Vacuum-assisted closure therapy with omental transposition for salvage of infected prosthetic femoral-distal bypass involving the femoral anastomosis

Vascular graft infections are associated with the potential for devastating sequelae, including hemorrhage, septicemia, amputation, and death. Graft excision and debridement of the infected bed with revascularization via an extra-anatomic site or orthotopic vein bypass has been the traditional treatment of choice. Because the morbidity of these operations is substantial, less radical graft preservation techniques are desirable, such as myoplasty, omental flap transposition, and vacuum-assisted closure therapy. We report a patient with infection involving a prosthetic graft that was treated with vacuum-assisted closure and transposition of an omental tongue to enable coverage of the exposed graft.     

Arterioarterial prosthetic loop: a new approach for hemodialysis access

OBJECTIVES: In this report we present a novel procedure that uses an arterioarterial prosthetic loop (AAPL) with the proximal axillary or the femoral artery as a vascular access for hemodialysis in patients who have inadequate vascular conditions for creating an arteriovenous fistula or graft. METHODS: Between April 1996 and September 2004, 34 patients received 36 AAPLs as vascular access, either as an axillary chest loop (n = 31) or as a femoral loop (n = 5). In this procedure the artery is ligated between the anastomoses to direct flow through the AAPL. Data from all patients undergoing the procedure were prospectively collected. RESULTS: The indication for an AAPL was the unsuitability of large deep veins in 64%, steal syndrome in 11%, the combination of only a suitable femoral vein and severe peripheral arterial disease in 22%, and congestive heart failure in 3%. All AAPLs were cannulated 18 +/- 4 days postoperatively. Mean follow-up was 31 months (range, 1 to 83). Primary patency was 73% and secondary patency was 96% at 1 year; these rates at 3 years were 54% and 87%, respectively. The rate of all interventions for the maintenance of AAPL function was 0.47 procedures per patient year. Four grafts were abandoned. More than 11,000 hemodialyses with proven efficiency were performed. CONCLUSIONS: The AAPL is an unusual but useful and easy-to-perform alternative procedure to create vascular access for hemodialysis. It can provide survival for strictly selected patients in whom conventional vascular access is not possible. The axillary chest AAPL is preferred.     

Integrated approach to construction and maintenance of prosthetic arteriovenous access for hemodialysis

Autogenous arteriovenous access is the preferred access for hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal disease but is not feasible in a significant number of patients. The creation of a prosthetic arteriovenous access (PAVA) for hemodialysis using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene is technically simple and the short-term results are usually good, but the PAVA's 1-year patency rate is low (less than 60% in many centers). We have developed an integrated approach for the creation and maintenance of PAVAs, under the direction of a dedicated vascular access surgeon, involving preoperative imaging, anesthetic and surgical techniques, and a postoperative graft surveillance program, to improve patency rates. The design used was a prospective nonrandomized study. Between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2001, 158 PAVAs were created (37.7% of the 419 fistulae created during this period). High-resolution duplex ultrasonography was added to careful clinical assessment in planning and follow-up of the dialysis access. The preferred method of PAVA creation was the forearm loop using tapered 4 to 7 mm stretch expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. After surgery, patients entered a program of close follow-up and regular graft surveillance and maintenance. Prophylactic surgical revisions and endovascular interventions were performed routinely according to ultrasonography findings to prevent thrombosis. Thrombolysis and thrombectomy were performed without delay when the PAVA thrombosed, minimizing the use of central venous access and salvaging the central veins. No patients were excluded from the study. One-, 2-, and 3-year assisted primary patency rates (including patients without occlusion but who were judged to require prophylactic revision) were 65%, 54.1%, and 48.8%, respectively. With surveillance-directed surgical revisions and endovascular treatment before or after occlusion, the 1-, 2-, and 3-year secondary patency rates (functional patency) were 91.4%, 84.3%, and 78.5%. Of the 158 grafts, 110 never occluded during the study period. There were 155 interventions in 74 PAVAs: 30 surgical revisions, 63 prophylactic endovascular procedures, and 52 instances of thrombolytic therapy combined with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. The use of prosthetic arteriovenous access for hemodialysis, when autogenous arteriovenous access is not feasible, can still be associated with excellent long-term patency, in spite of previously published poor results, as long as good planning, close follow-up, and aggressive intervention (when indicated) are carried out.     

