Endovascular repair of traumatic aortic isthmic rupture: Early and mid-term results.

INTRODUCTION: Conventional open repair of a traumatic aortic isthmic rupture is associated with a significantly high mortality and morbidity rates. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is currently often performed because it is a less invasive treatment than surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate short and mid-term results of TEVAR in traumatic aortic isthmic rupture. METHODS: This is a retrospective study conducted between 2010 and 2018 including patients who underwent TEVAR for traumatic aortic isthmic rupture. RESULTS: Thirty-six consecutive patients were included. All patients had sustained a violent blunt chest trauma after a sudden deceleration with associated injuries. The injury severity score (ISS) was 40 (14-66). All patients were hemodynamically stable at admission. We deployed thoracic aorta stent grafts with a mean diameter of 26mm (18-36). The procedural success rate was 100%. We reported one intra-operative complication which was a distal migration of the graft, managed by an implantation of an aortic extension graft. On the first postoperative day, one patient presented an acute lower limb ischemia, probably due to the surgical femoral access, treated with an embolectomy with a Fogarty catheter with satisfactory results. The mean follow-up was 40.41 months (6.5-96). The mortality and paraplegia rates were 0% at one month and during the follow-up period. We reported a case of kinking of the graft that occurred at 6 months. No cases of endoleak neither re-intervention were reported. CONCLUSION: TEVAR is a safe and a reliable method for the treatment of sub-acute traumatic thoracic aortic injuries.

[Predictive factors of amputation after iliac angioplasty in patients with severe artery disease]. / Facteurs prédictifs d'amputation après angioplastie de l'artère iliaque chez les patients avec artériopathie sévère.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the success of angioplasty of the iliac artery, this technique remains associated with significant amputation rates. The purpose of this study was to identify predictive factors for lower limb amputation after iliac angioplasty in patients with critical ischemia. METHODS: We reported a retrospective study including patients who successfully underwent angioplasty of the iliac artery between 2014 and 2018. The primary endpoint was limb salvage at 1 month. The variables were studied in univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Our study included 86 patients. The median age was 57±10 and the sex ratio was 4.7. Cardiovascular risk factors were represented by smoking in 14 cases (16.3%), diabetes in 25 cases (29.1%), arterial hypertension in 2 cases (2.3%) and dyslipidemia in 2 cases (2.3%). Seventy patients (81.3%) were classified as stage 4 according to the Leriche and Fontaine classification and 16 patients (18.7%) were classified as stage 3. The lesions were stenosing in 48 cases (55.8%) and occlusive in 38 cases (44.2%). These lesions were classified according to the TASC classification "Trans-Atlantic-Society-Consensus" in TASC A-B in 61 cases (70.9%) and TASC C-D in 35 cases (29.1%). Distal arteritis was found in 8 cases (9.3%). Balloon angioplasty was performed in 36 cases (41.8%) and angioplasty stenting in 50 cases (58.2%). At 1 month, the amputation rate was 9.3%. Univariate analysis showed that diabetes and smoking were the most important factors associated with amputation (respectively P=0.007, OR=9.31, 95% CI=[1.73-50.07] and P=0.022; OR=6.8; 95% CI=[1.46 to 31.61]). Multivariate analysis showed that diabetes and distal arteritis were the predictive factors for amputation (respectively P=0.034, OR=21.06, 95% CI=[1.25 to 354.46] and P=0.008, OR=11,61, 95% CI=[1.88 to 71.69]). CONCLUSION: Diabetes and distal arteritis are the predictive factors for lower limb amputation after iliac angioplasty.