Use of the 11-Item Modified Frailty Index to Determine Accurate Prognosis and Revascularization Strategy in Patients Undergoing Vascular Bypass Surgery for Intermittent Claudication.

BACKGROUND: In cases of intermittent claudication (IC) where traditionally noninvasive management yields unsatisfactory results, revascularization strategy in IC patients is generally decided based on anatomical considerations and the availability of a saphenous vein graft. Life expectancy should also be considered. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the 11-item modified frailty index (mFI-11) and the overall survival (OS) in patients with IC who underwent vascular bypass surgery to facilitate revascularization strategy selection. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 144 consecutive patients (153 lower limbs) who underwent infrainguinal bypass for IC between 2011 and 2020. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on their mFI-11 score: high frailty (H), mFI score >0.3; and low frailty (L), mFI score ≤0.3. The OS was compared among the 2 groups. Rates of graft patency and freedom from major adverse limb event (ffMALE) were also determined and compared. RESULTS: Five-year OS in the L and H groups was 92% and 55% (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that mFI, age, and end-stage renal disease were independent predictors of OS. Five-year rates of primary and secondary patency and ffMALE for vein grafts were 81%, 91%, and 94%, respectively; those for prosthetic grafts were 65%, 80%, and 84%, respectively; the differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: The mFI-11 was a helpful tool in predicting OS for patients with IC who underwent vascular bypass surgery. Those with H should not undergo open revascularization; however, for IC patients who have either not responded to a regimen of exercise and medication, or have specifically requested a more aggressive approach, obtaining a good score in frailty assessment is useful in determining whether or not bypass surgery would be a viable option.

Optimal Duration of Compression Stocking Therapy after Endovenous Laser Ablation Using a 1470-nm Diode Dual-Ring Radial Laser Fiber for Great Saphenous Vein Insufficiency.

Objective: To investigate the optimal duration of compression therapy after endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) using a 1470-nm diode dual-ring radial laser fiber for great saphenous vein (GSV) insufficiency. Methods: Patients undergoing EVLA of GSV for varicose vein disease were divided into two groups based on the duration of subsequent compression after the procedure: short duration group (S group; 0-2 days) and long duration group (L group; 1-4 weeks). Patient-reported outcomes (pain and quality of life [QOL]) were set as the primary outcomes, and objective findings (venous clinical severity score [VCSS], leg circumference, and duplex ultrasound [DUS] findings) were set as the secondary outcomes. A follow-up examination was performed at 1 week and 1 and 6 months. Each variable between the groups was compared after a propensity score matching using the age, sex, Clinical-Etiological-Anatomical-Pathophysiological (CEAP) clinical class, job type, and target variable as covariates. A per-protocol analysis was performed. Results: The S and L groups included 98 and 99 patients, respectively. A propensity score matching analysis showed no significant differences between the groups in any outcomes at any follow-up intervals. Conclusion: Long-term compression showed little benefit; therefore, the prescription of compression stocking beyond 2 days after EVLA is unnecessary.

A case of suspected propofol infusion syndrome after abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery.

BACKGROUND: Propofol infusion syndrome (PRIS) is a rare but potentially lethal side effect during propofol administration. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was scheduled for abdominal aortic aneurysm resection and reconstruction. Propofol used during sedation for ventilation after the surgery-induced rhabdomyolysis, heart failure, and renal failure. Discontinuation of propofol administration led to a dramatic improvement in the fatal symptoms, resulting in a diagnosis of PRIS. CONCLUSIONS: We herein report a rare case of a PRIS during sedation in the intensive care unit after abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. Physicians using propofol should therefore be aware of the potential risk of PRIS.

Metallic allergy requiring removal of iliac stent: report of a case.

BACKGROUND: The use of metallic stents, which are predominantly composed of nickel, in the treatment of patients with nickel allergy has not been well studied. CASE PRESENTATION: A patient who suffered from contact dermatitis due to implantation of an iliac stent was successfully treated by removing the stent that caused nickel allergy. The patient has exhibited no symptoms of claudication or severe pruritic rash in the 2-year follow-up period after iliac stent removal. CONCLUSIONS: We herein report a case of nickel allergy in which a metallic iliac stent that was predominantly composed of nickel was removed. The patient showed a marked recovery from her contact dermatitis. In cases of suspected metallic allergy, it is necessary to consider revascularization without using a metal device.

