Multimodality Imaging Approach towards Primary Aortic Sarcomas Arising after Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair: Case Series Report.

Primary aortic neoplasms are rare. Aortic sarcoma arising after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is a scarce subset of primary aortic malignancies, reports of which are infrequent in the published literature. The diagnosis of aortic sarcoma is challenging due to its non-specific clinical presentation, and the prognosis is poor due to delayed diagnosis, rapid proliferation, and propensity for metastasis. Post-EVAR, aortic sarcomas may mimic other more common aortic processes on surveillance imaging. Radiologists are rarely knowledgeable about this rare entity for which multimodality imaging and awareness are invaluable in early diagnosis. A series of three pathologically confirmed cases are presented to display the multimodality imaging features and clinical presentations of aortic sarcoma arising after EVAR.

Surgical management of abdominal aortic aneurysms: a lost art?

Endovascular repair of abdominal aneurysms has become the dominant treatment modality for infrarenal aneurysms. Initial reports showed a constant number of open repairs although there was a shift toward complicated juxtra-renal aneurysms. In the past several years, more aggressive endoluminal approaches and the introduction of fenestrated grafts have appeared to dilute the open aneurysm operating experience. Coupled with work hours restrictions and shorter training paradigms, opportunities for training residents in open repair of abdominal aneurysms are decreasing. We envision that future treatment of complicated aortic aneurysms will likely entail advanced fellowship training in open repair and referral of complicated abdominal aneurysms to tertiary care centers.

Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Registry evaluation of comparative effectiveness of carotid revascularization procedures stratified by Medicare age.

OBJECTIVE: Recent randomized controlled trials have shown that age significantly affects the outcome of carotid revascularization procedures. This study used data from the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Registry (VR) to report the influence of age on the comparative effectiveness of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS). METHODS: VR collects provider-reported data on patients using a Web-based database. Patients were stratified by age and symptoms. The primary end point was the composite outcome of death, stroke, or myocardial infarction (MI) at 30 days. RESULTS: As of December 7, 2010, there were 1347 CEA and 861 CAS patients aged < 65 years and 4169 CEA and 2536 CAS patients aged ≥ 65 years. CAS patients in both age groups were more likely to have a disease etiology of radiation or restenosis, be symptomatic, and have more cardiac comorbidities. In patients aged <65 years, the primary end point (5.23% CAS vs 3.56% CEA; P = .065) did not reach statistical significance. Subgroup analyses showed that CAS had a higher combined death/stroke/MI rate (4.44% vs 2.10%; P < .031) in asymptomatic patients but there was no difference in the symptomatic (6.00% vs 5.47%; P = .79) group. In patients aged ≥ 65 years, CEA had lower rates of death (0.91% vs 1.97%; P < .01), stroke (2.52% vs 4.89%; P < .01), and composite death/stroke/MI (4.27% vs 7.14%; P < .01). CEA in patients aged ≥ 65 years was associated with lower rates of the primary end point in symptomatic (5.27% vs 9.52%; P < .01) and asymptomatic (3.31% vs 5.27%; P < .01) subgroups. After risk adjustment, CAS patients aged ≥ 65 years were more likely to reach the primary end point. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with CEA, CAS resulted in inferior 30-day outcomes in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients aged ≥ 65 years. These findings do not support the widespread use of CAS in patients aged ≥ 65 years.

