Supra-Aortic Arterial Injuries Following Central Venous Catheterization Managed with Percutaneous Closure Devices: A Comprehensive Literature Review of Current Evidence.

BACKGROUND: Inadvertent supra-aortic arterial injuries during central venous catheterization can lead to devastating outcomes. These have been traditionally been managed with open repair or covered stent placement; only recently have percutaneous closure been incorporated into the management of these iatrogenic arterial injuries. METHODS: We performed a MEDLINE literature search in the English language, using the PubMed web-based search engine across years 2000 to 2020. This report reviews 34 published case reports and series reporting 71 iatrogenic supra-aortic arterial injuries managed with percutaneous vascular closure devices. RESULTS: In our review, the use of a closure device was successful in 87% of cases, even in some cases involving sheath sizes greater than 8F. The devices used in these situations caused minimal complications and offered a quick means to control bleeding. Thus, percutaneous closure devices are a helpful tool that offers an alternative to more invasive open surgical repair. CONCLUSIONS: Vascular closure devices offer a minimally invasive and effective approach to the treatment of inadvertent supra-aortic arterial injury following CVC.

Endovascular Management of Bleeding Aortoenteric Fistula May be Feasible as a Definitive Repair.

Aorto-enteric fistula (AEF) is a complication with devastating sequelae and significant morbidity. Although open surgery remains primary treatment endovascular approach may be used as a temporary bridge but rarely as a definitive therapy. We present a case of a patient who presented with a secondary AEF, due to hemodynamic instability we chose to treat the fistula with an aortic endograft. The patient underwent bowel resection due to bowel obstruction with omental patch over the aortic rent, 6 weeks of antibiotics. Patient is now at 8-year follow-up without evidence of infection. Although there is scarce literature on this topic, endovascular treatment of bleeding AEF may be feasible as a definitive option. Due to high risk of graft infection we recommend close observation and suppressive antibiotics.

COVID-19-associated ischaemic stroke due to underlying carotid artery thrombosis in a healthy young woman.

SARS-CoV-2 has proven its versatility in host presentations; one such presentation is a hypercoagulable state causing large-vessel thrombosis. We report a case on a previously asymptomatic COVID-19-positive patient presenting with an acute ischaemic stroke and an incidental left internal carotid artery thrombus. The patient's medical, social and family history and hypercoagulability screening excluded any other explanation for the left carotid thrombus or stroke, except for testing positive for the COVID-19. This case explores the known hypercoagulable state associated with COVID-19 and the effect of the virus on the host's immune response. It also questions whether administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), according to the American Heart Association guidelines, following a negative head CT for haemorrhagic stroke is safe without prior extended imaging in this patient population. We recommend, in addition to obtaining a non-contrast CT scan of the brain, a CT angiogram or carotid duplex of the neck be obtained routinely in patients with COVID-19 exhibiting stroke symptoms before t-PA administration as the effects may be detrimental. This recommendation will likely prevent fragmentation and embolisation of an undetected carotid thrombus.

Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Vascular Complications on Mortality in Patients Undergoing Femoral Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has become an accepted treatment modality in the management of select patients with cardiopulmonary failure. As a result, its use has increased significantly over the past decade. However, the effect of complications on mortality is not clearly established. We performed a comprehensive, up-to-date meta-analysis of peer-reviewed literature focusing on the effect of vascular complications (VCs) on the survival of patients receiving venoarterial ECMO (VA-ECMO) with femoral cannulation. METHODS: A systematic search of 4 different databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science) was conducted from their inception to mid-September of 2019. To keep the pooled analysis current, only studies published within the past 5 years were included. Mortality was analyzed based on presence or absence of VCs. Studies with less then 10 patients, with incomplete mortality data, and not accessible in the English language were excluded. RESULTS: Ten studies were included in the analysis encompassing 1,643 patients over a 5-year period. There were 369 patients with a cumulative VC rate of 22.5% (range 9.4 to 43.9%). The pooled mortality rate for patients with and without VCs was 69.6% and 56.8%, respectively. Meta-analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between VCs and mortality with a relative risk (RR) of 1.36 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.15-1.60; P = 0.0004). Covariate-adjusted meta-regression analysis revealed an inverse relationship between age and mortality for VCs, with an RR of 1.33 (95% CI, 1.15-1.54; P = 0.0184), and direct relationship between female gender and mortality from VCs, RR 1.39 (95% CI, 1.21-1.59; P = 0.0165). CONCLUSIONS: The most recently available data published in the literature demonstrate a significant correlation of VCs with mortality. Therefore, aggressive attempts should be made to minimize VCs in patients with femoral VA-ECMO cannulation.

Endovascular Repair of Carotid Artery Pseudoaneurysm using Transcarotid Artery Revascularization Flow Reversal Technique.

Carotid artery aneurysm overall is a rare occurrence with <1% formed after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Several methods of repair have been described including open and endovascular techniques. Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) with stenting using the reverse flow technique has been used in patients with carotid artery stenosis with neck irradiation, previous neck surgeries, or for those who are at high risk for open surgery. We describe a patient with a post-CEA pseudoaneurysm of the extracranial internal carotid artery that was repaired using the TCAR flow reversal approach with coiling of the external carotid artery.

Use of a mock deposition program to improve resident understanding of the importance of documentation.

INTRODUCTION: It has been estimated that the probability of a physician being involved in a medical litigation by 65 years of age ranges from 76 to 98% depending on specialty. We hypothesized that a mock deposition held by a medico-legal expert attorney could effectively increase awareness of the importance of accurate and complete medical documentation. METHODS: Pre and post-lecture and mock deposition surveys were analyzed and the contents evaluated. Residents and attendings from the surgical, medical and OB-GYN departments participated. Results were analyzed through frequency distribution. RESULTS: A total of 62 participants attended, 42 completed the pre-survey, while 24 completed the post-survey. Majority had no prior experience in malpractice lawsuits. After the post-survey, 95.8% believed that incorporating the mock deposition may reduce documentation error. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the surveys we concluded that a mock deposition exercise provides a means for education residents regarding the importance of medical documentation.

Gangliocytic paraganglioma treated with ampullectomy, A case report.

BACKGROUND: Gangliocytic paragangliomas are rare, and typically benign neuroendocrine neoplasms usually found in the second portion of the duodenum. Though recurrence is rare, metastatic cases have been noted. A standardized treatment has not been determined. An endoscopic resection can be carried out, unless metastasis has been noted. We present the case of a patient who underwent an ampullectomy, with successful removal of the tumor, and no recurrence on follow-up. CASE SUMMARY: We present a case involving a 58-year-old gentleman, who presented with dysphagia, and ultimately diagnosed with a periampullary mass proven to be a gangliocytic paraganglioma. The tumor was resected in-toto via an ampullectomy. The patient had no recurrence after twenty-one months. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we present the case of an incidental gangliocytic paraganglioma occurring in the periampullary region of the patient. Ampullectomy was carried out and to date the patient has had no recurrence. Rarity of this tumor, along with treatment choice, makes it especially worthy of notability.