CIRSE standards of practice on gynaecological and obstetric haemorrhage.

This CIRSE Standards of Practice document provides best practices for obstetric haemorrhage embolisation (OHE) in the management of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). The document is aimed at interventional radiologists involved in treating postpartum haemorrhage, and has been developed by a writing group established by the CIRSE Standards of Practice Committee.CIRSE Standards of Practice documents are not clinical practice guidelines and do not intend to impose a standard of care, rather provide reasonable approaches to and best practices for specific interventional radiology treatments and techniques.

Editor's Choice - Systematic Review of the Use of Endoanchors in Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair.

OBJECTIVE: Endoanchor fixation might be a potential adjunct for the prevention and treatment of type Ia endoleak (TIaE) and graft migration in thoracic or abdominal endovascular aortic aneurysm repairs (TEVAR or EVAR). This review aimed to explore the safety and effectiveness of endoanchor fixation in TEVAR and EVAR. METHODS: A systematic review and random effects meta-analysis was conducted. Data sources were PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. RESULTS: Seven EVAR and three TEVAR studies using the Heli-FX™ EndoAnchor™ system were included in the meta-analysis. A total of 455 EVAR patients underwent primary endoanchor fixation. Technical success was 98.4% (95% CI 95.7-99.8%). The rate of TIaE and graft migration was 3.5% (95% CI 1.7-5.9%) and 2.0% (95% CI 0.12-6.0%), respectively, after 15.4 months (95% CI 1.76-29.0) follow up. A total of 107 EVAR patients underwent secondary fixation with a technical success of 91.8% (95% CI 86.1-96.2%). Rates of TIaE and graft migration were 22.6% (95% CI 9.1-40.0%) and 0% after a mean 10.7 month (95% CI 7.8-13.6) follow up. Adverse events included three endoanchor fractures, three dislocated endoanchors, one entrapped endoanchor, and one common iliac artery dissection. All cause 30 day EVAR mortality was 0.82% (95% CI 0.20-1.85%). Sixty-six TEVAR patients underwent endoanchor fixation with a mean 9.8 month (95% CI 8.1-11.5) follow up. Technical success was 90.3% (95% CI 72.1-99.4%). The rates of TIaE and migration were 8.7% (95% CI 1.0-18.9%) and 0%, respectively. Adverse events included two misdeployed endoanchors with one fatal aortic dissection. All cause 30 day TEVAR mortality was 11.9% (95% CI 5.4-20.6%). CONCLUSION: Endoanchor fixation in EVAR is technically feasible and safe, with at least comparable early outcomes to the latest generation of stent grafts. Endostapling in TEVAR is associated with lower technical success, higher peri-operative mortality, and potential serious adverse events. Current evidence lacks long term follow up and case controlled trials to recommend endoanchor use in routine practice.

The role of intravascular ultrasound in lower limb revascularization in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this review is to explore the safety and effectiveness of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) during lower limb endovascular interventions in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic review of the PubMed and Scopus databases was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Clinical studies evaluating IVUS as an adjunct to angiography during revascularization procedures in patients with PAD were included. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Thirteen studies were identified, with a total number of 2258 patients having had IVUS for PAD intervention. Seven investigated the role of IVUS for angioplasty and stenting, with the majority being retrospective cohorts. Technical success and patency rates ranged from 90-100% and 45-100%, respectively, with a follow-up that ranged from 4.3-63 months. Three of these studies compared IVUS and non-IVUS guided angioplasty and demonstrated a significant difference in the events of amputations or re-interventions in favor of the IVUS group. Furthermore, five studies evaluated IVUS use in true-lumen re-entry, with the technical success ranging between 97-100%. In one study, where IVUS was used for atherectomy, the technical success was 100% and the long-term patency was 90% during a 12-month follow-up. Overall, no significant peri/postoperative IVUS related complications were reported, whereas, 2 studies suggested an IVUS-associated increase in procedure costs that ranged from $1080-$1333. CONCLUSIONS: There is limited and heterogeneous evidence regarding the use of IVUS for the management of PAD. Further research is required to elucidate the optimal role of IVUS in PAD as well as the cost effectiveness of this approach for routine use in the management of PAD.

