腹主动脉瘤应力模型的建立及其应用

本研究用螺旋CT扫描腹主动脉瘤获得的断层图像合成腹主动脉瘤几何模型，通过设定瘤壁组织生物力学参数和边界条件，使用有限元分析的方法分析腹主动脉瘤瘤壁的应力分布。结果标明，本例腹主动脉瘤应力峰值位于远端分叉部位，瘤体应力峰值位于后壁，均小于瘤壁的承受极限。本研究所得结果对腹主动脉瘤应力模型有助于分析个体化腹主动脉瘤的破裂部位和生长方向，对研究疾病进程提供依据。     

腹主动脉瘤直型覆膜支架的生物力学分析

应用数值模拟分析方法,研究腹主动脉瘤直型覆膜支架在径向压握、自膨胀释放及植入后平衡状态3种工况下的稳定性及各项生物力学指标。建立覆膜支架、压握工具以及目标血管的有限元模型。对圆柱状压握工具沿R轴负方向施加大小为6.50 mm的位移载荷,压握覆膜支架至外径为7.00 mm;将压握工具恢复到原始尺寸,建立血管/覆膜支架接触关系;支架完全释放后平衡状态下,对其内表面均匀施加50～150 mmHg动脉压。分析支架部分在压握与平衡状态下的最大主应变(MPS)峰值及分析后形态、释放状态下变形血管以及覆膜的等效应力峰值(VMS)。在径向压握过程中,金属支架最大压握主应变峰值为5.73%;在自膨胀释放过程中,造成血管壁应力集中的峰值为0.371 MPa,覆膜应力峰值为0.388 MPa;在植入后平衡状态下,支架平均应变为0.0859%,振荡应变为0.0486%,覆膜应力峰值为2.09 MPa,安全因子为8.23。支架部分在各工况下应变处于镍钛合金屈服强度之内,在圆角弯折处应变最为集中;覆膜部分在各工况下应力值也满足e PTFE膜材料的屈服强度。该研究结果可以为覆膜支架的结构优化设计以及覆膜材料选择提供一种分析方法, 可以提高覆膜支架的生物力学性能,并给工程设计和临床操作提供参考。     

瘤颈角度对腹主动脉瘤腔内修复术后支架位移的影响

目的 研究瘤颈角度对腹主动脉瘤腔内修复术后支架位移的影响。方法 选用28名患者CT影像分别建立术前腹主动脉瘤(abdominal aortic aneurysm, AAA)模型、术后两次随访(postoperative follow-up)AAA模型和覆膜支架模型,并根据术前瘤颈角度将模型分为非严重成角组(n=14)和严重成角组(n=14)。测量每个模型的几何形态,分析手术前后AAA几何参数、术后支架位移变化。通过血流动力学模拟计算术后第1次随访模型的位移力。结果 两组患者在瘤长度、最大直径、位移力、瘤颈长度变化和瘤体积变化有明显差异(P<0.05)。支架重心位移和近端位移无显著差异(P>0.05)。在内漏发生情况上,未严重成角组中有2例,严重成角组中有4例(P>0.05)。结论 严重的瘤颈成角可导致支架位移力显著增加以及近端锚固区减小,进而增加支架位移发生的可能性。建议在临床方面医生应加强对严重瘤颈成角患者的术后随访,警惕远期内漏的发生。     

Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm during Transthoracic Echocardiography in Patients with Significant Coronary Artery Disease

Purpose

Coronary artery disease (CAD) shares several risk factors with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). We evaluated the prevalence during transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and risk factors of AAA in patients with CAD.

Materials and Methods

A total of 1300 CAD patients were screened from August 2009 to May 2010, and measurement of abdominal aorta size was feasible in 920 patients (71%) at the end of routine TTE. An AAA was defined as having a maximal diameter of ≥30 mm.

Results

Of the 920 patients, 22 (2.4% of the study population) were diagnosed with AAA; of these AAA patients, 86% were male, and 82% were over 65 years-old. Abdominal aortic size was weakly correlated with aortic root diameter (r=0.22, p<0.01). Although the proportions of male gender, hypertension, and dyslipidemia were higher in AAA patients, such differences were not statistically significant. Advanced age [odds ratio (OR)=1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.12; p<0.01], smoking (OR=3.44; 95% CI: 1.18-10.04; p=0.02), and peripheral arterial disease (OR=5.88; 95% CI: 1.38-25.05; p=0.01) were found to be associated with AAA.

Conclusion

Although prevalence of AAA is very low in the Asian population, the prevalence of AAA in Asian CAD patients is higher than the general population. Therefore, opportunistic examination of the abdominal aorta during routine TTE could be effective, especially for male CAD patients over 65 years with a history of smoking or peripheral arterial disease.     

Predictors of Mortality Following Aortic Valve Replacement in Aortic Stenosis Patients

