Use of the Covera Stent Graft for the Treatment of Dysfunctional or Thrombosed Arteriovenous Grafts: A Retrospective Analysis of 64 Patients

PurposeTo retrospectively evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Covera stent graft (SG) for the treatment of dysfunctional or thrombosed arteriovenous grafts (AVGs).Materials and MethodsWithin 29 months (February 2016–August 2018), 79 patients underwent Covera SG placement in the authors’ department for the treatment of dysfunctional AVGs. Data were available for 64 patients who underwent 64 procedures, using 64 devices. Minimum follow-up was 6 months, unless reintervention occurred. Mean follow-up was 277 days (6–923 days). Treatment characteristics were 51 cases with venous-graft anastomosis (VGA) stenosis (79.7%), 13 cases of puncture zone stenosis (20.3%), 14 cases of in SG stenosis (21.9%), 8 cases of pseudoaneurysm treatment (12.5%) (1 treatment area might have had more than 1 characteristic). Thirty-six patients presented with thrombosis (56.2%), and 31 of 64 case were de novo treatment areas (48.4%). Primary outcome measurements were technical success and post-intervention primary patency (PIPP) at 6 months, whereas secondary outcome measurements included factors influencing primary outcome.ResultsTechnical success was 100%. Median PIPP was 336 days, and 73.6% of treatment areas were patent at 6 months. There were no significant differences in terms of PIPP when de novo treatment areas were compared with restenotic areas (519 vs. 320 days, respectively; P = .1); patients who presented with versus those who presented without thrombosis (320 vs. 583 days, respectively; P = .07); puncture zone stenosis or elsewhere (329 vs. 686 days, respectively; P = .52); and VGA stenosis or elsewhere (336 vs. 335 days, respectively; P = .9).ConclusionsUse of the Covera SG for AVG treatment was safe and effective in every type of treatment area presented in this retrospective analysis.     

Pulsatile Perfusion Reduces the Incidence of Delayed Graft Function in Expanded Criteria Donor Kidney Transplantation

The use of expanded criteria donors (ECD) has been proposed to help combat the discrepancy between organ availability and need. ECD kidneys are associated with delayed graft function (DGF) and worse long-term survival. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of pulsatile perfusion (PP) on DGF and graft survival in transplanted ECD kidneys. From January 2000 to December 2003, 4618 ECD kidney-alone transplants were reported to the United Network for Organ Sharing. PP was performed on 912 renal allografts. The prognostic factors of DGF were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Risk factors for reduced allograft viability were greater in donors and recipients of PP kidneys. Three-year graft survival of ECD kidneys preserved with PP was similar to cold storage (CS) kidneys. The incidence of DGF in PP kidneys was significantly lower than CS kidneys (26% vs. 36%, p < 0.001). Despite having a greater number of risk factors for reduced graft viability, the ECD-PP kidneys had similar graft survival compared to ECD-CS kidneys. The use of PP, by decreasing the incidence of DGF, may possibly lead to lower overall costs and increased utilization of donor kidneys.     

The Broad Spectrum of Quality in Deceased Donor Kidneys

The quality of the deceased donor organ clearly is one of the most crucial factors in determining graft survival and function in recipients of a kidney transplant. There has been considerable effort made towards evaluating these organs culminating in an amendment to allocation policy with the introduction of the expanded criteria donor (ECD) policy.
Our study, from first solitary adult deceased donor transplant recipients from 1996 to 2002 in the National Scientific Transplant Registry database, presents a donor kidney risk grade based on significant donor characteristics, donor–recipient matches and cold ischemia time, generated directly from their risk for graft loss. We investigated the impact of our donor risk grade in a naïve cohort on short- and long-term graft survival, as well as in subgroups of the population.
The projected half-lives for overall graft survival in recipients by donor risk grade were I (10.7 years), II (10.0 years), III (7.9 years), IV (5.7 years) and V (4.5 years). This study indicates that there is great variability in the quality of deceased donor kidneys and that the assessment of risk might be enhanced by this scoring system as compared to the simple two-tiered system of the current ECD classification.     

