Transcarotid artery revascularization versus transfemoral carotid artery stenting in the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative

Background

Recent evidence from the Safety and Efficacy Study for Reverse Flow Used During Carotid Artery Stenting Procedure (ROADSTER) multicenter trial in high-risk patients undergoing transcarotid artery stenting with dynamic flow reversal reported the lowest stroke rate compared with any prospective trial of carotid artery stenting. However, clinical trials have selection criteria that exclude many patients from enrollment and are highly selective of operators performing the procedures, which limit generalizability. The aim of this study was to compare in-hospital outcomes after transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) and transfemoral carotid artery stenting (TFCAS) as reported in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI).

Regional variation in patient selection and treatment for lower extremity vascular disease in the Vascular Quality Initiative

Objective

Prior studies on the cause and effect of surgical variation have been limited by utilization of administrative data. The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI), a robust national clinical registry, provides anatomic and perioperative details allowing a more robust analysis of variation in surgical practice.

In-hospital outcomes of transcarotid artery revascularization and carotid endarterectomy in the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative

ObjectiveTranscarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) with flow reversal offers a less invasive option for carotid revascularization in high-risk patients and has the lowest reported overall stroke rate for any prospective trial of carotid artery stenting. However, outcome comparisons between TCAR and carotid endarterectomy (CEA) are needed to confirm the safety of TCAR outside of highly selected patients and providers.MethodsWe compared in-hospital outcomes of patients undergoing TCAR and CEA from January 2016 to March 2018 using the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative TCAR Surveillance Project registry and the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative CEA database, respectively. The primary outcome was a composite of in-hospital stroke and death.ResultsA total of 1182 patients underwent TCAR compared with 10,797 patients who underwent CEA. Patients undergoing TCAR were older (median age, 74 vs 71 years; P < .001) and more likely to be symptomatic (32% vs 27%; P < .001); they also had more medical comorbidities, including coronary artery disease (55% vs 28%; P < .001), chronic heart failure (20% vs 11%; P < .001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (29% vs 23%; P < .001), and chronic kidney disease (39% vs 34%; P = .001). On unadjusted analysis, TCAR had similar rates of in-hospital stroke/death (1.6% vs 1.4%; P = .33) and stroke/death/myocardial infarction (MI; 2.5% vs 1.9%; P = .16) compared with CEA. There was no difference in rates of stroke (1.4% vs 1.2%; P = .68), in-hospital death (0.3% vs 0.3%; P = .88), 30-day death (0.9% vs 0.4%; P = .06), or MI (1.1% vs 0.6%; P = .11). However, on average, TCAR procedures were 33 minutes shorter than CEA (78 ± 33 minutes vs 111 ± 43 minutes; P < .001). Patients undergoing TCAR were also less likely to incur cranial nerve injuries (0.6% vs 1.8%; P < .001) and less likely to have a postoperative length of stay >1 day (27% vs 30%; P = .046). On adjusted analysis, there was no difference in terms of stroke/death (odds ratio, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.8-2.2; P = .28), stroke/death/MI (odds ratio, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.9-2.1, P = .18), or the individual outcomes.ConclusionsDespite a substantially higher medical risk in patients undergoing TCAR, in-hospital stroke/death rates were similar between TCAR and CEA. Further comparative studies with larger samples sizes and longer follow-up will be needed to establish the role of TCAR in extracranial carotid disease management.     

股动脉长段病变腔内治疗325例体会

目的探讨腔内治疗股动脉长段闭塞的技术问题。方法 2005年3月～2011年2月采用腔内介入治疗股动脉长段闭塞(闭塞长度均≥10.0cm)患者325例(381条肢体);将其治疗前后踝肱指数(ABI)进行比较,并对治疗后临床疗效及动脉通畅率进行统计分析。结果本组技术成功297例,技术成功率91.4%,15例(4.6%)单纯球扩,282例同时置入支架,术前、术后ABI比较,差异有统计学意义(0.31±0.10vs0.72±0.15,P<0.01)。出院时症状明显缓解者276例。随访206例,随访时间30天至50个月,症状复发55例,复发率26.7%,6例膝上截肢,5例膝下截肢,15例足趾截趾,保肢率88.9%;1、3年累积通畅率分别为62.3%、37.2%。结论腔内治疗股动脉长段闭塞微创、安全,近期疗效确切,注意介入技巧可以提高腔内治疗的成功率。     

