Low Risk of Neurological Recurrence while Awaiting Carotid Endarterectomy: Results From a Danish Multicentre Study.

OBJECTIVE: The risk of ipsilateral neurological recurrence (NR) was assessed in patients awaiting carotid endarterectomy (CEA) due to symptomatic carotid artery stenosis and whether current national guidelines of performing CEA within 14 days are adequate in present day practice. METHODS: This was a retrospective multicentre observational cohort study. Patients scheduled for CEA due to symptomatic carotid artery stenosis in a five year period, 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2018, from four centres were included. Data from the Danish Vascular Registry (www.karbase.dk), operative managing systems, and electronic medical records were reviewed. RESULTS: In total, 1 125 patients scheduled for CEA were included and 1 095 (97%) underwent the planned surgery. During a median delay from index event to CEA of 11 days (interquartile range 8-16 days), 40 patients (3.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5%-5%) experienced a NR. One third were minor strokes (n = 12, 30%); half were transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) (n = 22, 55%); and amaurosis fugax accounted for 15% (n = 6). Twenty-six (2%) CEA procedures was cancelled, of which one was due to a disabling recurrent ischaemic event (aphasia). There were no deaths or major strokes in the waiting time for CEA. Best medical treatment (BMT) with platelet inhibitory or anticoagulation drugs and a statin was initiated in nearly all patients (98%) at first assessment. The overall 30 day risk of a post-operative major event (death or stroke) was (Kaplan-Meier [KM] estimate) 2.7% (95% CI 1.8-3.8), and not significantly correlated with the timing of surgery. Most (69%) occurred within the first three days. One, two, and three year mortality rate for CEA patients was (KM estimate) 4.8%, 7.8%, and 11.5% respectively. CONCLUSION: In symptomatic carotid artery stenosis patients awaiting CEA, very few NRs occurred within 14 days. Institution of immediate BMT in specialised TIA/stroke units followed by early, but not necessarily urgent, CEA is a reasonable course of action in patients with high grade symptomatic carotid artery stenosis.

Editor's Choice - Regional Versus General Anaesthesia in Peripheral Vascular Surgery: a Propensity Score Matched Nationwide Cohort Study of 17 359 Procedures in Denmark.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiopulmonary comorbidity is common in vascular surgery. General anaesthesia (GA) may impair perfusion and induce respiratory depression. Regional anaesthesia (RA), including neuraxial or peripheral nerve blocks, may therefore be associated with a better outcome. METHODS: This was a nationwide retrospective cohort study. All open inguinal and infra-inguinal arterial surgical reconstructions from 2005 to 2017 were included. Data were extracted from national registries. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models and propensity score matching were used. The propensity score was derived by developing a model that predicted the probability that a given patient would receive GA based on age, comorbidity, anticoagulant medication, procedure type, and the urgency of surgery. Matching was performed in four groups based on American Society of Anesthesiologists' score I - II, score III - V, and gender. Outcome parameters included surgical and general complications (bleeding, thrombosis/embolus, cardiac, pulmonary, renal, cerebral, and >3 days intensive care therapy), length of stay, and 30 day mortality, hypothesising a better outcome after RA. RESULTS: There were 10 509 procedures in the GA group and 6 850 in the RA group. After propensity score matching, 6 267 procedures were included in each group. Surgical and general complications were significantly more common after GA in both matched (3.8 vs. 2.5%, p < .001 and 6.5 vs. 4.2%, p < .001) and unmatched analyses (3.8 vs. 2.5%, p < .001 and 6.5 vs. 4.2%, p < .001). The 30 day mortality rate was significantly higher after GA, in matched and un matched analyses (3.1 vs. 2.4%, p = .019 and 4.1 vs. 2.4%, p < .001). There was no difference in length of stay. CONCLUSION: RA may be associated with a better outcome, compared with GA, after open inguinal and infra-inguinal peripheral vascular surgery. In the clinical context when RA is not feasible, GA can still be considered safe.

National survey of current practice and opinions on rehabilitation for intermittent claudication in the Danish Public Healthcare System.

