Balloon angioplasty treatment of patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome

Fourteen cases with membranous or segmental stenosis or obstruction of the inferior vena cava (11 cases) and the hepatic vein (3 cases) associated with Budd-Chiari syndrome were successfully treated by PTA. The average width of veins was increased from 2.5 mm to 14.9 mm. The average pressure of veins dropped from 21.2 +/- 1.9 mmHg of pre-PTA to 15.7 +/- 2.6 mmHg immediately after PTA. Significant improvement (p less than 0.001) was obtained. In 9 cases reexamined after PTA, the pressure of vein dropped further from 16.9 +/- 1.5 mmHg immediately after PTA to 10.4 +/- 2.1 mmHg. Thirteen cases were followed up for an average of 9 months (range 6-16 months). The complete recovery of clinical symptoms was seen in 7 cases. The symptoms were evidently improved in 5 cases. The symptoms was relieved in one patient. Re-stenosis of the inferior vena cava occurred in only one patient after 4 months of PTA. In conclusion, (1) PTA with balloon catheter is a safe and effective method of treatment, and the method is extensively appreciated for this syndrome. (2) The clinically effective results of treatment is obtained immediately after PTA for Budd-Chiari syndrome. (3) Brockenbrough method was considered to have good indication to the membranous as well as segmental obstruction of Budd-Chiari syndrome.     

Venous thrombolysis and venous angioplasty

Venous thrombosis of the upper extremities was successfully lysed in 7 patients using selective infusion of urokinase. Selective lysis requires a lower dosage of urokinase and has a lower rate of side effects. Venous angioplasty was applied in 2 patients with stenoses of the subclavian vein, 3 with stenosis in dialysis shunts, and 1 patient with a long stenosis of the iliac vein. Venous angioplasty was successful and particularly useful in dialysis shunt stenoses.     

膝下动脉经皮腔内血管成形术治疗糖尿病下肢缺血

目的探讨经皮腔内血管成形术(PTA)治疗糖尿病下肢膝下血管病变的技术成功率、手术方式、围手术期并发症及其防治。方法回顾分析我院2006年1月至2007年5月行介入治疗的糖尿病下肢缺血病变患者27例,分析其术前术后临床症状改善情况,包括Rutherford-Becker分级以及踝肱指数。对不同病变类型及不同球囊的技术成功率进行比较,并分析术中术后并发症的发生情况,初步探讨防治方法。结果27例患者中24例术后临床症状有不同程度改善,3例手术失败。狭窄性病变和闭塞性病变的开通结果不同,χ2分析P<0.01;选用较短的冠脉球囊和长的膝下专用球囊对病变的开通情况经fisher精确概率法χ2检验P=0.024,两者比较差异有统计学意义。术中并发症主要有急性血栓形成、导丝穿破血管壁、斑块脱落及管壁夹层等,根据情况给予了相应处理。结论PTA是治疗糖尿病下肢缺血性病变的理想选择,术前对患者下肢动脉情况进行认真评估,制订合理的手术方案,对于手术的成功至关重要。     

血管内支架成形术治疗脑静脉窦狭窄(附36例报告)

目的探讨脑静脉窦狭窄的病理生理机制及支架成形术治疗的方法和效果。方法回顾性分析2001年12月-2010年6月解放军总医院神经外科收治的36例脑静脉窦狭窄患者,其中男10例,女26例,年龄14~57岁,平均37.8岁,病程4d~9年,主要临床症状为头痛、呕吐、视物模糊,部分患者有肢体无力并麻木等。所有患者均经血管造影确诊,其中21例局限性狭窄位于右侧横窦乙状窦移行部,12例位于左侧横窦乙状窦移行部,3例双侧均有局限性狭窄。采用经颈动脉注射溶栓或静脉窦内置管溶栓,然后行静脉窦支架置入治疗,同时辅以全身抗凝及抗血小板治疗。结果 36例患者行静脉窦球囊扩张并支架成形术,除3例因支架难以通过迂曲的颈静脉孔而失败外,余均获成功,技术成功率91.7%。术后腰穿测定脑脊液压力由术前的374.7±82.9mmH2O降至术后的230.3±48.1mmH2O。33例患者通过全脑血管造影、门诊随访1个月~8年,其中32例临床表现持续缓解,1例患者支架置入后1个月头痛加重,视力模糊,经颈动脉溶栓及足量抗凝处理后症状明显缓解。结论静脉窦支架成形术治疗静脉窦狭窄导致的颅内压升高安全有效,但长期疗效有待进一步观察。     

