Implementation of a vascular acute care surgery model is associated with improved surgeon efficiency and 2-year mortality after lower extremity intervention.

OBJECTIVE: Vascular surgeons work long, unpredictable hours with repeated exposure to high-stress situations. Inspired by general surgery acute care surgery models, we sought to organize the care of vascular emergencies with the implementation of a vascular acute care surgery (VACS) model. Within this model, a surgeon is in-house without elective cases and assigned for consultations and urgent operative cases on a weekly basis. This study examined the impact of a VACS model on postoperative mortality and surgeon efficiency. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort analysis of institutional Vascular Quality Initiative data from July 2014 to July 2023. Patients undergoing lower extremity bypass, peripheral vascular intervention, or amputation were included. There was a washout period from January 2020 to January 2022 to account for COVID-19 pandemic practice abnormalities. Patients were separated into pre- or post-VACS groups. The primary clinical outcomes were 30-day and 2-year mortality. Secondary clinical outcomes included 30-day complications and 30-day and 1-year major adverse limb events (MALE). Separate analyses of operating room data from July 2017 to February 2024 and fiscal data from fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2024 were conducted. A washout period from January 2020 to January 2022 was applied. Efficiency outcomes included monthly relative value units (RVUs) per clinical fraction full-time equivalent (cFTE) and daytime (0730-1700, Monday-Friday) operating room minutes. Patient factors and operative efficiency were compared using appropriate statistical tests. Regression modeling was performed for the primary outcomes. RESULTS: There were 972 and 257 patients in the pre- and post-VACS groups, respectively. Pre-VACS patients were younger (66.8 ± 12.0 vs 68.7 ± 12.7 years; P = .03) with higher rates of coronary artery disease (34.6% vs 14.8%; P < .01), hypertension (88.4% vs 82.2%; P = .01), and tobacco history (84.4% vs 78.2%; P = .02). Thirty-day mortality (2.4% pre-vs 0.8% post-VACS; P = .18) and Kaplan-Meier estimation of 2-year mortality remained stable after VACS (P = .07). VACS implementation was not associated with 30-day mortality but was associated with lower 2-year mortality hazard on multivariable Cox regression (hazard ratio [HR], 0.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.3-0.9; P = .01). Operative efficiency improved post-VACS (median, 850.0; interquartile range [IQR], 765.7-916.3 vs median, 918.0; IQR, 881.0-951.1 RVU/cFTE-month; P = .03). Daytime operating minutes increased (469.1 ± 287.5 vs 908.2 ± 386.2 minutes; P < .01), whereas non-daytime minutes (420.0; IQR, 266.0-654.0 vs 469.5; IQR, 242.0-738.3 minutes; P = .40) and weekend minutes (129.0; IQR, 0.0-298.0 vs 113.5; IQR, 0.0-279.5 minutes; P = .59) remained stable. CONCLUSIONS: A VACS model leads to improvement in surgeon operative efficiency while maintaining patient safety. The adoption of a vascular acute care model has a positive impact on the delivery of comprehensive vascular care.

Implementation of a vascular acute care surgery service model is associated with decreased surgeon burnout.

OBJECTIVE: Vascular surgeons have one of the highest rates of burnout among surgical specialties, often attributed to high patient acuity and clinical workload. Acute Care Surgery models are a potential solution used among general and trauma surgeons. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education survey results from faculty and residents before and after implementation of a vascular Acute Care Surgery (VACS) model. The VACS model assigns a weekly rotation of an attending surgeon with no elective cases or clinic responsibilities and a monthly rotating resident team. Residents and attendings are in-house to cover all urgent and emergent vascular daytime consultations and procedures, whereas nights and weekend coverage remain a typical rotating schedule. Survey question results were binned into domains consistent with the Maslach Burnout Inventory. RESULTS: Both residents and faculty reported an increase in median scores in Maslach Burnout Inventory domains of emotional exhaustion (Faculty: 2.9 vs 3.4; P < .001; Residents: 3.1 vs 3.6; P < .001) and faculty reported higher personal accomplishment scores (Faculty: 3.3 vs 3.8; P = .005) after the VACS model implementation. CONCLUSIONS: A VACS model is a tangible practice change that can address a major problem for current vascular surgeons, as it is associated with decreased burnout for faculty and residents through improvement in both emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment. Improved longitudinal assessment of resident and faculty burnout is needed and future work should identify specific practice patterns related to decreased burnout.

Gender Differences in Aortic Anatomic Severity Grade and Long-Term Survival Following Elective Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair at a Single Tertiary Center.