面颊部扩张皮瓣的设计和转移

目的探讨利用扩张皮瓣修复面颊不同部位皮肤缺损的扩张皮瓣设计。方法269例面颊部血管瘤、瘢痕、色素痣患者,依不同的皮肤缺损位置,在邻近部位放置大小适度的1~3个50~400ml容积的扩张器,扩张充分后采用推进皮瓣法、旋转推进皮瓣法和易位皮瓣法修复。结果269例中共形成305个扩张皮瓣,利用推进皮瓣121个,旋转推进皮瓣145个,易位皮瓣39个;共出现并发症52例,分别为扩张皮瓣远端血运障碍、血肿形成、感染、注水壶渗漏、扩张器外露、睑外翻和包囊挛缩,这些并发症基本未影响最终的手术效果,术后面颊部形态正常。结论我们提出的扩张皮瓣的设计和转移原则,对于面颊部的皮肤缺损组织扩张术治疗有非常重要的参考价值。     

降低ePTFE隆鼻术后感染发生率的临床研究

目的:寻找一种降低膨体聚四氟乙烯(ePTFE)隆鼻术后感染发生率的方法。方法:尝试将雕刻成形的ePTFE假体放入含有庆大霉素溶液的注射器内,负压抽吸使庆大霉素溶液进入材料的孔隙,然后将假体置入。结果:比较处理组与未处理组感染发生的情况,庆大霉素处理组的感染率明显低于未处理组,有显著性差异。结论:该方法是一种减少ePTFE隆鼻术后感染发生率的简便易行方法。     

超微孔膨体聚四氟乙烯人工心脏瓣膜体外流体力学的评价

目的采用新型高分子材料制备人工心脏瓣膜,并对其体外流体力学特征作出评价。方法将片状超微孔膨体聚四氟乙烯材料缝制于弹性支架上做成人工心脏瓣膜,以Baxter人工双叶机械瓣作对照,对新型瓣膜进行了静态泄漏和定常流测试。结果两种瓣膜静态泄漏率无显著差异(P>0.05),定常流下高分子瓣膜跨瓣压差更低,两组间存在显著差异(P<0.001)。结论新型高分子人工心脏瓣膜体外流体动力学性能优于Baxter机械瓣。     

EGSB反应器中SRB污泥颗粒化的工艺条件

采用小试规模的EGSB反应器,接种厌氧絮状污泥,培养出SRB颗粒污泥并研究了SRB颗粒污泥形成的工艺条件与影响因素。研究表明,进水SO4^2-负荷、碳氮磷源、COD与SO4^2-质量浓度比、反应器的启动方式、水力负荷、微量元素、H2S、pH、温度等是影响SRB污泥颗粒化的主要工艺条件。     

扩张程度和皮肤血运关系的实验研究

目的研究扩张皮肤血运和扩张程度的关系。方法以扩张容量和扩张皮肤面积作为扩张程度的指标，观察猪皮肤在不同程度超量扩张下的皮肤激光多普勒血流值（LDF）和血管造影。结果超量扩张下LDF呈下降的趋势，而血管密度却是增加的，主要以小静脉和微小静脉的增生扩张为主。结论超量扩张下虽然皮肤血管密度增加，但皮肤血运却逐渐下降。本文浅略解释了这一特殊现象的机制。     

No correlation between number of MRI-evident lesions in cerebrum and the soleus stretch reflex in multiple sclerosis patients

The aim of the study was to investigate if the stretch reflex of the soleus muscle was useful in quantifying upper motor neuron lesions. The soleus stretch reflex was recorded in 10 healthy subjects and 20 patients with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and correlated to the number of MRI lesions in cerebrum and clinical scores (expanded disability status scale and regional functional scoring system). The short latency stretch reflex was elicited by rotating the left ankle joint 4 degrees with a rise time in the interval of 40-640 ms. The amplitude of the stretch was larger in multiple sclerosis patients being 88.5 microV in patients and 12.8 microV in controls, P = 0.007. The sensitivity of the stretch reflex expressed as the slope of the best linear fit was increased in MS patients to 2.6 microVs/degree compared with 0.6 microVs/degree (0.1-2.2) in controls, P = 0.009. There was no correlation between amplitude of the stretch reflex and number of MRI lesions (r = -0.03). In conclusion, the soleus stretch reflex might be useful to quantify spasticity but is not useful in detecting dysfunction of upper motor neurons in MS.