Percutaneous puncture of venous bypass grafts for transluminal angioplasty

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was performed on 45 patients with vascular stenoses after vein bypass surgery. In 25 cases, the angioplasty catheter was introduced by direct puncture of the vein graft. The procedure was successful and reoperation was avoided in all but one of these cases. There were no complications. The experience has shown that in selected postoperative patients, direct puncture of the graft is safe and greatly facilitates performance of the angioplasty.     

Cutting Balloon angioplasty for the treatment of haemodyalisis vascular accesses: midterm results

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Cutting Balloon angioplasty in the treatment of stenoses in haemodialysis arteriovenous accesses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over the past 2 years, we have observed 80 patients with stenotic haemodialysis accesses; 24 of these (mean age 66.4 years, range 50-81) with 26 stenoses of 24 accesses (21 Cimino-Brescia fistulas and 3 dialysis loops) were selected for Cutting Balloon angioplasty. In 11 cases, the Cutting Balloon device was used after failure to dilate the access with a high-pressure balloon whereas in 15 cases (10 focal stenoses and 5 restenoses), it was used as a first choice. Two Cutting Balloon devices had a diameter of 8 mm, two of 7 mm, 11 of 6 mm, eight of 5 mm and one of 4 mm. The follow-up was performed by colour Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) and clinical assessment at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. RESULTS: In all patients, postprocedure angiography demonstrated immediate technical success. No periprocedural complications occurred. Follow-up examinations (range 3-24 months, mean 18.2 months) demonstrated patency of the vascular access and its good functioning during dialysis in 23/24 cases (95%). Only in one case did we observe a haemodynamically significant restenosis, which was treated again with Cutting Balloon angioplasty. CONCLUSIONS: Cutting Balloon angioplasty is safe and effective in the treatment of haemodialysis access stenosis, especially in cases of severe stenosis, with low restenosis rate both in the short and medium term.     

Hemodialysis-related venous stenosis: treatment with ultrahigh-pressure angioplasty balloons

The authors retrospectively reviewed the use of ultrahigh-pressure angioplasty balloons at atmospheric pressures at or above the manufacturer recommended burst pressure (30 atm) for the treatment of resistant hemodialysis-related venous stenosis at their institution. In seven of 87 procedures, high-pressure angioplasty (up to 27 atm) was unsuccessful. By coupling new balloon technology with aggressive inflation pressures, 100% technical success was achieved in the treatment of stenoses that were resistant to high-pressure angioplasty in these seven procedures. This approach could potentially offer cost savings compared with the costs of other previously described treatment methods for resistant lesions, such as atherectomy devices and cutting balloons.     

Cutting balloon angioplasty for resistant venous stenoses of Brescia-Cimino fistulas

Peripheral cutting balloons with diameters of 5-8 mm were employed to dilate eight resistant stenoses among 62 venous stenoses in 48 Brescia-Cimino fistulas. The grade of stenosis after high-pressure balloon angioplasty ranged from 57% to 87% (median, 75%). The residual stenosis after cutting balloon angioplasty ranged from 0 to 24% (median, 10.5%). Two complications occurred among these eight cases, one of which was treated by stent placement. No repeated intervention was necessary during follow-up (range, 74-249 days; median, 141 days). Cutting balloon angioplasty was effective to overcome the resistance of venous stenosis in hemodialysis fistulas.     