Early protection and compression of residual limbs may improve and accelerate prosthetic fit: a preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: The goal of rehabilitation following lower extremity amputation is to restore the highest level of independent function. As much as possible, this includes the functional use of a prosthetic device fitted to the residual limb. Early prosthetic fit depends, in turn, on rapid healing of the amputation site. METHODS: We hypothesized that compliance with a novel custom-designed amputation protection and compression system (CAPCS) to the residual limb can accelerate and improve the likelihood of successful prosthesis use. We conducted a retrospective study of all patients who were offered CAPCS by certified prosthetists (Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics, Bethesda, MD) during the period between April 2004 and November 2009. Variables included age, sex, indication for amputation, and compliance with CAPCS. Compliance was defined as consistent observed wearing of the CAPCS as directed. The primary end point was the fitting of a prosthetic device to the amputated limb, with time to prosthetic fit being the secondary outcome. RESULTS: Out of 100 patients who were offered CAPCS (n = 100) during the study period, 76% were considered compliant (n = 76). Sixty five patients (65%) were ultimately fitted with prosthetic limbs. In multivariate analysis, we found that patients who had compliant use of CAPCS were significantly more likely to be successfully fit with prosthesis (72 vs. 42%, p = 0.005). At 100 days post amputation, the cumulative incidence of prosthesis fitting was significantly higher in CAPCS compliant patients (69.7 vs. 22.2%, p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Compliant use of a CAPCS following amputation is associated with earlier and more frequent use of a prosthetic. Based on this limited data set, a conclusion can be drawn that the potential exists to significantly improve functional outcomes after amputation, but well-designed prospective studies are needed to confirm this association.

Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Registry evaluation of stent cell design on carotid artery stenting outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Registry (VR) collects data on outcomes of carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stenting (CAS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of open vs closed cell stent design on the in-hospital and 30-day outcome of CAS. METHODS: The VR collects provider-reported data on patients using a Web-based database. Data were analyzed both in-hospital and at 30 days postprocedure. The primary outcome is combined death/stroke/myocardial infarction (MI). RESULTS: As of October 14, 2009, there were 4337 CAS with discharge data and 2397 with 30-day data. Open cell stents (OPEN) were used in 3451 patients (79.6%), and closed cell stents (CLOSED) were used in 866 patients (20.4%). Baseline demographics showed no differences in age, gender, race, and ethnicity. However, the OPEN group had more patients with atherosclerosis (74.5% vs 67.4%; P = .0003) as the etiology of carotid artery disease. The OPEN group also had a higher prevalence of preprocedural stroke (25.8% vs 21.4%; P = .0079), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; 21.0% vs 17.6%; P = .0277), cardiac arrhythmia (14.7% vs 11.4%; P = .0108), valvular heart disease (7.4% vs 3.7%; P < .0001), peripheral vascular disease (PVD; 40.0% vs 35.3%; P = .0109), and smoking history (59.0% vs 54.1%; P = .0085). There are no statistically significant differences in the in-hospital or 30-day outcomes between the OPEN and CLOSED patients. Further subgroup analyses demonstrated symptomatic patients had a higher event rate than the asymptomatic cohort in both the OPEN and CLOSED groups. Among symptomatic patients, the OPEN patients had a lower (0.43% vs 1.41%; P = .0349) rate of in-hospital mortality with no difference in stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). There were no differences in 30-day event rates. In asymptomatic patients, there were also no statistically significant differences between the OPEN and CLOSED groups. After risk adjustment, there remained no statistically significant differences between groups of the primary endpoint (death/stroke/MI) during in-hospital or 30 days. CONCLUSION: In-hospital and 30-day outcomes after CAS were not significantly influenced by stent cell design. Symptomatic patients had higher adverse event rates compared to the asymptomatic cohort. As there is no current evidence of differential outcome between the use of open and closed cell stents, physicians should continue to use approved stent platforms based on criteria other than stent cell design.

Hybrid repair of distal arch aortic aneurysms: endovascular elephant trunk completion.