Background: Understanding of the risk factors for the development of adverse outcomes after aortic valve replacement is necessary to develop timely preventive measures and to improve the results of surgical treatment. Methods: We analyzed patients with aortic stenosis (n = 742) who underwent surgical treatment in the period 2014–2020. The average age was 63 (57;69) years—men 58%, women 42%. Results: The hospital mortality rate was 3% (22 patients). The following statistically significant threshold values (cut-off points) were obtained in the ROC analysis: aortic cross-clamp time > 93 min AUC (CI) 0.676 (0.640–0.710), p = 0.010; cardiopulmonary bypass time > 144 min AUC (CI) 0.809 (0.778–0.837), p < 0.0001, hemoglobin before op <120 g/L. AUC (CI) 0.762 (0.728–0.793), p < 0.0001, hematocrit before op <39% AUC (CI) 0.755 (0.721–0.786), p < 0.001, end-diastolic dimension index >2.39 AUC (CI) 0.647 (0.607–0.686), p = 0.014, end-systolic dimension index > 1.68 AUC (CI) 0.657 (0.617–0.695), p = 0.009. Statistically significant independent predictors of hospital mortality were identified: BMI > 30 kg/m² (OR 2.84; CI 1.15–7.01), ischemic heart disease (OR 3.65; CI 1.01–13.2), diabetes (OR 3.88; CI 1.38–10.9), frequent ventricular ectopy before operation (OR 9.78; CI 1.91–50.2), mitral valve repair (OR 4.47; CI 1.76–11.3), tricuspid valve repair (OR 3.06; CI 1.09–8.58), 3 and more procedures (OR 4.44; CI 1.67–11.8). Conclusions: The hospital mortality rate was 3%. The main indicators associated with the risk of death were: diabetes, overweight (body mass index more than 30 kg/m²), frequent ventricular ectopy before surgery, hemoglobin level below 120 g/L, hematocrit level below 39%, longer cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross-clamp time, additional mitral and tricuspid valve interventions.     

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement with Minimal Contrast Dye in Patients with Renal Insufficiency

PurposeConcerns have been consistently raised in regards to the considerable amount of contrast dye used during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with renal insufficiency. In the present study, we introduced minimal contrast TAVR and compared its 30-day clinical outcomes with conventional TAVR.Materials and MethodsWe retrospectively investigated 369 patients who underwent TAVR between July 2011 and April 2020 in our institute. Among them, 93 patients with severe aortic stenosis and renal insufficiency (estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤50 mL/min/1.73 m²) were included and divided into a conventional TAVR group (n=56) and a minimal contrast TAVR group (n=37). In the minimal contrast TAVR group, the total amount of contrast was <10 mL during the entire TAVR procedure. Thirty-day major adverse clinical events (MACE), including death, stroke, implantation of permanent pacemaker, and initiation of hemodialysis, were investigated.ResultsThe incidence of MACE was significantly lower in the minimal contrast TAVR group than the conventional TAVR group (16.2% vs. 42.9%, p=0.010). Death occurred in 9 patients (16.1%) in the conventional TAVR group and in 0 patients in the minimal contrast group (p=0.011). Hemodialysis was initiated in 2 patients (5.4%) in the minimal contrast TAVR group and in 7 patients (12.5%) in the conventional TAVR group (p=0.256). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the minimal contrast TAVR procedure was an independent predictor for reducing MACE (hazard ratio 0.208, 95% confidence interval: 0.080–0.541, p=0.001).ConclusionMinimal contrast TAVR is feasible and shows more favorable short-term clinical outcomes than conventional TAVR in patients with renal insufficiency.     

巨噬细胞在腹主动脉瘤中作用的研究进展

主动脉瘤（AAA）是因动脉中层结构破坏,动脉壁不能承受血流冲击的压力所致永久性局部或广泛血管扩张。相关研究证实,在主动脉瘤中被鉴定出来的先天性和获得性免疫细胞,包括嗜中性粒细胞、巨噬细胞、肥大细胞等可促进主动脉瘤的发展。形成AAA的主要危险因素有吸烟和家族史,然而在组织学层面上,AAA的发病特征包括炎症、平滑肌细胞凋亡,细胞外基质降解,氧化应激等。炎症反应在AAA中起着至关重要的作用,且主要影响主动脉壁重塑的决定性因素。本综述关注于主动脉瘤中的巨噬细胞的起源及巨噬细胞在AAA发展过程中的作用,充分描述巨噬细胞的潜在应用。     

Surgical repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms using the critical artery reattachment technique

In the study, we sought to retrospectively analyze the effectiveness and safety of surgical repair of thoracoab-dominal aortic aneurysm using the critical artery reattachment technique. Twenty-three consecutive thoracoab-dominal aortic aneurysm patients were treated using the technique of sequential aortic clamping and critical artery reattachment. The entire procedure was technically successful in all patients. One died of renal failure and the overall hospital mortality was 4.35%. The total incidence of complications was 21.74%. At a median follow-up of 33 months, all patients were alive. We found that the application of critical artery reattachment technique in the management of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm provides excellent short- and mid-term results in most patients. It could markedly increase the curing rate and reduce the morbidity of postoperative complications including par-aplegia, ischemia of abdominal viscera, and renal failure.     

In Vivo Three-Dimensional Surface Geometry of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a local, progressive dilation of the distal aorta that risks rupture until treated. Using the law of Laplace, in vivo assessment of AAA surface geometry could identify regions of high wall tensions as well as provide critical dimensional and shape data for customized endoluminal stent grafts. In this study, six patients with AAA underwent spiral computed tomography imaging and the inner wall of each AAA was identified, digitized, and reconstructed. A biquadric surface patch technique was used to compute the local principal curvatures, which required no assumptions regarding axisymmetry or other shape characteristics of the AAA surface. The spatial distribution of AAA principal curvatures demonstrated substantial axial asymmetry, and included adjacent elliptical and hyperbolic regions. To determine how much the curvature spatial distributions were dependent on tortuosity versus bulging, the effects of AAA tortuosity were removed from the three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions by aligning the centroids of each digitized contour to the z axis. The spatial distribution of principal curvatures of the modified 3D reconstructions were found to be largely axisymmetric, suggesting that much of the surface geometric asymmetry is due to AAA bending. On average, AAA surface area increased by 56% and abdominal aortic length increased by 27% over those for the normal aorta. Our results indicate that AAA surface geometry is highly complex and cannot be simulated by simple axisymmetric models, and suggests an equally complex wall stress distribution. © 1999 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC99: 8719Rr, 8759Fm, 8757Gg