Balloon angioplasty of popliteal and crural arteries in elderly with critical chronic limb ischemia

OBJECTIVE: Elderly patients with extensive infrainguinal peripheral vascular disease and critical chronic limb ischemia (CCLI) are poor surgical candidates. Our purpose was to evaluate angiographic and clinical results of popliteal, infrapopliteal, and multi-level disease percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in such patients. DESIGN: Retrospective study of angiographic and clinical files in selected group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1996 and 2002, 38 elderly patients aged 80-94 years old (mean age 83.3) with critical leg ischemia were treated with PTA. All patients were at high surgical risk. 31/38 (81.5%) patients had chronic non-healing wounds, and 14/38 (37%) had multi-level disease of superficial femoral, popliteal and crural arteries. One hundred and two lesions were treated by angioplasty. Immediate angiographic and 1 year clinical results were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The overall procedural success rate was 32/38 (84.2%). There were three major complications (7.9%), but no deaths, and three technical failures, all were of infrapopliteal lesions. After 1 year, 27 patients could be followed, five patients died during the first year of unrelated causes. Twenty-three patients (85.2%), were clinically re-occluded within 1 year, but complete and partial wound healing was achieved in 80% (16/20) and rest pain improvement in 57% (4/7), so that overall limb salvage was 74% (20/27). CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients with multi-level CCLI have a short patency term following angioplasty of 14.8% after 1 year. Nevertheless, this temporary vascular patency enables wound healing or improvement in 74% of these patients, thus such endovascular interventions are recommended in this age group.     

Alteration in the venous drainage of a dural arteriovenous fistula following angioplasty

The pattern of venous drainage from a dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) has been shown to affect the natural history of these lesions. Angioplasty and stent placement of the dural sinuses have been described to improve outflow in venous hypertensive states and may improve the venous drainage pattern from a DAVF. We report the case of a patient with a benign but stenosed type IIa transverse sinus DAVF who underwent angioplasty to improve venous outflow. This resulted in conversion of the DAVF to a more malignant type IIb drainage pattern with reflux into the cortical venous system.     

Skin dose estimation using virtual structures for Contura Multi-Lumen Balloon breast brachytherapy

PurposeTo propose a workflow that uses ultrasound (US)-measured skin–balloon distances and virtual structure creations in the treatment planning system to evaluate the maximum skin dose for patients treated with Contura Multi-Lumen Balloon applicators.Methods and MaterialsTwenty-three patients were analyzed in this study. CT and US were used to investigate the interfractional skin–balloon distance variations. Virtual structures were created on the planning CT to predict the maximum skin doses. Fitted curves and its equation can be obtained from the skin–balloon distance vs. maximum skin dose plot using virtual structure information. The fidelity of US-measured skin distance and the skin dose prediction using virtual structures were assessed.ResultsThe differences between CT- and US-measured skin–balloon distances values had an average of −0.5 ± 1.1 mm (95% confidence interval [CI] = −1.0 to 0.1 mm). Using virtual structure created on CT, the average difference between the predicted and the actual dose overlay maximum skin dose was −1.7% (95% CI = −3.0 to −0.4%). Furthermore, when applying the US-measured skin distance values in the virtual structure trendline equation, the differences between predicted and actual maximum skin dose had an average of 0.7 ± 6.4% (95% CI = −2.3% to 3.7%).ConclusionsIt is possible to use US to observe interfraction skin–balloon distance variation to replace CT acquisition. With the proposed workflow, based on the creation of virtual structures defined on the planning CT- and US-measured skin–balloon distances, the maximum skin doses can be reasonably estimated.     

Using 6-mm Cutting Balloon angioplasty in patients with resistant peripheral artery stenosis: preliminary results

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of 6-mm Cutting Balloon angioplasty in patients with resistant peripheral stenoses caused by neointimal hyperplasia or irradiation-induced arteriopathy in vascular territories that are not amenable for use of the smaller Cutting Balloons that are used in cardiology. CONCLUSION: Peripheral Cutting Balloon angioplasty with the new 6-mm Cutting Balloon device proved useful in the short term for treatment of peripheral arterial stenoses resistant to conventional angioplasty.