BACKGROUND: Traditional open repair of distal arch aortic aneurysms requires a two-stage procedure associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The introduction of thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair has created a less invasive option to complete the second stage of the repair after proximal elephant trunk creation. The present study reports a series of patients treated with a combined open proximal and endovascular distal repair of distal arch aortic aneurysms. METHODS: A retrospective review was undertaken at a university medical center. All patients treated with the hybrid approach were identified. The patients were evaluated for demographics, preoperative imaging, technical success, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, need for secondary intervention, and overall survival. RESULTS: A total of 10 patients (3 men, mean age: 67.5 years) were identified during a 4-year period between August 2005 and July 2009. All patients were treated electively and the mean maximum aneurysm diameter was 70.8 mm. Of the 10 patients, four had undergone previous thoracotomy (three aortic repair, one pulmonary resection for malignancy) and all were deemed at prohibitive risk for open second-stage surgery. The first three patients had staged reconstruction with delayed endovascular intervention through retrograde arterial access. The more recent seven patients underwent single-stage repair with endograft delivery through an antegrade ascending aortic access. Technical success was achieved in all cases. No perioperative paraplegias or strokes were reported. One patient had successful endovascular treatment of a type IB endoleak at 38 months. Another had an enlarging thoracoabdominal aneurysm resulting in a type IB endoleak which was detected at 43 months. There was one death within 30 days after the procedure. The remaining nine patients are all alive, with a mean survival of 35.1 months (range: 8-53) after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The hybrid approach to treatment of distal arch aortic aneurysms is safe and serves as a viable alternative to conventional open repair. Less technically challenging, avoidance of a second surgery as well as elimination of the possibility of becoming lost to follow-up, or interval mortality have led us to consider a single-stage repair using an antegrade approach as the preferred option.

A 5-year evaluation using the talent endovascular graft for endovascular aneurysm repair in short aortic necks.

BACKGROUND: Although endovascular aneurysm repair has been shown to be an effective way to treat abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), certain anatomic characteristics such as a short aortic neck, limit its applicability. Initially, commercially available devices were approved only for the treatment of AAA with an aortic neck length ≥ 15 mm. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of the recently approved Talent endograft for AAAs with a short aortic neck length (10-15 mm). METHOD: Data were obtained from the prospective, nonrandomized, multicenter Talent enhanced Low Profile Stent Graft System trial which enrolled patients between February 2002 and April 2003. A total of 154 patients with adequate preoperative imaging were identified for this study. Subgroup analyses were performed for AAA with 10-15 mm aortic neck and those with >15 mm neck. Safety and effectiveness endpoints were evaluated at 30 days, 1 year, and 5 years postprocedure. RESULTS: Patients treated with aortic neck lengths of 10-15 mm (n = 35) and those with >15 mm (n = 102) had similar age, gender, and risk factor profile. Both groups had similar preoperative aneurysm morphology in terms of maximum aneurysm size, degree of neck angulation, or proximal neck diameter. There were no statistically significant differences in freedom from major adverse events and mortality rates at 30 and 365 days. Similarly, there was no difference in the effectiveness endpoints at 12 months. At 5 years, there was no difference in migration rate, endoleaks, or change in aneurysm diameter from baseline. In addition, there is no difference in freedom from aneurysm-related mortality (94% vs. 99%). CONCLUSIONS: AAAs with short aortic necks (10-15 mm) and otherwise suitable anatomy for endovascular repair can be safely and effectively treated with the Talent endograft with excellent 1 and 5 year outcomes.

Long-term outcome of endovascular popliteal artery aneurysm repair.

BACKGROUND: Popliteal artery aneurysms have traditionally been repaired with an open surgical approach. However, endovascular popliteal artery repair (EVPAR) has been used in selected patients because of its less invasive nature. In this report, we present our long-term outcomes for EVPAR. METHODS: Retrospective review of all patients who underwent EVPAR at a single academic institution between September 2002 and March 2006. These patients were evaluated for patency, need for secondary intervention, amputation-free survival, and overall survival. RESULTS: A total of 15 limbs in 13 patients were treated with EVPAR during the study period. All EVPAR were performed using the Viabahn(®) endoprostheses, with an average of 1.67 stents per limb. The mean age of the patients was 74.6 years (range, 66-84). Technical success was achieved in 100% and all limbs had initial postoperative ankle-arm indices of ≥ 1.0. Mean duration of follow-up was 54 months (range, 42-70). Two patients died of unrelated causes at 3 and 38 months with intact limbs, and one patient was lost to follow-up. Two limbs developed type I or III endoleaks, and were successfully treated with additional endovascular stent placement, resulting in a primary patency rate of 84.6% and secondary patency rate of 100%. There were no instances of limb loss during the follow-up period, yielding both amputation-free survival and overall survival rates of 85.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term follow-up of this cohort of EVPAR patients suggests that in selected patients, this is a durable technique, capable of achieving excellent patency rates and limb preservation. Further large-scale clinical trials are warranted to help define optimal candidates for this technique.