Preliminary Dual-Center Experience with the Bolton Treovance Endograft.

PURPOSE: To present the performance and safety of the Treovance stent graft for endovascular aortic aneurysm repair in a "real-world" patient cohort. METHODS: Patients from 2 centers, deemed unfit for open repair, were electively treated with the Treovance endograft. Clinical preoperative, operative, and up to 1-year postoperative follow-up data of patients were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: This study included 46 patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (44 male), mean age of 78 years ± 8 standard deviation (SD; range: 58-93 years). All met the manufacturer's recommended anatomical requirements: average maximum sac diameter 63 mm ± 10 SD (range: 52-86 mm), proximal neck length 29 mm ± 12 SD (range: 11-60 mm), and neck angulation 30° ± 21 SD (range: 0°-70°). Fourteen had moderate to severe iliac tortuosity. A primary technical success rate of 80% was achieved (100% assisted primary technical success rate): 7 patients required adjunctive procedures intraoperatively and 2 successful treatments for type I endoleaks, which occurred within 24 hours postoperatively. There was 100% survival at 1-year follow-up; however, 4 (8.7%) patients required reintervention: 1 for a type I endoleak, 2 for limb stenosis, and 1 for a type II endoleak with an enlarging sac. No other device-related complications were identified. Reintervention and complication rates in hostile versus nonhostile anatomies were not statistically significant ( P = .28 and P = .42, respectively). CONCLUSION: The Treovance stent graft has a comparable safety profile to other next-generation stent grafts during the first year after endovascular aneurysm repair, which provides a rationale for further interrogation of its outcomes through clinical trials.

Closure Devices for Iatrogenic Thoraco-Cervical Vascular Injuries.

INTRODUCTION: The unintentional arterial placement of a central venous line can have catastrophic complications. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess and analyse the available evidence regarding the use of the various vascular closure devices (VCDs) for the management of iatrogenic thoraco-cervical arterial injuries (ITCAI). METHODS: A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: Thirty-two relevant case series and case reports were identified with a total of 69 patients having being studied. In the majority of the studies, plug-based VCDs were used (81%) followed by suture-based devices (19%). The majority of studies reported successful outcomes from the use of VCDs in terms of achieving immediate haemostasis without any acute complications. Long-term follow-up data were only available in nine studies with only one case of carotid pseudoaneurysm being reported after 1-month post-procedure. All other cases had no reported long-term complications. Five studies performed direct or indirect comparisons between VCDs and other treatments (open surgery or stent grafting) suggesting no significant differences in safety or effectiveness. CONCLUSION: Although there is limited evidence, VCDs appear to be safe and effective for the management of ITCAIs. Further research is warranted regarding the effectiveness of this approach in comparison to surgery and in order to identify those patients who are more likely to benefit from this minimally invasive approach.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: modern image-guided therapies.

The most common primary malignancy of the liver and the third leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which presents a major global health problem due to its increasing incidence. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either infection (hepatitis B or C) or cirrhosis (alcohol being the most common cause). Clinical presentation is variable and the tumour can be an incidental finding. Treatment options for HCC and prognosis are dependent on many factors but most importantly tumour size and staging. The last two decades have revolutionised the treatment of HCC using image-guided techniques. The concepts of imaging and image-guided techniques are still young and not well described in standard textbooks and hence an up to date review article is essential. The clinical subspecialities may lack familiarity with image-guided techniques but are responsible for management of these patients before and after the treatment by interventional radiologists. This article reviews current image-guided techniques, evidence and outcomes and provides educational highlights and question and answers. The article provides an overview in a simple understandable manner to enable readers from various levels of practice and training to benefit from and apply in their practice.

Vascular Closure Devices in Interventional Radiology Practice.