Salvage of Infected Prosthetic Grafts at the Groin or Thigh Using Muscle Flap Coverage.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate early- and long-term outcomes in patients who undergo muscle flap coverage (MFC) for prosthetic graft infections (PGIs) at the groin or thigh. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively retrieved and analyzed data on infected wound cures, recurrence, graft and limb salvage, and survival of patients who underwent MFC for PGI at the groin or thigh between 2000 and 2018. Results: There were eight patients in our cohort: six had groin PGIs and two had thigh PGIs. Moreover, of these patients, seven were treated from sartorius muscles and one from a gracilis muscle. The indicated wounds healed in all eight patients, but two patients died during hospitalization. Three patients suffered recurrence within 8 months, one of which overcame the infection and achieved wound cure without graft removal, with negative pressure wound therapy. No patients lost their limbs during the follow-up term (mean, 24 months; range, 1-60 months). Finally, four patients (50%) survived without removal of the infected graft for longer than 2 years. Conclusion: MFC can be a curative treatment for PGI, but there remains a possibility of a recurring infection thereafter.

Distal bypass with a varicose vein graft for critical limb ischemia: report of a case.

BACKGROUND: A saphenous vein complicated with varicose veins is generally thought to be unsuitable for bypass grafting. CASE PRESENTATION: A patient who developed sepsis due to lower limb gangrene was successfully treated by endovascular treatment and bypass surgery using a varicose vein graft. There were no complications, such as occlusion or aneurysm, of the varicose vein graft during the 2-year follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: We herein report a case in which bypass surgery with a varicose vein graft was used to avoid major amputation of the lower limb, and the patient recovered markedly from sepsis. If there are no other appropriate autologous veins for revascularization of lower limb gangrene, a varicose vein graft may be useful as a conduit for bypass surgery at risk of graft infection.

Successful Bridge Therapy with Initial Endovascular Repair for Arterioenteric Fistula Resulting from Pseudoaneurysm Rupture with Massive Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage after Pancreas Transplantation.

Pseudoaneurysm after pancreas transplantation has a reported incidence of 1.4 to 8.0% and may be caused by perioperative infection. Subsequent pseudoaneurysm rupture is a rare cause of arterioenteric fistula. Only 28 cases of arterioenteric fistula after pancreas transplantation have been reported in the past 20 years. We experienced a rare case of arterioenteric fistula resulting from pseudoaneurysm rupture after pancreas transplantation. We successfully treated the arterioenteric fistula with multistaged bridge therapy composed of initial endovascular aneurysm repair, secondary isolation of the fistula, and definitive open repair with extraanatomic bypass. No complications occurred in 1 year of follow-up; this staged therapy seems feasible for patients with arterioenteric fistula.

Functional prognosis of critical limb ischemia and efficacy of restoration of direct flow below the ankle.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with critical limb ischemia have serious systemic comorbidities and are at high risk of impairment of limb function. In this study, we assessed the prognostic factors of limbs after revascularization. METHODS: In this retrospective single-center cohort study, from April 2008 to December 2012, we treated 154 limbs of 121 patients with critical limb ischemia by the endovascular therapy-first approach based on the patients' characteristics. The primary end point was amputation-free survival. Secondary end points were patency of a revascularized artery, major adverse limb events, or death. Furthermore, we investigated the ambulatory status one year after revascularization as prognosis of limb function. RESULTS: Endovascular therapy was performed in 85 limbs in 65 patients as the initial therapy (endovascular therapy group) and surgical reconstructive procedures (bypass group) were performed in 69 limbs in 56 patients. Early mortality within 30 days was not observed in either group. The primary patency rate was significantly better in the bypass group than in the endovascular therapy group ( p < 0.0001). Furthermore, the secondary patency rate was similar between the two groups ( p = 0.0096). There were no significant differences in amputation-free survival and major adverse limb event between the two groups. Univariate analysis showed that ulcer healing ( p < 0.0001), no hypoalbuminemia ( p = 0.0019), restoration of direct flow below the ankle ( p = 0.0219), no previous cerebrovascular disease ( p = 0.0389), and Rutherford 4 ( p = 0.0469) were predictive factors for preservation of ambulatory status one year after revascularization. In multivariate analysis, ulcer healing ( p < 0.0001) and restoration of direct flow below the ankle ( p = 0.0060) were significant predictors. CONCLUSIONS: Ulcer healing and restoration of direct flow below the ankle are independently associated with prognosis of limb functions in patients who undergo infrainguinal arterial reconstruction.