Adventitial cystic disease in the common femoral artery

The rare condition of adventitial cystic disease with massive cysts in the common femoral artery was treated in a 49-year old man. The symptoms were calf and thigh claudication. Angiography showed occlusion of the common femoral artery and the deep femoral artery. The condition was obvious peroperatively, and after clearing the deep artery, a bypass (ePTFE) to the two femoral run off vessels was needed. After an uneventful postoperative period, it was observed at three months' follow-up, that the patient had foot pulses.     

Endovascular exclusion of iatrogenic femoral artery pseudoaneurysm with the Wallgraft-Endoprosthesis

Development of femoral artery pseudoaneurysm represents a continuing problem after percutaneous peripheral interventional procedures as well as coronary angioplasty. We report a case of symptomatic, expanding femoral artery pseudoaneurysm in a 60-year-old man who underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and stenting for acute myocardial infarction. A self-expanding Wallgraft Endoprosthesis (Boston Scientific, USA) was delivered under fluoroscopic guidance via contralateral percutaneous femoral approach to the site, resulting in immediate complete exclusion of the pseudoaneurysms. Follow-up color duplex scanning confirmed false aneurysm exclusion 1 year postprocedure. Endovascular treatment of iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm appears to be an attractive alternative to surgical repair in critically ill patients, with a high degree of technical success, low morbidity and short hospital stay.     

Blood flow in the common femoral artery. Evaluation in a vascular laboratory

Accurate knowledge of the hemodynamics of the common femoral artery is a critical part of both the preoperative evaluation of patients with peripheral vascular disease and the postoperative follow-up examination. Interrogation of the iliofemoral system with determinations of palpable pulse status, Doppler analog waveforms, and upper thigh pressure ratios has yielded an overall sensitivity of 91 percent and a specificity of 85 percent in the detection of inflow stenosis. This degree of accuracy (89 percent) allows practical surgical decisions to be based on the results of these noninvasive studies.     

Blunt trauma of the common femoral artery.

Blunt vascular trauma in children is relatively rare and usually occurs in combination with fractures. Direct blunt trauma of the common femoral artery can lead to complete obstruction of the artery. In children, this obstruction may cause difference in limb growth. The authors describe a case of traumatic intimal rupture of the common femoral artery in an 11-year-old child after a fall from a bicycle. There have been a few reports of blunt trauma to the common femoral artery in children. The patient described had immediate symptoms of ischemia. Prompt reconstruction of the common femoral artery resulted in full recovery. Principles of arterial reconstruction in children are generally the same as in adults. The use of artificial grafts is to be avoided. Follow-up term is unclear as well as the use of anticoagulation therapy.     

Implementation of the Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative Vascular Access Guidelines

To better care for patients with chronic renal failure and end-stage renal disease, the National Kidney Foundation has published a set of Clinical Guidelines, the Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative, based on current available evidence and, where such evidence is lacking, the expert opinions of current leaders in vascular access research. These Guidelines were developed to standardize the care of chronic renal failure and end-stage renal disease patients. This report describes some of the more important aspects of these recommendations and the authors' implementation strategies.     

Results of carotid endarterectomy in patients with contralateral internal carotid artery occlusion from the Mid-America Vascular Study Group and the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative

ObjectiveCarotid endarterectomy (CEA) is among the most commonly performed vascular procedures. Some have suggested worse outcomes with contralateral internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion. We compared patients with and patients without contralateral ICA occlusion using the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative database.MethodsDeidentified data were obtained from the Vascular Quality Initiative. Patients with prior ipsilateral or contralateral CEA, carotid stenting, combined CEA and coronary artery bypass graft, or <1-year follow-up were excluded, yielding 1737 patients with and 45,179 patients without contralateral ICA occlusion. Groups were compared with univariate tests, and differences identified in univariate testing were entered into multivariate models to identify independent predictors of outcomes and in particular whether contralateral ICA occlusion is an independent predictor of outcomes.ResultsPatients with contralateral ICA occlusion were younger and more likely to be smokers; they were more likely to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, preoperative neurologic symptoms (56% vs 47%), nonelective CEA (16% vs 13%), and shunt placement (75% vs 53%; all P < .001). The 30-day ipsilateral stroke risk was 1.3% with vs 0.7% without contralateral ICA occlusion (P = .004). The 30-day and 1-year survival estimates were 99.0% ± 0.5% and 94.1% ± 1.1% with vs 99.6% ± 0.1% and 96.0% ± 0.2% without contralateral ICA occlusion (log-rank, P < .001). Logistic regression analysis identified prior neurologic event (P = .046), nonelective surgery (P = .047), absence of coronary artery disease (P = .035), and preoperative angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use (P = .029) to be associated with 30-day ipsilateral stroke risk, but contralateral ICA occlusion remained an independent predictor in that model (odds ratio, 2.29; P = .026). However, after adjustment for other factors (Cox proportional hazards), risk of ipsilateral stroke (including perioperative) during follow-up was not significantly greater with contralateral ICA occlusion (hazard ratio, 1.21; P = .32). Results comparing propensity score-matched cohorts mirrored those from the larger data set.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates likely clinically insignificant differences in early stroke or death in comparing CEA patients with and those without contralateral ICA occlusion. After adjustment for other factors, contralateral ICA occlusion was not associated with a greater risk of ipsilateral stroke (including perioperative) in longer follow-up. Mortality was greater with contralateral ICA occlusion, and this difference was more pronounced at 1 year despite younger age of the contralateral ICA occlusion group. CEA risk remains low even in the presence of contralateral ICA occlusion and appears to be explained at least in part by other factors. CEA should still be considered appropriate in the face of contralateral ICA occlusion.     

髂动脉支架联合股动脉内膜剥脱术治疗多节段髂股动脉闭塞症

目的 探讨多节段髂股动脉闭塞症的治疗手段及临床疗效.方法 选择2008年1月2011年6月间采用髂动脉支架植入联合股动脉内膜剥脱+补片成形术治疗的多节段髂股动脉硬化闭塞症36例患者,其中男性26例,女性10例;年龄49～ 87岁,平均65岁.对患者的随访结果进行回顾性分析,评价术前、后患者临床症状改善情况,采用Kaplan-Meier生存分析比较不同Fontaine分级患者间一期通畅率的差异,采用Cox回归分析筛选影响一期通畅率的独立因素等.结果 本组患者手术均获成功,术后34例(94.4％)临床症状得到明显改善.平均随访24.2个月,一期通畅率为72.2％,辅助一期通畅率为83.3％,二期通畅率为94.4％.生存分析显示FontaineⅡ级患者一期通畅率明显高于Ⅲ、Ⅳ级患者(P =0.041、0.012).Cox回归分析未发现影响术后一期通畅率的独立因素.结论 髂动脉支架植入联合股动脉内膜剥脱+补片成形术是治疗多节段髂股动脉闭塞症的有效方法,随访结果良好.     

Adventitial cystic disease of common femoral artery

Adventitial cystic disease (ACD) is an uncommon cause of ischemia. The majority of ACD is located in the popliteal artery. Over 49 extrapopliteal locations have been described. We report on a case of femoral artery ACD in a young patient with claudication. The diagnosis was made with duplex ultrasound and confirmed with computed tomographic angiogram. The patient underwent a surgical treatment. One year postoperatively, the patient is active with no claudication. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of extrapopliteal artery ACD in Canada.     

Cystic adventitial disease of the common femoral artery.

Cystic adventitial disease consists of a collection of clear gelatinous material within an aberrant synovial-type cyst located in the subadventitial plane of the wall of a major artery. Recurrent minor trauma is presumed to potentiate mucin production and enlargement of the cyst with resultant arterial occlusion and symptoms of ischemia. It occurs most commonly in the popliteal artery in young men; forty-seven such patients have been reported on. Extrapopliteal disease is distinctly less frequent, occurring three times in the external iliac, three times in the radial, once in the ulnar, and once in the common femoral artery. Surgical therapy of choice is evacuation of the gelatinous material and abrasion of the lining of the cyst. Grafting is occasionally necessary. Long-term results are excellent and recurrence is uncommon.