Objective. International guidelines recommend rehabilitation including supervised exercise therapy in patients with Intermittent Claudication (IC), but knowledge of the implementation in clinical practice is limited. This study aims to investigate current practice and opinions on rehabilitation for patients with IC among vascular surgeons and rehabilitation departments in the municipalities and hospitals. Design. Three electronic cross-sectional surveys were distributed nationally to the Danish vascular surgeons (n = 131) and to rehabilitation departments in the municipalities (n = 92) and hospitals (n = 33). Results. The response rates were 70% among the vascular surgeons, 98% among the municipalities and 94% among the hospitals. Vascular surgeons utilize oral advice to exercise by self-administered walking, pharmacological treatment, and revascularization to improve walking distance in patients with IC. Currently, only 12% of the vascular surgeons referred to rehabilitation to improve walking distance, while almost all vascular surgeons (96%) would refer their patients to IC rehabilitation, if it was available. Only 14% of municipalities and none of the hospitals, who treat patients with IC, have a rehabilitation program designed specifically for patients with IC. However, 59% of the rehabilitation departments in the municipalities and 26% in the hospitals included patients with IC in rehabilitation program designed for other patient groups - mostly cardiac patients. There was consensus among the groups of respondents that future IC specific rehabilitation should include an initial conversation, supervised exercise therapy, smoking cessation, and patient education according to guidelines. Conclusion. Vascular surgeons support referral and participation in IC rehabilitation to improve walking distance in patients with IC. Despite some hospitals and municipalities included patients with IC in rehabilitation nearly all services fail to meet current guideline as specific services tailored to patient with IC is almost non-existent in Denmark. Our findings call for action for services to comply with current recommendations of structured, systematic rehabilitation for patients with IC.

Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation of Heparin Coated Versus Standard Graft for Bypass Surgery in Peripheral Artery Disease Alongside a Randomised Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: Heparin coating has recently been shown to reduce the risk of graft failure in arterial revascularisation, at least transiently. The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of heparin coated versus standard polytetrafluoroethylene grafts for bypass surgery in peripheral artery disease from a long-term healthcare system perspective. METHODS: Cost-effectiveness evaluation was conducted alongside the Danish part of the Scandinavian Propaten trial in which 431 patients planned for femoro-femoral or femoro-popliteal bypass surgery were randomised to either type of graft and followed for 5 years. Based on the intention to treat principle, the differences in healthcare costs (general practice, prescription medication, hospital admission, rehabilitation, and long-term care in 2015 Euros), life years (LYs), and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) were analysed as arithmetic means with bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals. Cost-effectiveness acceptability curves were used to illustrate the probability of cost-effectiveness for a range of threshold values of willingness to pay (WTP). RESULTS: No statistically significant differences between the randomisation groups were observed for costs or gains of LYs or QALYs. The average cost per QALY was estimated at €10,792. For a WTP threshold of €40,000 per QALY, the overall probability of cost-effectiveness was estimated at 62%, but owing to cost savings in patients with critical ischaemia (cost per QALY <€0), it increased to 89% for this subgroup. CONCLUSION: Until further evidence, heparin coated grafts appear overall, to be cost-effective over standard grafts, but important heterogeneity between claudication and critical ischaemia should be noted. While the optimal choice for claudication remains uncertain, heparin coated grafts should be used for critical ischaemia.

Case report: Primary aortosigmoid fistula - A rare cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

INTRODUCTION: A primary aortoenteric fistula (PAEF) is a communication between aorta and the gastrointestinal tract. It is a rare condition that is difficult to diagnose and therefore associated with a high mortality. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report a rare case of a 66-year old man with an unstable bleeding PAEF. A salvage procedure was performed with a covered stent. Later, a sigmoidectomy was performed with resection of the fistula. Postoperatively, the patient suffered an infection that was treated well with antibiotics and he was discharged two weeks later with complete resolution of the fistula. DISCUSSION: Aortoenteric fistulas are more common secondary to previous vascular surgery of aorta, however, PAEF's involve the sigmoid in 2%. Seldom, fistulization can be due to diverticulitis that can be difficult to diagnose. CONCLUSION: Retroperitoneal bleeding from the left iliac artery is more common due to a ruptured aneurysm. This case, however, demonstrates a special PAEF formation as a very rare complication of diverticulitis. The pathophysiology of the PAEF is very unique along with the anatomic localization in the sigmoid colon and left external iliac artery.