Prognostic factors of ulcer healing and amputation-free survival in patients with critical limb ischemia.

OBJECTIVE: A multidisciplinary approach is required to treat critical limb ischemia. We determined the poor prognostic factors of ischemic ulcer healing after optimal arterial revascularization, and assessed the efficacy of the medication therapy using cilostazol, which is a selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 3. METHODS: In this retrospective, single-center, cohort study, 129 limbs that underwent infrainguinal arterial revascularization for Rutherford class 5 critical limb ischemia were reviewed. The primary end point was the ulcer healing time after arterial revascularization. The secondary end point was the amputation-free survival rate. RESULTS: Of the 129 limbs, endovascular therapy was performed in 69 limbs, and surgical reconstructive procedures were performed in 60 limbs for initial therapy. Complete ulcer healing was achieved in 95 limbs (74%). The median ulcer healing time was 90 days. In multivariate analysis, no cilostazol use significantly inhibited ulcer healing ( p = 0.0114). A white blood cell count >10,000 ( p = 0.0185), a major defect after debridement ( p = 0.0215), and endovascular therapy ( p = 0.0308) were significant poor prognostic factors for ulcer healing. Additionally, ischemic heart disease ( p < 0.0001), albumin levels <3 g/dl ( p = 0.0016), no cilostazol use ( p = 0.0078), and a major defect after debridement ( p = 0.0208) were significant poor prognostic factors for amputation-free survival rate. CONCLUSIONS: Ulcer healing within 90 days after arterial revascularization is impaired by no cilostazol use, a white blood cell count >10,000, a major defect after debridement, and endovascular therapy. Furthermore, cilostazol improves amputation-free survival rate in patients with critical limb ischemia.

Radial forces of stents used in thoracic endovascular aortic repair and bare self-expanding nitinol stents measured ex vivo - Rapid rescue for obstruction of the innominate artery using bare self-expanding nitinol stents.

Purpose Our objective was to compare the radial forces of several stents ex vivo to identify stents suitable for rescue of the unexpected coverage of aortic arch branches in thoracic endovascular aortic repair. Methods We measured the radial forces of two types of self-expanding bare nitinol stents (E-luminexx and Epic) used singly or as double-walled pairs, and of three endoprostheses used in thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR, Gore c-TAG, Relay, and Valiant) by compressing the stent using an MTS Instron universal testing machine (model #5582). We also examined the compressive effects of the TEVAR endoprostheses and the bare nitinol stents on each other. Results The radial force was greater in the center than at the edge of each stent. In all stents tested, the radial force decreased incrementally with increasing stent diameter. The radial force at the center was two times greater when using two stents than with a single stent. In the compression test, only E-luminexx used as a pair was not compressed after compressing a Relay endoprosthesis by 12 mm. Conclusion Two E-luminexx stents are appropriate to restore the blood flow if a TEVAR endoprosthesis covers the innominate artery following innominate-carotid-left subclavian arterial bypass.

Sarcopenia is a risk factor for cardiovascular events experienced by patients with critical limb ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Prognosis is poor for patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI), and the most frequent cause of death is cardiovascular disease. Low grip strength is a risk factor for cardiovascular events, and sarcopenia may be associated as well. Thus, we hypothesized that sarcopenia is a risk factor for cardiovascular events experienced by patients with CLI. If this is true and appropriate therapy becomes available, the prognosis of patients with CLI will improve with appropriate risk management strategies to prevent cardiovascular events. Therefore, the aim of this study was to verify this hypothesis. METHODS: We studied 114 patients who underwent revascularization and computed tomography between January 2002 and December 2012 in the Department of Surgery and Sciences at Kyushu University in Japan. Sarcopenia was defined as skeletal muscle area measured by L3-level computed tomography scan <114.0 cm2 and <89.8 cm2 for men and women, respectively. Clinical characteristics, cardiovascular event-free survival, <2-year death, causes of death, and effective treatments for sarcopenia were investigated. RESULTS: We identified 53 (46.5%) patients with sarcopenia. Three-year cardiovascular event-free survival rates were 43.1% and 91.2% for patients with and without sarcopenia, respectively (P < .01). During follow-up, cardiovascular disease caused the deaths of 4 and 15 patients without and with sarcopenia (P < .01), respectively, and in particular, ischemic heart disease caused the deaths of 0 and 5 patients without or with sarcopenia (P < .05), respectively. Single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT; hazard ratio, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.82; P < .01) and statin therapy (hazard ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.16-0.78; P < .01) were independent factors associated with improved cardiovascular event-free survival. Three-year cardiovascular event-free survival rates for patients with sarcopenia who received SAPT, dual antiplatelet therapies, and no antiplatelet therapy were 75.3%, 21.1%, and 29.5%, respectively (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia is a risk factor for worse cardiovascular event-free survival, and SAPT and statin therapy reduced this risk for patients with CLI. Furthermore, SAPT but not dual antiplatelet therapy increased cardiovascular event-free survival in patients with sarcopenia.