BACKGROUND: Anatomic severity grade (ASG) score is utilized to assess preoperative abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and provide a quantitative data on its anatomic complexity. The aim of this study is to determine the anatomical differences and long-term survival between male and female patients undergoing elective AAA repair. METHODS: All patients undergoing intact AAA repair from 2007 to 2014 were included. ASG scores were calculated based on preoperative anatomical characteristics including aortic neck, aneurysm, and iliac artery. Standard univariate analysis was used to evaluate patient and anatomical characteristics. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to evaluate long-term survival at 1 and 5 years. RESULTS: A total of 379 patients were identified, of which, majority of them were males (80%). Females were on average 3 years older (mean [SD]: 74.32 [8.63] vs. 71.92 [8.64] years) and were more likely to undergo open repair (29.7% vs. 17.5%) (both P < 0.05). Both groups had similar comorbidities. The mean long-term follow-up (S.D.) was 6.21 (3.81) years. No significant difference was seen between males versus females in long-term survival at both 1 year (86.3% vs. 92.8, P = 0.06) and 5 year (68.5% vs. 72.7%, P = 0.38). In regard to the anatomical characteristics, females had shorter aortic neck length (mean in mm [S.D.]: 17.67 [1.41] vs. 27.20 [15.76]), increased tortuosity index [mean (S.D.): 1.11 (0.07) vs. 1.09 (0.07)]) and higher calcification [mean % (S.D.): 17.12 (21.17) vs. 10.59 (16.82)] (All P < 0.05). In contrast, males had larger aortic neck (mean in mm (S.D.): 23.81 (4.17) vs. 22.41 (4.16)] and iliac artery [mean in mm (S.D.): 7.70 (1.91) vs. 6.28 (1.67)] diameter (both P < 0.05). The mean total ASG score was significantly higher among females versus males [mean (S.D.): 17.23 (4.01) vs. 15.67 (3.96), P = 0.003]. After stratifying by ASG score ≥15, females had significantly lower survival at 1 year compared to males (82.6% vs. 92.1%, P = 0.04). However, this difference disappeared at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrate that females present at an older age with more complex AAA anatomy than males. Based on anatomical complexities, females were more likely to undergo open repair, with a corresponding increase in 1-year mortality, but not at 5 year. The data suggest that care processes for optimization of aortic surgery in females are needed to improve 1-year survival.

Long-term anticoagulation is associated with type II endoleaks and failure of sac regression after endovascular aneurysm repair.

OBJECTIVE: Within the context of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), the role of anticoagulation therapy on endoleak development and subsequent reintervention is unclear with conflicting data in the literature. The hypothesis of this study is that long-term anticoagulation is associated with persistent type II endoleaks and failure of sac regression in patients undergoing endoluminal repair of intact infrarenal aortic aneurysm. METHODS: Retrospective cohort abstracted from the Vascular Quality Initiative index hospitalization and long-term follow-up datasets for EVAR (2003-2017) were included in the analysis. Patients not taking aspirin preoperatively and postoperatively were excluded. Patients taking anticoagulation and aspirin concomitantly (treatment) after the index procedure were compared against patients taking aspirin alone (control). Anticoagulation included warfarin and novel oral anticoagulants, including factor Xa inhibitors and direct thrombin inhibitors. One-to-one greedy matching using propensity scores was implemented to match patients. The primary end points were failure of aneurysm sac regression, sac expansion, risk of endoleak, and reintervention rate for endoleak at follow-up. Sac regression was defined as a decrease of at least 5 mm and sac expansion was defined as an increase of at least 5 mm. RESULTS: There were 9004 patients who received ASA alone and 332 patients who received ASA and anticoagulation. Propensity scores were used to create 301 matching pairs to account for differences in baseline characteristics and comorbidities, including but not limited to age, sex, smoking, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease between the treatment and control groups. After adjusting for covariables anticoagulation use was independently associated with a significantly decreased abdominal aortic aneurysm sac regression (41.59% vs 58.41%; P = .001), but no statistically significant difference in sac expansion with long-term anticoagulation use (9.7% vs 4.9%; P = .056). There was increased risk of type II endoleaks (11.96% vs 6.31%; P = .023; relative risk, 1.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-3.23; P = .016), but no significant differences in type I, III, or indeterminate endoleaks. There was no statistical difference in 2-year reintervention rates (4.32% vs 2.66%; hazard ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.55-3.77; P = .461). There were no differences in any primary outcome between warfarin and novel oral anticoagulants. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that long-term aspirin plus anticoagulation use is associated with a lack of aortic sac reduction and persistent type II endoleak, but not an increased risk for subsequent reintervention. Because prior studies have demonstrated that sac regression is a correlate of survival, these findings associating regression failure suggest a potential therapeutic failure for patients undergoing EVAR who also require long-term anticoagulation therapy. Although not a contraindication, long-term anticoagulation should be considered when counseling patients with a surgical indication aortic aneurysm.