Who is unfit for carotid endarterectomy?

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has long been considered the "gold standard" in the treatment of patients with symptomatic or asymptomatic carotid stenosis. However, the utility of this treatment modality in medical or surgical "high-risk" patients remains in question. Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated that carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) is not inferior to CEA. Furthermore, there are also increasing data that show that best medical therapy is becoming more effective in preventing strokes and in a more cost-effective manner than carotid interventions. With this in mind, there is now ample evidence to suggest that in a certain subgroup of patients, CEA may not be indicated, and in fact, CAS or observation with best medical therapy is preferred.

Arterial access for thoracic endograft placement.

BACKGROUND: Endovascular repair of thoracic aortic disease continues to evolve since FDA approval of the first thoracic endograft in the United States in March 2005. Certain anatomic characteristics, including adequacy of arterial access, remain a significant limiting factor in thoracic endovascular repair. In clinical trials evaluating thoracic endografts, vascular access complications occurred in >20% of cases. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the arterial access and the selective use of the ascending aorta for thoracic endograft placement. METHOD: A retrospective review was performed for patients who underwent thoracic endograft placement between May 2005 and April 2009 (4 years since FDA approval of the first thoracic endograft). Patient records were reviewed for the indication for the procedure, type of arterial access, technical success, and access-related complications. RESULTS: Seventy-nine thoracic endografts were placed during the study period. The indications for endograft placement included 53 aneurysms, 10 traumatic lesions, 6 endoleaks, 4 dissections, 3 penetrating ulcers, 2 bleeding aortic fistulas, and 1 thoracic diverticulum. Retrograde access was used in 70 cases (89%): 60 femoral (76%) and 10 aortoiliac (13%). Antegrade access through a 10-mm polyester graft anastomosed to the ascending aorta was used in nine cases (11%). These procedures included endograft placement with proximal elephant trunk creation in six cases, endograft-alone in two cases, and combination with proximal arch reconstruction/debranching in one case. There was 100% technical success for all cases. The overall access-related complication rate was 6%. There were no complications with antegrade access through the ascending aorta or with aortoiliac access. There were five complications in the femoral access group (three iliac artery dissection, one iliac artery injury, and one femoral artery injury). CONCLUSIONS: Access selection is an important part of the preoperative planning of endovascular procedures. Choosing the most appropriate access for a patient will decrease the access-associated complication rate. In addition, selected patients with poor aortoiliac access and those that require debranching or elephant trunk procedures may benefit from antegrade access.

A comparative analysis of the outcomes of aortic cuffs and converters for endovascular graft migration.

