Contemporary outcomes of open repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm in young patients.

BACKGROUND: Endovascular technology now permits total endovascular thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair with high volume centres reporting encouraging results. The long-term durability of such stent grafts is unknown, leading to concerns regarding their use in younger patients. This study reports contemporary outcomes of open repair in young patients. METHODS: Outcomes for patients age 60 or younger undergoing open TAAA repair between June 1999 and August 2013 with prospective collected data were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients (31 men, 84%) with a median age of 56 (range 22-60) were identified with a median TAAA diameter of 6.9 cm (range 5.6-11). Aneurysm aetiology included degenerative change (18), dilation of chronic dissection (10), connective tissue disease (7) and mycotic degeneration (2). Crawford Type IV TAAA were most commonly treated (17), followed by Type II (10), Type III (7) and Type I (3). Two (5%) patients died in hospital, one from multiple organ failure and one from respiratory failure. Three patients (8%) developed temporary paraplegia, all of whom made a complete recovery and 4 (11%) patients required temporary renal replacement therapy. Median critical care stay was 5 days (range 2-28) with an in-hospital stay of 14 days (range 7-83). During a median follow-up of 72 months (range 13-171), no patient subsequently required any further aneurysm related surgical or radiological intervention. The mean (SEM) survival time was 138.5 (11) months. The 5 year survival was 79.7% (8.3) including early deaths, with no aneurysm related complications. CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of open TAAA repair in patients aged less than 60 years is favorable. It is against these results that evolving endovascular interventions must be compared.

Aortic graft preservation by debridement and omental wrapping.

BACKGROUND: Aortic graft infection is a rare, but grave, complication in vascular surgery. Graft removal together with extra-anatomical bypass or in situ graft replacement is usually advocated, but these procedures are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two cases of aortic graft infection in high-risk surgical candidates managed by open debridement and omental wrapping with graft preservation are described. Both remain well at 3 years without any adjunctive procedures. CONCLUSION: Debridement and omental wrapping may offer an alternative to graft removal and revascularization in selected patients. This relatively low-risk procedure may allow long-term survival.

Dietary folate and vitamin B6 are independent predictors of peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is an independent risk factor for peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). However, the relationship between dietary folate and vitamin B6, cofactors in the metabolism of homocysteine (Hcy), and PAOD is unclear. AIMS: To study the relationship between dietary folate and B6 and PAOD. METHODS: Case-control population based study of 392 men older than 50 years living in Huntingdon, United Kingdom. PAOD, defined as an ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) < 0.9, was present in 86 (22%) of subjects. Folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 intakes were calculated by means of the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer) food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: Daily folate intake was significantly lower in case subjects (mean, 288; 95% confidence interval [CI], 266-309 microg) than in control subjects (324; 95% CI, 313-335 microg). Daily vitamin B6 intake was also lower in case subjects (2.05; 95% CI, 1.92-2.19 mg versus 2.26; 95% CI, 2.19-2.33 mg). Daily folate and vitamin B6 intakes were independent predictors of PAOD after adjusting for age, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, diabetes, and smoking status in a logistic regression model. This model suggests that increasing daily folate intake by 1 standard deviation decreased the risk of PAOD by 46%. A similar increase in daily vitamin B6 intake decreased the risk of PAOD by 29%. CONCLUSION: In men older than 50 years, dietary folate and B6 intakes are independent predictors of PAOD. Longitudinal studies are required to determine whether dietary modification can reduce the incidence of PAOD in the population.

The prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia, methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase C677T mutation, and vitamin B12 and folate deficiency in patients with chronic venous insufficiency.

INTRODUCTION: Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism, which in turn is a major cause of chronic venous insufficiency. HHcy may be more common in patients with chronic venous insufficiency, but the cause is unknown. METHODS: One hundred hospital outpatients (52 women; median age, 66.5 years [interquartile range, 53-77 years] with venous disease C(2-6) underwent assessment of serum vitamin B(12) and folate concentration, plasma Hcy concentration, and C677T methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHR) homozygosity with polymerase chain reaction. HHcy was defined as greater than 15 micromol/L, the 95th centile of the normal range. RESULTS: CEAP classification was C(2) in 39 patients, C(3) in 10 patients, C(4) in 13 patients, C(5) in 15 patients, and C(6) in 23 patients, with median Hcy concentration 11.6, 11.5, 12.5, 15.1, and 18.1 micromol/L, respectively (Kruskall-Wallis test, P <.001). Overall prevalence of HHcy was 39% (P <.001, binomial test vs normal population), and was significantly related (Pearson chi(2) for trend, 13.616; P <.009) to clinical grade: C(2), 23%; C(3), 20%; C(4), 39%; C(5), 53%; C(6), 65%. In a linear regression model, C(6) disease was a strong independent predictor (R(2) = 20.1%) for Hcy. Overall, 5 of 49 patients (10%, NS compared with normal population [5%]) with C(2-3) disease and 10 of 51 patients (20%) (P <.001, binomial test) with C(4-6) disease were homozygous for the C677T MTHFR polymorphism. Hcy levels and prevalence of HHcy were negatively correlated with vitamin B(12) levels (r = -0.248, P =.021, and r = -0.225;, P =.037, respectively). There was no significant relationship with folate. HHcy was present in 3 patients (all with C(5-6) disease) with either vitamin B(12) or folate deficiency, and in 8 of 15 patients homozygous for MTHFR C677T. No patient had HHcy, vitamin deficiency, and C677T mutation. CONCLUSION: HHcy is common in patients with chronic venous insufficiency, especially those with ulceration. However, inasmuch as fewer than a third of patients with HHcy were C677T MTHFR homozygous or had vitamin B(12) or folate deficiency, other mechanisms must be responsible in the majority. Further work is required to determine the cause of HHcy in chronic venous insufficiency, whether HHcy is causally related to development and progression of the disease, and whether treatment would be beneficial.

Effects of temperature on stability of blood homocysteine in collection tubes containing 3-deazaadenosine.

BACKGROUND: The accuracy of homocysteine (Hcy) results is currently compromised by the requirement to separate the plasma within 1 h of sample collection. We studied the effect of temperature on the stability of plasma Hcy over a 72-h time course in blood collected into evacuated tubes containing either EDTA alone or both EDTA and 3-deazaadenosine (3DA). METHODS: We recruited 100 volunteers, including both diseased and healthy individuals with a range of baseline plasma Hcy values, from two centers. Blood samples were collected into tubes containing EDTA, and EDTA plus 3DA and stored at ambient temperature (20-25 degrees C) or refrigerated (2-8 degrees C). Aliquots of blood were centrifuged at various times up to 72 h, the plasma was removed, and Hcy was measured by HPLC. RESULTS: Plasma Hcy measurement covering the sample collection and storage conditions during the whole time course was possible on samples from 59 of those recruited. One-way ANOVA for repeated measures within subjects revealed that only samples that were collected into tubes containing EDTA plus 3DA and stored refrigerated were stable over 72 h (P = 0.2761). CONCLUSIONS: A combination of 3DA and storage at 2-8 degrees C will allow collection of samples for plasma Hcy measurement outside of the hospital setting and wider population screening.