Left Subclavian Artery Coverage is Not Associated with Neurological Deficits in Trauma Patients Undergoing Thoracic Endovascular Repair.

BACKGROUND: Endovascular repair of the thoracic aorta (TEVAR) outcomes have been studied with an interest in complications related to left subclavian artery (LSA) coverage in patients with atherosclerotic pathologies; however, specific data on the management of the LSA in a trauma population are lacking. The objective of this study is to evaluate outcomes following TEVAR for traumatic aortic injury based on LSA coverage. METHODS: The Vascular Quality Initiative thoracic endovascular aortic repair module (2010-2017) was analyzed. Patients were included if they had a traumatic aortic injury requiring TEVAR. Patients were placed in 2 groups based on coverage of the LSA. Patients were propensity score matched and the primary outcomes were cerebrovascular symptoms and spinal cord ischemia. Additional clinical and resource utilization outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Four hundred and fifty one patients were included in the analysis. There were 268 patients in the LSA not-covered group and 183 patients in the LSA covered group. The mean aortic injury grade was 2.88 ± 0.056 vs. 2.88 ± 0.049 in the covered versus not-covered group (P = 0.957). Glasgow coma scale and injury severity score were not different between the groups. There was no difference between groups for cerebrovascular symptoms or spinal cord ischemia, 1.4% vs. 2.8%, P = 0.684 and 0% vs. 2.1%, P = 0.247, after propensity score matching. Significant differences in access site complications and resource utilization were identified between groups. CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest series to evaluate complications based on LSA coverage following TEVAR in trauma patients. Our data demonstrate that coverage of the LSA during TEVAR following blunt trauma is associated with no difference in central nervous system outcomes. As such, LSA revascularization strategies, while possible, are not directly supported by these data and should be individualized based on each patient's specific clinical scenario.

One-year patient survival correlates with surgeon volume after elective open abdominal aortic surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Volume-outcome relationships in surgery have been well established. Studies have shown that high-volume surgeons provide improved outcomes in performing open abdominal aneurysm repairs. The hypothesis of this study was that high-volume surgeons provide superior short-term and midterm outcomes of elective open aortic operations compared with low-volume surgeons. METHODS: We evaluated patients undergoing elective open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortofemoral bypass, and aortomesenteric bypass by board-certified vascular surgeons using the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database from 2002 to 2014. The Contal and O'Quigley technique was used to estimate a cut point objectively and provided an estimate of significance. A division using average yearly volumes (averaged during 3 years) of seven or more cases and fewer than seven cases per year returned the highest Q statistic, and this grouping was used to classify high-volume and low-volume provider groups. Rates of complications during index hospitalization, length of stay, 30-day survival, 90-day survival, 1-year survival, and cause of death were analyzed using mixed effect models. RESULTS: In 118 hospitals during the 13-year period, 266 board-certified vascular surgeons performed 244 aortomesenteric bypasses, 4202 aortofemoral bypasses, and 6126 abdominal aortic aneurysm repairs. High-volume surgeons' rates of complications during index hospitalization, 30-day survival, 90-day survival, and 1-year survival were superior to those of low-volume surgeons. The Contal and O'Quigley technique returned an estimate of seven operations per year for optimal survival during 1 year. This cutoff is associated with an adjusted 1-year hazard ratio of 0.687 (P = .003), a 2.69% difference in 1-year all-cause survival (P = .003), and a 1.76-day reduction in the mean length of stay at index hospitalization (P < .001). Higher volume surgeons showed a 25.0%, 43.4%, 42.4%, 40.6%, and 45.0% reduction in postoperative rates of acute renal failure (P < .001), hemorrhage (P < .001), pulmonary failure (P < .001), sepsis (P < .001), and venous thromboembolism (P < .001), respectively. Abdominal abscess, acute renal failure, hemorrhage, myocardial infarction, and sepsis were associated with increased cardiovascular cause-specific mortality after open aortic operations (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that high-volume surgeons performing elective open aortic operations provide reduced complications and improved short-term and midterm survival compared with low-volume surgeons. Clinical and postoperative variables that are associated with increased cardiovascular cause-specific mortality are also identified. These data provide further evidence that elective open abdominal vascular surgery should be centralized to high-volume surgeons.