A comparison between transposed brachiobasilic arteriovenous fistulas and prosthetic brachioaxillary access grafts for vascular access for hemodialysis

OBJECTIVE: Patients requiring access for hemodialysis in whom radiocephalic or brachiocephalic arteriovenous fistulas cannot be formed or have failed present a significant clinical challenge. We compare outcomes in patients undergoing transposed brachiobasilic arteriovenous fistulas (BBAVF) with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene brachioaxillary access grafts in a single European center. METHODS: We identified all patients undergoing a first upper limb tertiary-access procedure-that is, either BBAVF or brachioaxillary access graft for hemodialysis-between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2005. The median follow-up was 18.1 months (interquartile range, 8.7-34.9 months). Successful use for dialysis, primary patency, secondary patency, and patient survival was assessed. RESULTS: A total of 185 patients were identified; 71 had a BBAVF, and 114 had an access graft. The median age was 64.3 years (interquartile range, 50.7-74.4 years). The groups were well matched for age, sex, ethnicity, diabetes, and number of prior access procedures. Significantly fewer BBAVFs were successfully used for dialysis: 69.0% BBAVFs compared with 89.4% access grafts (P = .001; chi(2)). One- and two-year primary patency rates were 45.3% and 40.0%, respectively, for BBAVF and were 56.4% and 43.2% for access grafts (P = .579; log rank). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in secondary patency between the two procedures (P = .868; log rank). We found that surgeons in training had no influence on the primary patency of either BBAVF or access grafts. However, infective complications necessitating an operation were significantly higher in the access graft group (6.2% vs 0%; P = .031; Fisher exact test). CONCLUSIONS: Although more difficult to establish, BBAVFs provide patency at least equivalent to that of brachioaxillary access grafts. However, infective complications are fewer in the BBAVF group. As such, we believe that BBAVF should be the first choice of the vascular access surgeon when fistulas using the cephalic vein are not possible or have failed.     

跟腱外露难愈创面的封闭式负压吸引治疗

目的:总结封闭式负压引流(vacuum-assisted closure,VAC)技术治疗跟腱外露创面的良好效果,为这类创面修复提供更好的治疗方法。方法:2007年1月~2014年3月,笔者应用VAC治疗18例跟腱外露患者,其中跟腱断裂术后9例,车祸伤4例,重物卡压伤2例,钢绳切割伤1例,Ⅲ度烧伤1例,Ⅲ度电击伤1例。围手术期准备后,尽快手术扩创,行创面VAC治疗。结果:所有创面经VAC治疗后,创面明显缩小,肉芽生长迅速,部分或全部覆盖外露肌腱,其中12例全部被肉芽组织覆盖,行薄中厚皮片移植修复,11例患者一期愈合。余仍有部分肌腱外露者,5例行邻近皮瓣修复,全部一期愈合;1例行人工真皮加自体刃厚皮片移植一次性修复,所有创面一期愈合率达94.4%。所有患者均随访6月~3年,无复发,局部无挛缩,功能恢复良好。结论:VAC治疗跟腱外露难愈创面,明显缩短疗程,有效防治肌腱坏死,减少手术创伤及治疗疼痛,提高愈合质量。     

PTFE grafts for hemodialysis access. Techniques for insertion and management of complications.

In a series of 602 procedures, over 90% of primary forearm insertions of PTFE grafts between the radial artery and a cubital vein were possible. Thrombosis of the graft, which was invariably due to venous outflow obstruction, was the most common complication encountered. Revision of the venous anastomosis was not necessary in about one-third of the thrombosed grafts if a size 3 coronary dilator could be passed and the augmentation test was satisfactory. For revisions, creation of a new venous anastomosis using a jump graft was preferred over patch angioplasty or venous endarterectomy. Crossing the elbow for this purpose did not adversely affect graft patency. The incidence of aneurysm formation and infection was 16% and 35%, respectively. Infections involving the graft were managed by drainage, antibiotics, and bypass of the infected portion. Immediate bypass and delayed bypass were equally effective. About one-half of the infected grafts were salvaged by these techniques. The most common organism was Staphylococcus aureus. With a combination of the techniques outlined above, the service life of individual PTFE grafts can be extended. Two-year access patency in this series was 77%.     