Improved quality of life in patients with no-option critical limb ischemia undergoing gene therapy with DVC1-0101.

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) has a poor prognosis and adversely affects patients' quality of life (QOL). Therapeutic angiogenesis may improve mobility, mortality, and QOL in CLI patients. However, the effectiveness of gene therapy on such patients' QOL is unknown. DVC1-0101, a non-transmissible recombinant Sendai virus vector expressing human fibroblast growth factor-2 gene, demonstrated safety and efficacy in a phase I/II study of CLI patients. We investigated the effects of DVC1-0101 on QOL in this cohort. QOL was assessed using the Short Form-36 health survey version 2 (SF-36) in 12 patients at pre-administration, 28 days, and 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment. We examined differences between pre and post-administration QOL scores and correlations between QOL scores and vascular parameters. Patients demonstrated low baselines scores on every SF-36 dimension. Post-treatment scores showed significant improvements in physical functioning at 3 and 6 months (P < 0.05), role-physical at 3, 6, and 12 months (P < 0.05), bodily pain at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months (P < 0.05), vitality at 1, 6, and 12 months (P < 0.05), and physical component summary at 6 and 12 months (P < 0.05). DVC1-0101-based gene therapy may improve QOL in CLI patients over a 6-month period.

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair for complicated chronic type B aortic dissection in a patient on hemodialysis with recurrent ischemic colitis.

We present a successful case of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for chronic Stanford type B aortic dissection (B-AD) with recurrent ischemic colitis. The patient was a 56-year-old woman with abdominal pain as the main complaint who had two operations previously: the total arch replacement 8 years ago and the Bentall 7 years ago for acute Stanford type A aortic dissection. Her abdominal pain worsened as her blood pressure became low during her hemodialysis treatment. An enhanced computed tomography scan was performed on the patient and showed chronic B-AD that occurred from the distal anastomotic part of the total arch graft to the bilateral common iliac arteries. The celiac artery and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) arose from the true lumen, and these were compressed by the expanded false lumen. Her complicated chronic B-AD was treated with the Zenith Dissection Endovascular System, and its procedure was performed as her proximal entry tear was covered by a proximal tapered Zenith TX2 stent graft, supplemented by a noncovered aortic stent extending across both renal arteries, the SMA, and the celiac artery. Seven days after this operation, enhanced computed tomography showed that the patient's true lumen was expanded and her blood flow to the true lumen and SMA was improved. On the other hand, her false lumen tended to be thrombosed. Consequently, she was discharged 10 days after the operation without any postoperative complications as she had no abdominal complaints even though she underwent hemodialysis three times per week after the operation. We believe that TEVAR supplemented by a noncovered aortic stent is an effective treatment, even for highly chronic B-AD in dialysis patients.

Emergency thoracic aortic stent grafting for acute complicated type B aortic dissection after a previous abdominal endovascular aneurysm repair.

We report a case of acute type B aortic dissection with the complication of bowel ischemia and abdominal stent graft compression treated by emergency thoracic aortic stent grafting after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). A 69-year-old male was admitted to our hospital for sudden thoraco-abdominal pain. He had past treatment history of EVAR for AAA half a year ago. A computed tomography (CT) showed acute type B aortic dissection, and conservative treatment was initially performed. Three days after occurrence of aortic dissection, worsened abdominal pain and melena were observed. CT showed that the true lumen and abdominal stent graft was compressed by the false lumen. Emergency thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR) was performed to close the entry tear. After the operation, the image views and the symptoms were improved. The state was still stable 6 months later. TEVAR for acute type B aortic dissection can become one of the effective treatments.