OBJECTIVE: Proximal attachment failure, often leading to graft migration, is a severe complication of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Aortic cuffs have been used to treat proximal attachment failure with mixed results. The Zenith Renu AAA Ancillary Graft (Cook Inc, Bloomington, Ind) is available in two configurations: converter and main body extension. Both provide proximal extension with active fixation for the treatment of pre-existing endovascular grafts with failed or failing proximal fixation or seal in patients who are not surgical candidates. We prospectively compared the outcomes of patient treatment with these two device configurations. METHODS: From September 2005 to May 2008, a prospective, nonrandomized, postmarket registry was conducted to collect data from 151 patients treated at 95 institutions for proximal aortic endovascular graft failure using the Renu graft. Treatment indications included inadequate proximal fixation or seal, for example, migration, and type I and III endoleak. A total of 136 patients (90%) had migration, 111 (74%) had endoleak, and 94 (62%) had endoleaks and graft migration. AneuRx grafts were present in 126 patients (83%), of which 89 (59%) were treated with a converter and 62 (41%) with a main body extension. Outcomes using converters vs main body extensions for endoleak rates, changes in aneurysm size, and ruptures were compared. RESULTS: Preprocedural demographics between the two groups did not differ significantly. Procedural success rates were 98% for the converter group and 100% for the main body extension group. At a mean follow-up of 12.8 +/- 7.5 months, no type III endoleaks (0%)were identified in the converter group, and five (8%) were identified in the main body extension group. There were no aneurysm ruptures in patients treated with converters (0%) and three ruptures (5%) in patients treated with main body extensions. Each patient with aneurysm rupture had been treated with a Renu main body extension, developed a type III endoleak, and underwent surgical conversion. Two of the three patients died postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Proximal attachment failure and graft migration are potentially lethal complications of EVAR. Proximal graft extension using an aortic cuff is the easiest technique for salvaging an endovascular graft. Unfortunately, it has a predictable failure mode (development of a type III endoleak due to component separation) and is associated with a significantly higher failure rate than with the use of a converter. EVAR salvage with a converter and a femorofemoral bypass is a more complex but superior option for endovascular graft salvage.

Society of vascular surgery vascular registry comparison of carotid artery stenting outcomes for atherosclerotic vs nonatherosclerotic carotid artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: The Vascular Registry (VR) on carotid procedures collects long-term outcomes on carotid artery stenting (CAS) and carotid endarterectomy (CEA) patients. The purpose of this report is to describe in-hospital and 30-day CAS outcomes in patients with atherosclerotic carotid artery disease (CAD; atherosclerosis [ATH]) compared to recurrent carotid stenosis (RES) and radiation-induced stenosis (RAD). METHODS: The VR collects provider-reported data on CAS using a Web-based data management system. For this report, data were analyzed at the preprocedure, procedure, predischarge, and 30-day intervals. RESULTS: As of November 20, 2008, there were 4017 patients with CAS with discharge data, of which 72% were due to ATH. A total of 2321 patients were available for 30-day outcomes analysis (1623 ATH, 529 restenosis, 119 radiation, 17 dissection, 3 trauma, and 30 other). Baseline demographics showed that ATH occurred in older patients (72-years-old), had the greatest history of coronary artery disease (CAD; 62%), myocardial infarction (MI; 24%), valvular heart disease (8%), arrhythmia (16%), congestive heart failure (CHF; 16%), diabetes mellitus (DM; 35%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; 20%). RES had a higher degree of baseline stenosis (87.0 vs 85.8 ATH; P = .010), were less likely to be symptomatic (35.5% vs 46.3% ATH; P < .001), but had a greater history of hypertension, peripheral vascular disease (PVD), and smoking. RAD was seen in younger patients (66.6 vs 71.7 ATH; P < .001), were more likely to be male (78.2% vs 60.9% ATH; P < .001), and had less comorbidities overall, with the exception of amaurosis fugax, smoking, and cancer. The only statistically significant difference in perioperative rates was in transient ischemic attack (TIA; 2.7% ATH vs 0.9% RES; P = .02). There were no statistically significant differences in in-hospital death/stroke/MI (ATH 5.4%, RES 3.8%, RAD 4.2%) or at 30 days (ATH 7.1%, RES 5.1%, RAD 5.0%). Even after adjusting for age, gender, symptomatology, CHF, and renal failure, the only statistically significant difference at 30 days was amaurosis fugax between ATH and RAD (odds ratio [OR] 0.13; P = .01). CONCLUSION: Although patients with ATH have statistically significant comorbidities, they did not have statistically significant increased rates of death/stroke/MI during hospitalization or within 30 days after discharge when compared to RES or RAD. The CAS event rates for ATH vs RES and RAD are similar, despite prior published reports. Symptomatic ATH have statistically significant higher rates of death/stroke/MI compared to asymptomatic cohort. Finally, consistent and accurate entry of long-term data beyond initial hospitalization is essential to fully assess CAS outcomes since a significant number of adverse events occur in the interval from hospital discharge to 30 days.