Association Between the Atherosclerotic Disease Risk Score and Carotid Artery Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Carotid artery stenosis (CAS) is the most frequently detected treatable cause of ischemic stroke. However, there are no recommendations to screen asymptomatic patients. The atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score estimates individuals' 10-year risk for developing cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study is to identify a relationship between the ASCVD risk score and moderate/severe CAS based on ultrasound findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a single-institution retrospective review of patients who underwent a surveillance ultrasound for CAS between 2015 and 2018. We used Strandness velocity criteria to separate patients into two cohorts: none to mild CAS (<50%) and moderate/severe CAS (≥50%). We performed Student's t-test, multivariate analysis, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to determine a relationship between the ASCVD risk score and degree of CAS. We evaluated a new risk score model based on stepwise logistic regression of significant variables on univariate analysis. RESULTS: Two thousand eight hundred and fifty-six patients with carotid ultrasounds (1623 with none to mild, 1161 with moderate, and 72 with severe disease) were included in the study. The ASCVD risk score significantly predicted moderate/severe CAS in an adjusted multivariate analysis. Each 10% increase in the ASCVD risk score corresponded to an additional 11% likelihood of moderate/severe stenosis (OR: 1.11 [1.04-1.20], P = 0.004). The ROC area under the curve for predicting moderate/severe CAS based on the ASCVD risk score was 0.59 (Youden index (J) = 0.14); the optimized ASCVD cutoff point was 28.4%. Our new atherosclerotic disease model demonstrated increased odds of moderate/severe CAS with scores greater than zero (ROC area under the curve = 0.57). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to demonstrate an association between atherosclerotic disease risk factors as measured by the ASCVD risk score and moderate/severe CAS. However, this tool is not sensitive or specific for using the ASCVD risk score as a screening mechanism for moderate/severe CAS.

Evaluation of Opioid Prescription and Consumption Habits Following Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair.

BACKGROUND: There has been a dramatic rise in opioid-related deaths over the past decade. Most of the reduction strategies have focused on outpatient use; however, recent studies have demonstrated an association between inpatient opioid use and consumption following discharge across a variety of surgical procedures. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association of inpatient use of opioids as well as the consumption of opioids after discharge following endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). METHODS: A prospectively maintained database was reviewed for cases between 2015 and 2018. Patients were included in the study if they underwent an elective EVAR, had an intensive care unit stay less than 1 day and total length of stay less than 3 days. Patients were contacted to participate in a survey of opioid use if they received a prescription at discharge. The primary outcome was percent of prescribed opioids consumed following discharge. Multivariate analyses were performed to determine predictors of receiving an opioid prescription. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-one patients were included in the analysis; 95% patients were white and 85% male. 59% of patients responded to the survey. Seventy-one (42%) received an opioid prescription at discharge. Patients that received a discharge prescription tended to be younger (71 vs. 75 years, P = 0.005) and more likely to have received opioids while in the hospital (79% vs. 45%, P < 0.001). Additionally, patients who received opioids at discharge received a significantly greater amount of milligram oral morphine equivalents (OME) while in the hospital (27.76 ± 38.91 vs. 10.05 ±29.43, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated age, estimated blood loss (EBL), and OME per day to be significant inpatient predictors of requiring an outpatient opioid prescription. Open femoral access (27%) was not a predictor of opioid prescription at discharge. A total of 1185 pills were prescribed (29.6 ± 2.06 per patient), but only 208 pills consumed (5.2 ± 1.27 per patient). Around 82% of total pills prescribed were not consumed. CONCLUSIONS: This study evaluates inpatient opioid use and postdischarge consumption following EVAR. These data identify key factors associated with receiving an opioid prescription at discharge and demonstrate that patients consume far fewer opioids than prescribed. These findings provide insight as to which patients may not require an outpatient prescription following EVAR, leading to potential practice-changing opioid reduction strategies.

Regional Variation in Usage of Ultrasound-Guided Femoral Access in the Vascular Quality Initiative.

BACKGROUND: Access site complications are among the most common complications following peripheral vascular interventions. Previous studies have demonstrated a reduced rate of complications with ultrasound-guided vascular access (UGVA). The objective of this study is to evaluate the regional use of UGVA within the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI). METHODS: The VQI peripheral intervention module between 2010 and 2018 was evaluated. Regional ID was used to compare distribution of ultrasound usage. Regions were grouped into terciles based on the rate of ultrasound use. Patients were categorized based on type of access. Primary outcome was use of ultrasound across regions. Secondary outcomes were access site complications. RESULTS: Over 43,000 cases across the 18 VQI regions were evaluated. The average rate of ultrasound usage was 71% across the regions with a wide variation (range 38-97%). There is a significant difference in utilization among the top third (87%), middle third (79%), and bottom third (58%) (P < 0.001). Average sheath size was similar across all 3 groups. A higher use of ultrasound-guided access was associated with significantly fewer access site complications (top third 1.96% vs. bottom third 3.04%, P < 0.001), the most significant of which was a decreased rate of access site hematoma (top third 1.37% vs. bottom third 2.35%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to evaluate ultrasound-guided access across VQI regions. Our results demonstrate that despite strong evidence supporting the utilization of UGVA, there remains a wide variation in ultrasound usage across VQI regions. This is also the first study to show that the prevalence of ultrasound use in peripheral vascular interventions (PVI) is inversely related to access site complications. Given all of the data supporting the usage of UGVA across numerous specialties, our findings encourage the consideration of an ultrasound-first approach for vascular access in PVI and the implementation of targeted strategies and evidence-based guidelines to enhance UGVA utilization in PVI.

