Mycotic aortic and left iliac ruptured aneurysm due to Escherichia Coli: a case report and literature overview.

Mycotic aneurysm is a life-threatening disease often caused by Salmonella, Staphylococci and Streptococci species. Interestingly, Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) is described as a rare causative agent. We report the case of a patient who developed a mycotic aortic and ruptured left iliac aneurysm due to E. Coli. The patient developed a secondary aortic graft infection due to a mesenteric ischemia with fecal peritonitis. A literature overview of the current knowledge on mycotic aortic aneurysms specifically due to E. Coli is discussed including the clinical characteristics of patients, the management of the disease and the post-operative outcomes.

Increased reintervention in radial-cephalic arteriovenous fistulas with anastomotic angles of less than 30 degrees.

OBJECTIVE: Although radial-cephalic (RC) and brachial-cephalic (BC) fistulas are the recommended primary accesses for hemodialysis, access failure is frequently due to juxta-anastomotic stenosis (JAS). Because increased turbulence at the anastomosis may lead to JAS, we hypothesized that an acute angle at the arteriovenous anastomosis is associated with JAS, reduced fistula patency, and increased reinterventions. METHODS: Between February 2013 and September 2014, the anastomotic angle and vessel diameters were prospectively collected for all patients who underwent RC or BC fistula creation. The primary end point was reintervention on the juxta-anastomotic segment. Secondary end points were primary and secondary patency of the fistula. RESULTS: A total of 149 patients (median age, 72 years) received 73 RC and 76 BC fistulas; the median follow-up was 7 months (range, 1-22 months) for RC and 12 months (range, 2-24 months) for BC fistulas. The median anastomotic angle in RC fistulas, was 30°. Anastomotic angles of <30° were associated with reduced primary patency (38% vs 66%, P = .003) and secondary patency (84% vs 97%, P = .02) and increased numbers of reinterventions (67% vs 34%, P = .001). Cox analysis showed that an anastomotic angle of <30° was an independent factor predicting decreased primary patency (P = .009) and secondary patency (P = .03) as well as increased reinterventions (P = .004). In BC fistulas, the median anastomotic angle was 90°. Patients with anastomotic angles <90° and ≥90° had similar rates of primary patency (67% vs 67%, P = .39) and secondary patency (93% vs 94%, P = .89) at 6 months, with a similar reintervention rate at 12 months (31% vs 32%, P = .56). Vein diameter was the only factor that predicted reintervention (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: RC fistulas with anastomotic angles of <30° have reduced primary and secondary patency and increased numbers of reinterventions, suggesting that, if possible, surgeons should avoid an anastomotic angle of <30° when creating RC fistulas. Anastomotic angles of <90° or ≥90° may not play a role in outcome of BC fistulas.

Salvage of Early-Failing Radiocephalic Fistulae with Techniques that Minimize Venous Dissection.

Although radiocephalic fistulae are the preferred hemodialysis access, juxta-anastomotic stenosis is often responsible for early fistula failure. We hypothesized that wall ischemia from surgical manipulation leads to early juxta-anastomotic neointimal hyperplasia and failure of maturation and that minimal venous dissection will improve surgical salvage, increasing fistula maturation rates. For failing-to-mature radiocephalic fistulae that develop early juxta-anastomotic stenosis, we describe 3 variations to perform a new proximal anastomosis with a minimal dissection technique on the forearm cephalic vein: (1) side-to-side anastomosis, (2) radial artery deviation and reimplantation, or (3) radial artery deviation and loop reimplantation. Minimal dissection of the cephalic vein achieves fistula salvage without needing a more proximal site for access.

Extended and augmented reality in vascular surgery: Opportunities and challenges.

Extended reality has brought new opportunities for medical imaging visualization and analysis. It regroups various subfields, including virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. Various applications have been proposed for surgical practice, as well as education and training. The aim of this review was to summarize current applications of extended reality and augmented reality in vascular surgery, highlighting potential benefits, pitfalls, limitations, and perspectives on improvement.