Acceptable risk but small benefit of endovascular aneurysm repair in nonagenarians.

BACKGROUND: We report the outcomes of a single-center experience with endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) in nonagenarians. METHODS: Via a retrospective medical records review, we identified all patients > or = 90 years old who underwent EVAR at a single university teaching hospital during a 5-year period (January 2004 to December 2008). Patients were evaluated for surgical risk factor profile, preoperative imaging, technical success, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and need for secondary intervention. In addition, mortality rates were evaluated at 30 days, 365 days, and 2 years. RESULTS: There were 18 nonagenarians (12 male, 67%) with a mean age of 91.2 years (range 90-95). Each patient averaged 3.5 risk factors, and the mean preoperative maximal aneurysm size was 68.3mm (range 50-105). Sixteen (89%) patients were treated on an elective basis, and two patients were emergently treated for aneurysm rupture, with one undergoing aortouni-iliac stenting with femoral-femoral bypass. All other patients in the study had bifurcated stent grafts. There was 100% technical success with no need for open conversion. The mean length of hospital stay was 4.3 days with a mean intensive care unit stay of 0.6 days. Systemic complications occurred in three patients (17%) including one death within 30 days. Secondary interventions were required in two patients (11%). One had endovascular treatment of a type I endoleak at 4 months, and a second patient underwent femoral-femoral bypass at 25 months for severe flow-limiting limb angulation. Mortality rates were 5.6% at 30 days, 41.2% at 365 days, and 58.3% at 2 years. Mean survival of the 11 patients who expired beyond the first 30 days was 17.5 months (range 4-50). Of these, mean survival of the nine patients treated electively was 20.2 months (range 7-50). Mean survival of the six patients still alive is 25.6 months (range 8-65). CONCLUSION: EVAR is safe in nonagenarians despite their advanced age and significant surgical risk factor profile. The procedure can be performed with excellent technical success and a low rate of perioperative complications. However, mortality rates after 30 days are significant. The substantial long-term mortality raises the question of possible treatment futility in this unique population. While age should not be a contraindication for EVAR, recommendations for the procedure should be based on individual patient selection.

Risk-adjusted 30-day outcomes of carotid stenting and endarterectomy: results from the SVS Vascular Registry.

OBJECTIVE: As the first operational societal registry of carotid procedures, the Outcomes Committee of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) developed the Vascular Registry (VR) in response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) National Coverage Decision on carotid artery stenting (CAS). Although CMS requires data submission only on CAS, the VR collects similar data on carotid endarterectomy (CEA) to allow comparison of outcomes, as well as potential for expansion to other procedures. METHODS: SVS-VR on-line provider-reported data include baseline through follow-up visits to better understand long-term risks and benefits associated with CAS and CEA. The primary outcomes are combined death, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI). An independent data coordinating center maintains the database, which is Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant and auditable. RESULTS: As of December 26, 2007, 6403 procedures with discharge data were entered by 287 providers at 56 centers on 2763 CAS patients (1450 with 30-day outcomes, 52.5%) and 3259 CEA patients (1368 with 30-day outcomes, 42%). Of the total cohort, 98% of CEA and 70.7% of CAS (P < .001) were performed for atherosclerotic disease. Restenosis accounted for 22.3% and post-radiation induced stenosis in 4.5% of CAS patients. Preprocedure lateralizing neurologic symptoms were present in a greater proportion of CAS patients (49.2%) than CEA patients (42.4%, P < .001). CAS patients also had higher preprocedure prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD), MI, congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cardiac arrhythmia. For CAS, death/stroke/MI at 30 days was 7.13% for symptomatic patients and 4.60% for asymptomatic patients (P = .04). For CEA, death/stroke/MI at 30 days was 3.75% in symptomatic patients and 1.97% in asymptomatic patients (P = .05). After risk-adjustment for age, history of stroke, diabetes, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade (ie, factors found to be significant confounders in outcomes using backwards elimination), logistic regression analysis suggested better outcomes following CEA. There were no statistically significant differences when examining CAS outcomes based on center volume. CAS in atherosclerotic disease had significantly worse outcomes than in nonatherosclerotic stenosis. When CAS and CEA were compared in the treatment of atherosclerotic disease only, the difference in outcomes between the two procedures was more pronounced, with death/stroke/MI 6.42% after CAS vs 2.62% following CEA, P < .0001. CONCLUSION: Following best possible risk adjustment of these unmatched groups, symptomatic and asymptomatic CAS patients had significantly higher 30-day postprocedure incidence of death/stroke/MI when compared with CEA patients. The initial 1.5 years of data collection provide proof of concept that a specialty society based VR can succeed in meeting regulatory and scientific goals. With continued enrollment and follow-up, analysis of SVS-VR will supplement randomized trials by providing real-world comparisons of CAS and CEA with sufficient numbers to serve as an outcome assessment tool of important patient subsets and across the spectrum of peripheral vascular procedures.