Postdischarge Opioid Use after Lower Extremity Bypass Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Opioid overprescription for acute postoperative pain is an inadvertent contributor to the opioid epidemic via pill diversion and misuse. In response, the surgical community advocates for evidence-based postoperative opioid prescribing guidelines. The objective of this study is to evaluate patient-reported opioid consumption after lower extremity bypass surgery. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of infrainguinal bypass operations from 2016 to 2019. For patients receiving an opioid prescription at discharge, a telephone survey was administered questioning the percentage of pills used. Exclusion criteria included chronic opioid use and reoperations or amputations within 30 days. The primary outcome was the difference in opioids prescribed versus opioids consumed. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients met inclusion criteria. Forty-one (84%) were prescribed opioids at discharge, and 27 (65.9%) completed the survey. The average age was 65.8 ± 7.7 years; 29.6% were women. Oxycodone immediate-release was most commonly prescribed (78%). On average, patients received 318 ± 156 morphine milligram equivalent. A total of 940 opioid pills were prescribed (36.0 ± 11.3 per patient), but only 37% were consumed. This difference resulted in 568 unused pills. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to specifically evaluate opioid use in a strictly lower extremity bypass population. Over 60% of pills were unused, which poses significant societal risk for misuse. Our findings contribute to knowledge of operation-specific opioid use, which may shape practice recommendations and reduce opioid overprescription after vascular surgery.

Opioid Consumption after Carotid Revascularization.

BACKGROUND: Opioid overdose is now the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. Overprescription of opioids is one factor contributing to this epidemic. Previous studies demonstrated an overprescription of opioids compared with patient consumption after general surgery procedures. The objective of this study is to evaluate opioid consumption after carotid revascularization. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of the opioid-prescribing habits after discharge of carotid revascularization. Patients who were documented to receive an opioid prescription were included in the study. A phone survey was conducted to determine patient consumption of the prescribed pills. Surgical procedures include carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and transcarotid arterial revascularization (TCAR). The primary outcome is the difference between opioids prescribed and opioids consumed. RESULTS: There were 209 patients available for inclusion. The mean age was 68 years with white (98%) males (58%) making up most patients. CEA and TCAR accounted for 75% and 25% of cases, respectively. About 98 (47%) patients were prescribed opioids after discharge. Eight were excluded from analysis (3 for prior opioid use and 5 declined participation). About 71% of patients participated in the survey. A total of 1,623 pills were prescribed (25.4 ± 5.5 per patient), but only 336 pills were consumed (5.3 ± 1.1 per patient). About 1,287 (79% of total) pills were not consumed. CONCLUSIONS: These data are the first to compare opioid prescription with opioid consumption after carotid revascularization. We demonstrate that patients consume much less opioids than prescribed. These findings indicate that a reduction in opioid prescriptions may be possible after carotid revascularization.

Increasing surgeon volume correlates with patient survival following open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

OBJECTIVE: The annual number of open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repairs has decreased dramatically over the last decade, making the search for physician case volume thresholds more important. The purpose of this study was to identify a minimum threshold for annual surgeon case volume in open AAA repair. METHODS: The New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System inpatient database was used to identify all patients undergoing open repair of an intact AAA between 2000 and 2008. Thirty-day survival was calculated using New York State vital records, which contain all New York State death certificates. The annual case volume for each surgeon was defined as the number of open AAA repairs performed in the year of the index procedure. The Contal and O'Quigley method was used to identify a minimum volume threshold. RESULTS: A total of 11,086 patients were included in the analysis. The selected cutpoint was six or more cases per year based on maximization of the Contal and O'Quigley test statistic. The high-volume group had comparable rates of cardiovascular comorbidities, but significantly improved 30-day and 5-year survival rates as well as shorter lengths of stay in the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies an ideal threshold for minimum annual surgeon case volume for open AAA repair. Over the study period, perioperative mortality would not have occurred in up to 150 patients if all procedures had been done by high-volume surgeons performing at least six repairs per year. However, even a minimum annual threshold of at least two repairs per year provided a mortality benefit. Ideal minimum volume thresholds should be developed using rigorous statistical analysis as well as local information about practice patterns.

