Risk factors associated with postoperative prosthetic graft patency in Leriche syndrome

Background

In Leriche syndrome, postoperative graft thrombosis remains one of the most significant clinical challenges.

Long-term Results of Primary Stent Placement to Treat Infrarenal Aortic Stenosis

OBJECTIVE: To determine the safety and the long-term results of primary stent placement for localized distal aortic occlusive disease. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From July 1998 to July 2005 17 patients (14 female and 3 men, mean age 57 years (39-80)) were treated for intermittent claudication. Five of these patients underwent additional endovascular treatment of focal iliac lesions. RESULTS: Technical success defined as residual stenosis of less than 50% or a trans-stenotic systolic pressure gradient <10% was achieved in 14 of 17 (82%) patients. Major complications included dissection at the puncture site in one patient and thrombosis of additional iliac stents in another patient. Both of these complications were successfully treated. During a mean follow-up of 27 months (range 1-86), four patients had recurrence of symptoms due to in-stent restenoses (n=2), femoral (n=1) or iliac occlusion (n=1), respectively. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, primary aortic hemodynamic patency was 83% at 3 years. Secondary aortic hemodynamic patency was 100%. The primary clinical patency was 68% at 3 years. CONCLUSION: Primary stent placement for distal aortic stenoses is an alternative to surgical treatment because of its high patency and relatively low complication rates.     

下肢动脉硬化闭塞症的外科治疗

目的:探讨外科治疗下肢动脉硬化闭塞症的临床经验。方法:从1995年7月～2002年7月共对292例(313条肢体)动脉硬化闭塞症病人进行外科治疗,其中20条患肢施行解剖外血管重建术,38条患肢施行了腔内外科治疗或合并开放性血管重建手术,255条患肢施行了开放性手术重建下肢血供。结果:手术成功者患肢的踝肱指数与术前比较显著增加(P<0.01),症状得到明显改善。平均随访时间3.1年(0.5～7年),解剖外重建组移植血管一期通畅率为56%,腔内外科组通畅率为78%,开放性手术组通畅率为72%。结论:病人的全身情况、动脉病变的范围和程度是选择下肢动脉硬化闭塞症外科治疗方法的主要依据,为取得较好的长期通畅率和临床效果需要重视围手术期处理和术后随访。     

Coagulation alterations due to local fibrinolytic therapy with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease

Purpose To determine the systemic effects of local fibrinolytic therapy with low-dose recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Methods Ten patients received intrathrombal infusion of 20 mg rt-PA and heparin for local thrombolysis and had subsequent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). Eight controls underwent PTA and received heparin alone. We measured t-PA, D-Dimer, and fibrinogen levels before, directly after, and 20, 40, and 60 min and 24 hr after therapy. Results In the thrombolysis group the t-PA level peaked immediately after infusion and then declined within 1 hr. D-Dimer increased and remained elevated, whereas in the control group only t-PA levels increased, and only after 24 hr. Fibrinogen remained within the normal range in both groups. Eight of ten patients in the thrombolysis group and seven of eight with PTA had clinical improvement after the procedure. Conclusions The increase in D-Dimer in the rt-PA group indicates a good local fibrinolytic effect. The fact that fibrinogen levels remained unchanged indicates that there is a lack of systemic fibrinogenolysis.     

Approved indications of lipo-PGE1 in Japan

For its peripheral vascular dilating effect and platelet agglutination inhibitory activity, prostaglandin E₁ is used in the treatment of diseases which are likely to cause peripheral circulatory failure or thrombus. In Japan, lipo-PGE₁, which was developed to give it a target-directed nature by modifying the conventional PGE₁, has been used and found to be useful in clinical practice. In this report, we attempt to describe the clinical benefits of lipo-PGE₁ focusing on the diseases which have been approved for its indications.     

A randomized prospective comparision of two methods of administering topical treatment in otitis externa

Ten patients with bilateral moderate or severe otitis externa were studied. Following aural toilet each patient was subjected to two different treatments: one ear had alternate day dressings containing a topical antibiotic/steroid mixture, while the external canal of the other was filled with the same topical preparation (sump filling). Improvement in the severity of the otitis externa was assessed after 1 week. 9 out of 10 ear canals improved in each group. An estimate of the relative cost of each treatment was made and sump filling was found to be less expensive. The results suggest that sump filling is a low cost alternative to standard treatment in moderate and severe otitis externa.     

Hepatic falciform artery

The hepatic falciform artery is an occasional terminal branch of the left or middle hepatic artery, and may provide an uncommon but important collateral route when the principal visceral arteries are occluded.     

The use of the skin substitute “omiderm” in the Bashkyrian train catastrophe: a useful adjunct for mass burn casualties Report of 15 cases

Summary In June 1989, two trains exploded when passing over the trans-Ural natural gas pipeline. Eight hundred people were badly burned and between 1500–3000 people died. International assistance was requested by the Soviet government, and the Israel Army Medical Corps assistance delegation treated 40 burned patients who were transferred to the Sklifosovsky Trauma Center in Moscow. Fifteen of them suffered second degree burns with a BSA between 15% to 60%, and were treated with the skin substitute omiderm. Ten days after the application of the dressing, the wounds were epithelized and the patients discharged. The advantages of the omiderm as a skin substitute in second degree burns are described and its usefulness in mass burn casualties emphasized.     

Long-term outcomes using vascular grafts sealed with fragmented autologous adipose tissue for aortoiliac occlusive disease

The aim of this study was to test the safety and efficacy of fragmented autologous adipose tissue (FAT) grafts for revascularization in aortoiliac occlusive disease. Twenty-seven patients with atherosclerotic aortoiliac occlusive disease underwent surgical treatment using FAT grafts. A piece of adipose connective tissue was obtained from the operative wound, cut into small pieces, and pressed into the wall of a fabric vascular prosthesis. Cumulative primary patency rates were 92% at 1 year, 92% at 3 years, and 86% at 6 years. Cumulative secondary patency rates were 96%, 96%, and 90% for the same intervals. In this clinical study, the FAT grafts demonstrated good long-term patency rates and no particular problems. This is the first clinical report of long-term outcomes using FAT grafts for aortofemoral or aortoiliac bypasses. FAT grafts are thus safe for revascularization in aortoiliac occlusive disease.     

Familial occurrence of intracranial arterial occlusive disease (Moyamoya) in neurofibromatosis

Two out of six siblings with neurofibromatosis (in a sibship of eight) had clinical and roentgenographic evidence of Moyamoya-type, intracranial arterial occlusive disease. This rare vascular complication of neurofibromatosis has not previously occurred among primary relatives. Several possible etiologies for such an association are discussed.