Clinical significance of endoleak detected on follow-up CT after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of endoleaks detected on combined arterial and delayed contrast-enhanced follow-up CT examinations of patients who have undergone endovascular aneurysm repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred forty-four patients underwent periodic follow-up CT examinations 12-72 months after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. The CT protocol consisted of an unenhanced scan and contrast-enhanced scans in the arterial and 90-second delayed phases. The endoleaks detected on dual-phase CT scans were evaluated in association with the outcome (therapeutic intervention or endoleak resolution). RESULTS: The 144 patients underwent 728 CT examinations with a mean follow-up period of 35.5 +/- 14.5 months. Fifty endoleaks were detected in 50 (34.7%) of the patients. Eight endoleaks were detected in the arterial phase only, eight in the delayed phase only, and 34 in both phases. Intervention was performed to manage 16 endoleaks detected in both phases. CT showed that three endoleaks were stable (two in the arterial phase only and one in both phases) and that 31 had resolved completely (six in the arterial phase only, eight in the delayed phase only, and 17 in both phases). This finding represents a higher frequency of resolution of endoleaks detected in one phase only than in both phases (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Endoleaks detected only in the delayed phase of CT had resolved spontaneously without intervention. Therefore, we can consider eliminating the delayed phase of acquisition to minimize radiation exposure.

Expert consensus document on the treatment of descending thoracic aortic disease using endovascular stent-grafts.

Between 43,000 and 47,000 people die annually in the United States from diseases of the aorta and its branches and continues to increase. For the thoracic aorta, these diseases are increasingly treated by stent-grafting. No prospective randomized study exists comparing stent-grafting and open surgical treatment, including for disease subgroups. Currently, one stent-graft device is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for descending thoracic aortic aneurysms although two new devices are expected to obtain FDA approval in 2008. Stent-graft devices are used "off label" or under physician Investigational Device Exemption studies for other indications such as traumatic rupture of the aorta and aortic dissection. Early first-generation devices suffered from problems such as stroke with insertion, ascending aortic dissection or aortic penetration from struts, vascular injury, graft collapse, endovascular leaks, graft material failure, continued aneurysm expansion or rupture, and migration or kinking; however, the newer iterations coming to market have been considerably improved. Although the devices have been tested in pulse duplicators out to 10 years, long-term durability is not known, particularly in young patients. The long-term consequences of repeated computed tomography scans for checking device integrity and positioning on the risk of irradiation-induced cancer remains of concern in young patients. This document (1) reviews the natural history of aortic disease, indications for repair, outcomes after conventional open surgery, currently available devices, and insights from outcomes of randomized studies using stent-grafts for abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery, the latter having been treated for a longer time by stent-grafts; and (2) offers suggestions for treatment.