Prediction of postoperative myocardial infarction after suprainguinal bypass using the Vascular Quality Initiative Cardiac Risk Index.

BACKGROUND: The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) Cardiac Risk Index (CRI) was developed to estimate the risk of postoperative myocardial infarction (POMI) for noncardiac vascular procedures. Whereas suprainguinal bypass carried the second highest odds of POMI, the performance of the all-procedure model declined when it was applied to the suprainguinal subset. We sought to improve the VQI CRI for application in this high-risk group undergoing open revascularization for aortoiliac occlusive disease. METHODS: The VQI Suprainguinal Bypass Registry was queried for elective procedures performed between January 2010 and March 2017. Logistic regression was used to create a model for estimating the risk of in-hospital POMI with preoperative variables including demographics, comorbidities, and planned inflow source. After adjustment for overfitting, internal validation was performed using both bootstrapping and 10-fold cross-validation methods. RESULTS: Among 8157 procedures, the incidence of POMI was 3.2% (n = 258). After bootstrapping variable selection, age, graft inflow, preoperative stress test, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, indication for procedure, and coronary artery disease were chosen for inclusion as predictors in the final risk model. The final model demonstrated good discrimination (area under the curve = 0.725). On internal validation, the model discriminated well (area under the curve = 0.713), with good calibration (plot intercept = 0.0006 and slope = 1.001). Using this model, POMI risk estimates ranged from 0.6% to 30.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Whereas the incidence of POMI among all suprainguinal bypasses was 3%, model-based estimates ranged 50-fold, from 0.6% to 30.4%. This underscores the heterogeneity of this cohort and the need for patient-specific risk estimation. Although some of the strongest predictors were nonmodifiable (eg, age), the model provided specific estimates according to graft inflow and stress testing. This supraspecific VQI CRI module risk predictor may enhance preoperative counseling by influencing the decision to pursue preoperative stress testing and ultimately the type of revascularization strategy chosen.

Aortoiliac calcification correlates with 5-year survival after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

BACKGROUND: An anatomic severity grade (ASG) score to categorize and to define anatomic factors for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair was proposed. Other studies have previously reported that aortic anatomic complexity is a marker of survival and resource utilization after repair, although it remains unclear whether individual components of the ASG score independently contribute to survival. This study analyzed and validated an aortic and iliac artery calcium scoring system that can potentially predict survival after AAA repair. METHODS: Patients who underwent infrarenal AAA repairs from July 2007 to May 2012 were analyzed using complete 5-year records. Those who died ≤30 days of surgery were excluded. Calcium score (CS) was defined using the ASG scoring system for its basis by preoperative imaging <6 months before surgery. A CS for any patient was 0 to 5 points, the sum of the points assigned to aortic neck (2 points total) and iliac artery (3 points total) calcification. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine a CS threshold for mortality. The 5-year survivors and deaths were compared in regard to comorbidities, pharmacology, and CS at or above the defined threshold. Each variable with a P value <.1 between the groups was then placed into a Cox proportional hazards model, with statistical significance of P < .05. RESULTS: There were 356 patients who underwent AAA repair with complete 5-year follow-up data; 26% died within 5 years of surgery. Of these, 13% had CS of 0 with 15% mortality, 28% had CS of 1 with 21% mortality, 24% had CS of 2 with 24% mortality, 23% had CS of 3 with 35% mortality, 10% had CS of 4 with 40% mortality, and 2% had CS of 5 with 17% mortality. The receiver operating characteristic curve demonstrated an appropriate threshold of CS 3. Of these patients, 65% had a CS <3, whereas 35% had a CS ≥3. Patients with a CS ≥3 had a lower 5-year survival probability (P = .003). Comparing 5-year survivors and deaths in a Cox proportional hazards analysis, CS ≥3 was associated with a hazard ratio of 1.579 (95% confidence interval, 1.038-2.402; P = .0328). CONCLUSIONS: A CS ≥3 is linked to a lower 5-year survival after AAA repair in our population. This system potentially can be another measure for risk stratification and serve as a means to predict midterm mortality in AAA repairs. Future study will be needed for further validation to predict midterm mortality and to better guide surgical decision-making.

Recurrent Superior Mesenteric Artery Stent Fracture.

Ostial stenosis of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is usually a benign finding due to the significant collateralization inherent with visceral vessels. There is a subset of patients, however, with significant atherosclerotic disease leading to in situ thrombosis and subsequent mesenteric ischemia requiring intervention. Over the last 20 years, management of mesenteric ischemia-acute or chronic-has transitioned from an open embolectomy or bypass to an endovascular-first approach involving angioplasty and stenting. We are reporting a unique case of recurrent SMA stent fracture with imaging demonstrating diaphragmatic compression of the SMA during the respiratory cycle, subsequent management, and recommendations for future intervention.