Manual compression (MC) is a well-established technique for haemostasis following percutaneous arterial intervention. However, MC is labour and time intensive with potential limitations, particularly for patients who are coagulopathic, unable to comply with bed rest or obese and when large sheaths or anti-coagulants are used. There are a variety of vascular closure devices (VCDs) available to overcome these limitations. This review gives an overview of current VCDs, their mechanism of action, individual strengths and weaknesses, evidence base and utility in interventional radiology (IR) practice. The majority of the published evidence on VCDs is derived from patients undergoing cardiac interventions, which should be borne in mind when considering the applicability and transfer of this data for general IR practice. Overall, the evidence suggests that most VCDs are effective in achieving haemostasis with a similar rate of complications to MC although the complication profile associated with VCDs is distinct to that of MC. There is insufficient evidence to comparatively analyse the different types of VCDs currently available or reliably judge their cost-effectiveness. The interventional radiologist should have a thorough understanding of the available techniques for haemostasis and be able to identify and utilise the most appropriate strategy and closure technique for the individual patient.

Efficacy and Safety of Augmenting the Preclose Technique with a Collagen-Based Closure Device for Percutaneous Endovascular Aneurysm Repair.

PURPOSE: To report our experience of selectively augmenting the preclose technique for percutaneous endovascular aneurysm repair (p-EVAR) with an Angio-Seal device as a haemostatic adjunct in cases of significant bleeding after tensioning the sutures of the suture-mediated closure devices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospectively collected data for p-EVAR patients at our institute were analysed. Outcomes included technical success and access site complications. A logistic regression model was used to analyse the effects of sheath size, CFA features and stent graft type on primary failure of the preclose technique necessitating augmentation and also on the development of complications. RESULTS: p-EVAR was attempted via 122 CFA access sites with a median sheath size of 18-French (range 12- to 28-French). Primary success of the preclose technique was 75.4% (92/122). Angio-Seal augmentation was utilised as an adjunct to the preclose technique in 20.5% (25/122). The overall p-EVAR success rate was 95.1% (116/122). There was a statistically significant relationship (p = 0.0093) between depth of CFA and primary failure of preclose technique. CFA diameter, calcification, type of stent graft and sheath size did not have significant effects on primary preclose technique failure. Overall 4.9% (6/122) required surgical conversion but otherwise there were no major complications. CONCLUSION: Augmentation with an Angio-Seal device is a safe and effective adjunct to increase the success rate of the preclose technique in p-EVAR.

Outcome following a negative CT Angiogram for gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate the role of a negative computed tomography angiogram (CTA) in patients who present with gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage. METHODS: A review of all patients who had CTAs for GI hemorrhage over an 8-year period from January 2005 to December 2012 was performed. Data for patient demographics, location of hemorrhage, hemodynamic stability, and details of angiograms and/or the embolization procedure were obtained from the CRIS/PACS database, interventional radiology database, secure electronic medical records, and patient's clinical notes. RESULTS: A total of 180 patients had 202 CTAs during the 8-year period: 87 CTAs were performed for upper GI hemorrhage (18 positive for active bleeding, 69 negative) and 115 for lower GI hemorrhage (37 positive for active bleeding, 78 negative); 58.7 % (37/63) of patients with upper GI bleed and 77.4 % (48/62) of patients with lower GI bleed who had an initial negative CTA did not rebleed without the need for radiological or surgical intervention. This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.04). The relative risk of rebleeding, following a negative CTA, in lower GI bleeding versus upper GI bleeding patients is 0.55 (95 % confidence interval 0.32-0.95). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with upper GI bleed who had negative CTAs usually require further intervention to stop the bleeding. In contrast, most patients presenting with lower GI hemorrhage who had a negative first CTA were less likely to rebleed.

Surveillance after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Surveillance after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) is widely considered mandatory. The purpose of surveillance is to detect asymptomatic complications, so that early secondary intervention can prevent late aneurysm rupture. CT angiography has been taken as the reference standard imaging test, but there is increasing interest in using other modalities to reduce the use of ionising radiation and iodinated contrast. As a result, there is wide heterogeneity in surveillance strategies used among EVAR centres. We reviewed the current evidence available on the outcomes of different imaging modalities and surveillance strategies following EVAR.

