Outcomes of endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms in narrow aortic bifurcations using the ultra-low profile "INCRAFT" device: A retrospective multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: Although the long-term results of endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) with low-profile devices in patients with hostile iliac anatomies have been published, there are no reported results specifically for narrow aortic bifurcations (NAB). This study investigated the outcomes of EVAR with the INCRAFT device in NAB (<16 mm). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective study involved five vascular surgery centers. From November 2014 until June 2018, 127 patients were treated with the INCRAFT device. The patient population was divided into two groups based on aortic bifurcation diameter. They were designated as the (1) standard aortic bifurcation (SAB) group (>16 mm) and the (2) the NAB group (<16 mm). Primary end points were the differences between the two groups in terms of technical success, survival at 30 days, iliac limb patency, and reinterventions. RESULTS: The SAB group included 96 patients and the NAB group included 31 patients. The mean aortic bifurcation diameter was 25.5 mm in the SAB group and 13.2 mm in the NAB group. It is noteworthy that, in the NAB group, 21.8% of patients had aortic bifurcations with focal calcific lesions (less than one-third of the circumferential length of the bifurcation) and 48.3% showed extensive calcifications (two-thirds of the circumferential length of the bifurcation), for 29.9% of the patients in the NAB group the aortic bifurcation had a circumferential highly calcific lesion (complete occlusion of the circumferential length of the bifurcation). Technical success was 98.9% in the SAB group and 96.7% in the NAB group (P = .1). The need for iliac component stenting was not significantly different between the groups (SAB 2.0% vs NAB 3.2%; P = .07). The 1-year survival was 97.9% and 96.7% in the SAB and NAB groups, respectively, with no aneurysm-related mortality. The mean follow-up was 18.4 months and 15.3 months in the SAB and NAB groups, respectively. The iliac primary patency was 98.9 % in the SAB group and 96.8% in the NAB group (P = .088), and the primary assisted patency was 100% in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: EVAR with INCRAFT in NABs showed acceptable results. In this multicenter study, the results were comparable in terms of technical success and iliac patency rate between patients with SABs and NABs.

Use of hyperspectral imaging to assess endothelial dysfunction in peripheral arterial disease.

BACKGROUND: Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a technology that with limited training can noninvasively measure oxygenated hemoglobin (oxyHb) and deoxygenated hemoglobin concentrations in the skin to create an oxygenation map. This pilot study determined whether HSI could be used to demonstrate vascular dysfunction in the upper extremity of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: This prospective study included 93 consecutive, consented patients presenting to the vascular clinic, with and without diagnosed arterial disease, and healthy volunteers. Patients underwent HSI at the upper arm, forearm, and palm before and after cuff occlusion (50 mm Hg above systolic) for 5 minutes. Medical records of enrolled patients were reviewed for demographic data, medications, surgical history, and other pertinent information. RESULTS: Significant changes occurred with oxyHb, with minimal to no effects on deoxygenated hemoglobin. The highest values of oxyHb were detected in the upper arm, followed by the forearm and hand. The absolute and percentage change in oxyHb measured in the upper arm and forearm was significantly reduced in controls aged >40 years compared with controls aged <40 years. Significant differences were noted in the upper arm oxyHb absolute change in response to cuff occlusion comparing PAD or CAD (n = 47) vs the older control cohort (P = .028). When the 23 patients with PAD only were separated out, the upper arm oxyHb response to cuff occlusion is even more significantly impaired (P < .01) compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests the ability of HSI to assess the presence of PAD or CAD based on systemic vascular dysfunction at sites remote from the clinically diseased vascular bed. This could enable early screening and tracking of arterial disease patients before the development of clinically advanced disease.