Superior 3-Year Value of Open and Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm with High-Volume Providers.

BACKGROUND: Conflicting literature exists regarding resource utilization for cardiovascular care when stratified by provider volume. This study investigates the differences in value of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair by high- and low-volume providers. The hypothesis of this study is that high-volume providers will provide superior value AAA repairs when compared to low-volume providers. METHODS: Using the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database and its linked death database, patients undergoing intact open and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) were identified over a 10-year period. Charge data were normalized to year 2016 dollars and the data stratified by repair modality and annual surgeon volume. Univariate technique was used to compare the 2 groups over a 3-year follow-up period. RESULTS: Nine hundred eleven surgeons performed open AAA repairs and 615 performed EVAR. For both repair modalities, and despite a patient population with more vascular risk factors, the cumulative adjusted charge for all aneurysm-related care was significantly less for high-volume providers than low-volume providers. The calculated 3-year value-patient life years per cumulative charge-was also superior for high-volume providers compared to low-volume providers. This difference in charge and value persisted after propensity score matching for race, sex, insurance status, and common vascular comorbidities including hypertension, dyslipidemia, and a history of smoking. CONCLUSIONS: High-volume surgeons performing repair of aortic aneurysms provide superior value when compared to low-volume providers. The improved value margin is driven by both lower charge and improved survival, despite an increased incidence of cardiovascular comorbidities. This study adds support for the regionalization of care for patients with aortic aneurysm.

Aspirin use is associated with decreased radiologically-determined thrombus sac volume in abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Introduction Formation and renewal of intramural thrombus is associated with inflammation, and contributes to the complexity of aneurysm repair. Current cardiovascular pharmacotherapy includes several inflammatory modulators such as aspirin, statins, clopidogrel, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. The purpose of our study was to investigate the effect of these inflammatory modulators on radiographically-determined thrombus sac volume. Methods Pre-operative computed tomography scans were reviewed in patients who underwent elective infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair. Thrombus sac volume was obtained using a Hounsfield unit restricted region growth algorithm. Co-morbid conditions such as diabetes mellitus and post-operative complications were evaluated compared to thrombus sac volume. Receiver-operator characteristic curves were generated for thrombus sac volume and patients on the various cardiovascular pharmacotherapies. Results A total of 266 patients (mean age = 72.6 ± 0.6 years; mean thrombus sac volume = 58.7 (34.4-89.0) cm3) were identified. Acetylsalicylic acid use was associated with a decreased thrombus sac volume ≤50 cm3 (AUC = 0.616, p = 0.013) whereas statins ( p = 0.26), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors ( p = 0.46), and clopidogrel ( p = 0.62) had no correlation to thrombus sac volume. Diabetes mellitus was not associated with thrombus sac volume ( p = 0.31). Conclusion Acetylsalicylic acid use is associated with decreased thrombus sac volume in a patient population undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysms repair. The effect of acetylsalicylic acid over other anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet agents is possibly attributable to its distinct mechanism of cyclooxygenase-1 inhibition. Diabetes mellitus, a known correlate of aneurysm incidence, is not associated with thrombus burden. The potential to alter aneurysm thrombus volume, thereby affecting aneurysm morphology, may yield a more favorable aneurysmal repair.

Outcomes for critical limb ischemia are driven by lower extremity revascularization volume, not distance to hospital.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify relationships among geographic access to care, vascular procedure volume, limb preservation, and survival in patients diagnosed with critical limb ischemia (CLI). METHODS: Using New York State administrative data from 2000 to 2013, we identified a patient's first presentation with CLI defined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnosis and procedure codes. Distance from the patient's home to the index hospital was calculated using the centroids of the respective ZIP codes. A multivariable logistic regression model was employed to estimate the impact of distance, major lower extremity amputation (LEA) volume, and lower extremity revascularization (LER) volume on major amputation and 30-day mortality. Volumes and distances were analyzed in quintiles. The farthest distance quintile and the highest procedure volume quintiles were used as references for generating odds ratios (ORs). RESULTS: There were 49,576 patients identified with an initial presentation of CLI. The median age was 73 years, 35,829 (73.2%) had Medicare as a primary insurer, 11,395 (23.0%) had a major amputation, and 4249 (8.6%) died within 30 days of admission. Patients in the closest distance quintile were more likely to undergo amputation (OR, 1.53 [1.39-1.68]; P < .0001). Patients who visited hospitals in the lowest LER volume quintile with at least one procedure per year faced higher 30-day mortality rates (OR, 2.05 [1.67-2.50]; P < .0001) and greater odds of amputation (OR, 9.94 [8.5-11.63]; P < .0001). Patients who visited hospitals in the lowest LEA volume quintile had lower odds of 30-day mortality (OR, 0.66 [0.50-0.87]; P = .0033) and lower odds of amputation (OR, 0.180 [0.142-0.227]; P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Rates of major amputation are inversely associated with distance from the index hospital, whereas rates of both major amputation and mortality are inversely associated with LER volume. Rates of major amputation and mortality are directly associated with LEA volume. We believe that unless it is otherwise contraindicated, these data support consideration for selective referral of CLI patients to high-volume centers for LER regardless of distance. Within the context of value-based health care delivery, policy supporting regionalization of CLI care into centers of excellence may improve outcomes for these patients.