The Clinical Decision Unit has a role to play in the management of acute undifferentiated abdominal pain.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Patients with undifferentiated acute abdominal pain (AAP) frequently present to the Emergency Department (ED). The most common diagnosis is the nonspecific abdominal pain although missed occult surgical pathology in the haemodynamically stable patient with equivocal symptoms and signs is a potential source of morbidity. The objectives of this study were two-fold. Firstly, to ascertain the accuracy of ED clinicians in the diagnosis of AAP, and to delineate if there was a population of patients who would normally require admission to hospital that would be suitable to be managed on a Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) protocol. Secondly, to prospectively evaluate such a strategy by way of a pilot study. METHODS: An initial retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients presenting to the ED with undifferentiated AAP were analysed. Data were extracted on admission, length of stay and the correlation between initial ED clinical diagnosis and final discharge diagnosis. Following this, a protocol was developed within our institution for the management of patients with stable AAP on a CDU pathway. This was then formally evaluated over a period of 25 months as part of a quality improvement exercise. RESULTS: A total of 501 patients were analysed of whom 48% were admitted from the ED. The initial ED diagnosis was correct in 57% of patients, and 28% of admitted patients were discharged within 48 h with no specific intervention. During the period of the pilot study, 189 patients were entered on to the AAP CDU pathway, of which 85% were safely discharged directly from the CDU and 67% within 24 h. Of the 28 patients admitted only four required an operation. Use of the protocol in this population resulted in the initial ED assessment being correct in 69% of cases. CONCLUSION: The management of stable AAP within the ED environment on a well-defined CDU pathway is feasible and can facilitate safe, efficient and effective care with early discharge and an increase in the accuracy of the final diagnosis.

Solitary main pancreatic ductal calculus of possible biliary origin causing acute pancreatitis.

CONTEXT: Pancreatic ductal calculi are most often associated with chronic pancreatitis. Radiological features of chronic pancreatitis are readily evident in the presence of these calculi. However, acute pancreatitis due to a solitary main pancreatic ductal calculus of biliary origin is rare. CASE REPORT: A 59-year-old man presented with a first episode of acute pancreatitis. Contrast enhanced computerized tomography (CT) scan and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) revealed a calculus in the main pancreatic duct in the head of the pancreas causing acute pancreatitis. There were no features suggestive of chronic pancreatitis on CT scanning. The episode acute pancreatitis was managed conservatively. ERCP extraction of the calculus failed as the stone was impacted in the main pancreatic duct resulting in severe acute pancreatitis. Once this resolved, a transduodenal exploration and extraction of the pancreatic ductal calculus was performed successfully. Crystallographic analysis revealed the composition of the calculus was different to that seen in chronic pancreatitis, but more in keeping with a calculus of biliary origin. This could be explained by migration of the biliary calculus via the common channel into the main pancreatic duct. Following the operation the patient made an uneventful recovery and was well at two-year follow up. CONCLUSION: Acute pancreatitis due to a solitary main pancreatic ductal calculus of biliary origin is rare. Failing endoscopic extraction, transduodenal exploration and extraction is a safe option after resolution of acute pancreatitis.

Laparoscopic exclusion gastroenterostomy for palliation of gastric outlet obstruction secondary to recurrent cholangiocarcinoma.

The Devine exclusion gastroenterostomy is recommended as a palliative procedure for unresectable gastric carcinoma, and avoids the problem of delayed gastric emptying. It is conventionally performed by a laparotomy. We report the successful laparoscopic application of this technique in a patient with gastric outlet obstruction secondary to recurrence of a previously resected hilar cholangiocarcinoma. A 38-year-old gentleman who had undergone a left hepatectomy with caudate lobectomy, excision of extrahepatic biliary tree, D2 regional lymphadenectomy and Roux-en-Y right hepaticojejunostomy presented 6 months later with symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction. Computed tomography revealed a tumor mass in the region of the gastric antrum. Attempted endoscopic treatment with a metal stent was unsuccessful. He underwent a laparoscopic exclusion gastroenterostomy. The operative time was 200 minutes. Postoperative recovery was uncomplicated. There was no delay in gastric emptying and no recurrence of gastric outlet obstruction until the time of death 41 days later. Laparoscopic exclusion gastrojejunostomy is a feasible option for the palliation of gastric outlet obstruction caused by recurrent cholangiocarcinoma.