Assessment of a policy to reduce placement of prosthetic hemodialysis access

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the determinants of access patency and revision, including the effects of reducing the placement of prosthetic hemodialysis access. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of all hemodialysis accesses placed at the Veteran's Administration Puget Sound Health Care System between 1992 and 1999 was conducted. A policy was instituted in 1996 that maximized the use of autogenous hemodialysis access. The impacts of the policy change, demographics, and comorbid factors on access type and patency, were examined. Primary and secondary patency rates were examined using the Kaplan--Meier method, and factors associated with failure and revision were examined using Cox proportional hazard models and Poisson regression. RESULTS: During the study, 104 accesses (61 prosthetic grafts and 43 autogenous fistulas) were placed prior to 1996, and 118 (31 prosthetic grafts and 87 autogenous fistulas) were placed after 1996. There was a significant increase in autogenous fistulas placed after 1996 (87 out of 118) compared with before 1996 (43 out of 104, P < 0.001). At one year, autogenous fistulas demonstrated superior primary patency (56 vs. 36%, P = 0.001) and secondary patency (72 vs. 58%, P = 0.003) compared with prosthetic grafts. After adjustment for age, race, side of access placement, and history of prior access placement, patients with a prosthetic graft were estimated to experience a 78% increase in the risk of primary access failure when compared with similar patients having an autogenous access [adjusted relative risk (aRR) = 1.78, 95% CI 1.21--2.62, P = 0.003)]. Similarly, the adjusted relative risk of secondary access failure for comparing prosthetic grafts with autogenous fistulas was estimated to be 2.21 (95% CI 1.38--3.54, P = 0.001). The adjusted risk of access revision was 2.89-fold higher for prosthetic grafts than for autogenous fistulas (95% CI 1.88--4.44, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Autogenous conduits demonstrated superior performance when compared with prosthetic grafts in terms of primary and secondary patency and number of revisions. A policy emphasizing the preferential placement of autogenous fistulas over prosthetic grafts may result in improved patency and a reduction in the number of procedures required to maintain dialysis access patency.     

Midgraft curettage as a routine adjunct to salvage operations for thrombosed polytetrafluoroethylene hemodialysis access grafts

We believe that midgraft stenosis due to intimal hyperplasia of the needle puncture zone is a clinically important cause of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) dialysis graft thrombosis. Our simple dialysis graft salvage technique employs conventional exploration through a venous end graftotomy, thrombectomy with a Fogarty catheter, and venous end revision as needed. Midgraft curettage is routinely performed with a Kevorkian-Younge endometrial biopsy curette. This instrument is readily available and has a box-shaped back-cutting tip ideal for thorough, safe curettage of the PTFE graft lumen. This technique results in both direct assessment and simultaneous treatment of the entire thrombosed dialysis graft. The patency rates of first salvage procedures of thrombosed PTFE dialysis grafts with and without adjunctive curettage were retrospectively compared. Patency of the curettage group was superior at 1 month (97 percent versus 71 percent) and 6 months (65 percent versus 36 percent), with ultimate crossing of the plotted curves at 10 months (p = 0.053 by Wilcoxon test). It is our strong clinical impression that premature rethrombosis of PTFE dialysis grafts after salvage procedures has been greatly reduced by midgraft curettage.     

人工关节在恶性骨肿瘤保肢治疗中的应用

目的：探讨人工关节在恶性骨肿瘤保肢治疗中的应用疗效。方法：对21例恶性骨肿瘤患者进行人工关节置换保肢治疗，其中铰链式膝关节10例，股骨近端假体5例，人工肱骨头4例，人工肩胛骨1例，人工肘关节1例。结果：随访1～7年，平均4年，局部复发率9．5％，最终保肢率90．5％；所有患者人工关节置入均超过6个月，参照Enneking(MSTS)评定标准，平均得分21．2分，优良率76．2％。结论：人工关节置换术应用于恶性骨肿瘤的保肢治疗可以取得满意的疗效，正确掌握手术适应证、肿瘤的完整切除和软组织重建是手术成功的关键。     

Infectious complications of the hemodialysis access.