Bundling of Reimbursement for Inferior Vena Cava Filter Placement Resulted in Significantly Decreased Utilization between 2012 and 2014.

BACKGROUND: On January 1, 2012, reimbursement for inferior vena cava filters (IVCFs) became bundled by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This resulted in ICVF placement (CPT code 37191) now yielding 4.71 relative value units (RVUs), a decrease from 15.6 RVUs for placement and associated procedures (CPT codes 37620, 36010, 75825-26, 75940-26). Our hypothesis was that IVCF utilization would decrease in response to this change as other procedures had done once they had become bundled. METHODS: Including data from 2010 to 2011 (before bundling) and 2012 to 2014 (after bundling), we utilized 5% inpatient, outpatient, and carrier files of Medicare limited data sets and analyzed IVCF utilization before and after bundling across specialty types, controlling for total diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) (ICD-9 codes 453.xx and 415.xx, respectively) and placement location. RESULTS: In 2010 and 2011, the rates/10,000 DVT/PE diagnoses were 918 and 1,052, respectively (average 985). In 2012, 2013, and 2014, rates were 987, 877, and 605, respectively (average 823). Comparing each year individually, there is a significant difference (P < 0.0001) with 2012, 2013, and 2014 having lower rates of ICVF utilization. Comparing averages in the 2010-2011 and 2012-2014 groups, there is also a significant decrease in utilization after bundling (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Following the bundling of reimbursement for IVCF placement, procedural utilization decreased significantly. More data from subsequent years will be needed to show if this decrease utilization continues to persist.

Aortic anatomic severity grade correlates with resource utilization.

BACKGROUND: Potential cost effectiveness of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) compared with open aortic repair (OAR) is offset by the use of intraoperative adjuncts (components) or late reinterventions. Anatomic severity grade (ASG) can be used preoperatively to assess abdominal aortic aneurysms, and provide a quantitative measure of anatomic complexity. The hypothesis of this study is that ASG is directly related to the use of intraoperative adjuncts and cost of aortic repair. METHODS: Patients who undergo elective OAR and EVAR for abdominal aortic aneurysms were identified over a consecutive 3-year period. ASG scores were calculated manually using three-dimensional reconstruction software by two blinded reviewers. Statistical analysis of cost data was performed using a log transformation. Regression analyses, with a continuous or dichotomous outcome, used a generalized estimating equations approach with the sandwich estimator, being robust with respect to deviations from model assumptions. RESULTS: One hundred forty patients were identified for analysis, n = 33 OAR and n = 107 EVAR. The mean total cost (± standard deviation) for OAR was per thousand (k) $38.3 ± 49.3, length of stay (LOS) 13.5 ± 14.2 days, ASG score 18.13 ± 3.78; for EVAR, mean total cost was k $24.7 ± 13.0 (P = .016), LOS 3.0 ± 4.4 days (P = .012), ASG score 15.9 ± 4.13 (P = .010). In patients who underwent EVAR, 25.2% required intraoperative adjuncts, and analysis of this group revealed a mean total cost of k $31.5 ± 15.9, ASG score 18.48 ± 3.72, and LOS 3.9 ± 4.5, which were significantly greater compared with cases without adjunctive procedures. An ASG score of ≥15 correlated with an increased propensity for requirement of intraoperative adjuncts; odds ratio, 5.75 (95% confidence interval, 1.82-18.19). ASG >15 was also associated with chronic kidney disease, end stage renal disease, hypertension, female sex, increased cost, and use of adjunctive procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Complex aneurysm anatomy correlates with increased total cost and need for adjunctive procedures during EVAR. Preoperative assessment with ASG scores can delineate patients at greater risk for increased resource use. Patient comorbid factors are associated with anatomic complexity defined according to ASG. A critical examination of the relationship between anatomic complexity and finances is required within the context of aggressive endovascular treatment strategies and shifts toward value-based reimbursement.