Contemporary Management of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) can carry extremely high mortality rates and most will only present with symptoms with impending rupture. We present an overview of management of this disease process starting with screening, to medical management, surveillance and treatment options currently available, as well as those being studied for future use. RECENT FINDINGS: Screening has been proven to reduce the mortality rate. There still remains a paucity of data to support medical therapies to help mitigate the rate of aneurysm growth and prevent rupture. However, on the topic of repair, there have been advancements in endovascular devices which have broadened the scope of treatment for patients with anatomy not amenable to standard endovascular repair or those who are not suitable candidates for open surgical repair. Appropriate surveillance, risk factor modification, and operative repair, when indicated, are the cornerstones of contemporary management of AAAs. Advancements in endovascular technologies have allowed us to treat more patients. Further research is warranted on non-operative medical therapies.

Endovascular Management of Aortic Stump Blowout by Parallel Grafting and Coil Embolization of Visceral Aorta.

Aortic graft and endograft infections remain a significant source of morbidity and mortality after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. With graft excision and extra-anatomic bypass, an infrarenal aortic stump remains which can have suture line dehiscence and catastrophic stump blowout. Treatment of this is extremely challenging, especially for severely co-morbid patients who cannot undergo major surgery, or in patients with a hostile abdomen. We present a case study of a 74-year-old male found to have an aortoenteric fistula (AEF). This case broadens operative options for this type of patient population by demonstrating an endovascular technique for addressing aortic stump blowout by parallel grafting and coil embolization of the visceral aorta.

Surgical site infections in the NICU.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSI) increase morbidity and mortality. In adult and pediatric populations, the incidence ranges from 1.5-12%. Studies in neonates have shown an association between preoperative stay in an intensive care unit and development of SSI. To date, there has only been a single study looking exclusively at SSI in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Additionally, there has been a suggestion that prematurity may be a risk factor for SSI, but this has come from studies looking at all neonates less than 28days, rather than only neonates hospitalized in a NICU. OBJECTIVE: Primary outcome variable was to calculate the incidence of SSI in a NICU population. Secondary outcome variables were to determine if SSI is more common in premature infants and to identify additional risk factors for the development of SSI. METHODS: An IRB-approved retrospective chart review of all patients undergoing surgical procedures in a level IIIC NICU over a 2-year period was used. We utilized the CDC's definitions of surgical procedures and SSI. An epidemiologist reviewed charts if the diagnosis of SSI was questionable. Statistical analysis was done with t test and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: We identified 165 patients who underwent 264 surgical procedures. Incidence of SSI was 11.7%. There were 31 SSI that occurred in 29 neonates over the 2-year period, with no mortality in that group. In patients who developed an SSI, 34.5% occurred after the 1st procedure, 41.4% occurred after a 2nd procedure, and 24.1% occurred after the 3rd or later procedure. There was no difference in perioperative antibiotic usage. CONCLUSIONS: This study describes SSI in a strictly neonatal population in a large academic NICU. Prematurity does not appear to be a risk factor for SSI. SSI is more common in neonates who have undergone an abdominal procedure or multiple procedures. Perioperative antibiotics are not significantly associated with prevention of SSI.