Infectious complications of the vascular access are a major source of morbidity and mortality among hemodialysis (HD) patients. Numerous reports implicate the vascular access in up to 48 to 73% of all bacteremias in HD patients. The incidence of vascular access-related infection is highest when central venous dialysis catheters are employed. Native arteriovenous fistulas carry the lowest risk of infection. Unfortunately, prosthetic arteriovenous grafts, which represent the most common type of HD access in the United States, have been repeatedly shown to be a risk factor for bacteremic and nonbacteremic infections. Silent infection in old nonfunctional clotted prosthetic arteriovenous grafts has recently been recognized as a frequent cause of bacteremia and morbidity among HD patients. High proportions of infections related to the vascular access are caused by staphylococcal organisms, which carry high rates of mortality, recurrence, and metastatic complications. Management of vascular access-related infection has two aspects: The first relates to the choice, duration, and mode of administration of antibiotic therapy. Empiric antibiotic therapy, guided by demographic data and severity of illness, should be employed when the causative organisms are unknown. Prolonged administration of specific parenteral antibiotics is crucial in decreasing complications of infection, especially in cases of staphylococcal bacteremia. The second aspect relates to management of the vascular access. Efforts directed toward bacteriological cure should be concurrent with efforts to preserve native venous access sites whenever possible. Efforts to prevent vascular access-related infection should focus on increasing placement of arteriovenous fistulas and minimizing insertion of central venous dialysis catheters. Careful inspection and monitoring of the vascular access is of paramount importance in early detection of vascular access site-related infections. Several new approaches aimed at preventing catheter and prosthetic graft-related infection are being explored.     

Surgery versus interventional radiology in the management of thrombosed vascular access for hemodialysis

Thrombosis is the most frequent complication occurring in vascular access (VA). The two widely used treatment strategies for thrombosed VA are surgical and endovascular. Which is the best and whether different approaches should be used on proximal versus distal VA, is still debated. This is a retrospective study. Over a three years period, we studied among a population of 475 dialysis patients, 54 VA thromboses in 46 patients. Surgical procedure was successful in 14/17 (82%) distal artero-venous fistulas (AVF) while, in 9 proximal AVF, it led to initial success in 6 patients (66%), with a six months primary patency respectively of 93% and 84%. Radiological procedure resolved 6/10 distal AVF (initial success 60%) with primary patency of 66%, and was successful in 16/18 proximal AVF (initial success 89%) with primary patency of 81%. Taking our data all together, no differences are found between two thrombolitic (surgical and endovascular) procedures. But results were different in thrombosed proximal VA (where endovascular treatment should be preferred) versus distal ones (where surgery seems better).     

Role of prosthetic hemodialysis access following introduction of the dialysis outcome quality and Fistula First Breakthrough Initiatives

The emphasis on increasing the use of autogenous hemodialysis access in the United States has clearly changed the practice pattern of vascular surgeons during the past decade. However, this change has also been associated with an increased use of cuffed dialysis catheter and a decrease in the autogenous access maturation rate. Future efforts to increase autogenous access use will be hampered, in part, by the characteristics and comorbidities of the aging hemodialysis population and system-wide health care delivery issues, such as late referral for vascular access. As a result, prosthetic access will continue to play an important role in providing vascular access for the US hemodialysis population. This article reviews contemporary trends and evidence-based literature related to autogenous and prosthetic access procedures, as well as factors that influence access choice.     

Understanding strategies for the treatment of ischemic steal syndrome after hemodialysis access

The recently published guidelines of the National Kidney Foundation-Dialysis Outcome Quality Initiative have focused on improving patient outcomes and survival by providing recommendations for optimal clinical practice. These guidelines firmly endorse the establishment of autogenous hemodialysis access and recommend a 40% to 50% prevalence of autogenous fistulas among all hemodialysis patients. As surgeons strive to meet these guidelines it will be necessary to extend autogenous reconstruction to older individuals, diabetics, and patients with suitable vein only in the upper arm. These individuals are at increased risk for the development of the ischemic steal syndrome. It is paramount that surgeons who perform vascular access procedures have a firm understanding of the symptoms, diagnostic maneuvers, and treatment options for the ischemic steal syndrome after hemodialysis access procedures.