic procedures including sufficient periodic follow-up investigations. We favour the antegrade aortomesenteric revascularisation from the supracoeliac aortic segment as a promising surgical option in chronic ischaemia of visceral arteries.     

Endovascular management of superior mesenteric artery pseudoaneurysm

A 31-year-old man underwent a Whipple procedure for a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, which consists of a pancreaticoduodenectomy and reconstruction to restore intestinal continuity. Six weeks after the operation, he presented with severe mid-epigastric pain radiating to his back. Imaging studies revealed a large pseudoaneurysm arising from the superior mesenteric artery. Selective superior mesenteric angiography confirmed the presence of the pseudoaneurysm. A 6 mm × 2.5 cm stent graft (Viabhan; W.L. Gore, Flagstaff, Ariz) was deployed across the pseudoaneurysm origin with preservation of the mesenteric branches. The patient had immediate resolution of symptoms and follow-up imaging showed patency of the stent graft and exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm.     

An ex-situ arterial reconstruction for the treatment of an infected suprarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm involving visceral vessels

A 66-year-old man, who had complaints of back pain, high fever, and constipation, with a suprarenal infected abdominal aortic aneurysm involving visceral vessels, was successfully treated by an ex situ arterial reconstruction. Blood culture revealed bacteroides melaninogenicus. After establishing a temporary bypass from right axillary to right external iliac artery, both renal arteries--superior mesenteric artery and common hepatic artery--were preliminary bypassed from external iliac arteries. Then aortic trunk reconstruction was performed with the body twisting left side to separate the graft from the infected field. The patient had good recovery and no evidence of recurrent infection 31 months after the operation.     

Celiac territory ischemic syndrome in a patient on chronic hemodialysis

Mesenteric ischemia among chronic dialysis patients is usually of the nonocclusive type. Chronic occlusive mesenteric ischemia has been reported rarely in the dialysis population. The subset of"celiac-territory ischemic syndrome" has not been described in dialysis. The current report involves a 66-year-old female on chronic dialysis for 11 years. She experienced abdominal pain following sessions of hemodialysis, that later became more pronounced after eating. Abdominal angiography showed heavily calcified aorta, celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery (SMA), with a 50% narrowing of the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries. During the following 9 months the symptoms worsened and weight loss set in. She was admitted with an episode of upper abdominal pain. Acalculous cholecystitis was found, along with multiple gastric and duodenal erosions including the second part, with an antral ulcer and multiple duodenal bulb ulcers. Repeated abdominal angiography showed progression of the stenotic lesions with significant narrowing of both the celiac trunk and the SMA. A stent was placed in the SMA. Following the procedure, the patient noted marked symptomatic improvement. On follow-up gastroduodenoscopy, all ischemic ulcers had healed completely. Serum albumin rose from a nadir of 31 to 40 g/l, and an extremely elevated c-reactive protein of 205,000 microg/l returned to normal (8,000 microg/l). The diagnosis of chronic occlusive mesenteric ischemia should be suspected among dialysis patients with post-prandial pain and weight loss in the face of calcified vessels. Predominant celiac territory ischemic syndrome presents as gastric and duodenal erosions and ulcers with or without acalculous cholecystitis.