Endovascular revascularization of acute arterial mesenteric ischemia: report of a 3-year experience from an intestinal stroke center unit.

OBJECTIVE: To report the 3-year experience of endovascular revascularization of acute arterial mesenteric ischemia (AMI) from an intestinal stroke center unit (ISCU). METHOD: All data from patients admitted to the ISCU between January 2016 and January 2019 for arterial AMI who underwent endovascular recanalization were prospectively acquired and retrospectively analyzed. Patient demographics, clinical and laboratory characteristics at presentation, and CT scans were reviewed. The type (thrombolysis, thrombectomy, stenting) and the outcome of endovascular procedures (technical success or failure, complications) were noted. Care pathways were described focusing on post-procedural treatments (surgical revascularization, bowel resection) and the mortality rate was evaluated in subgroups. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients (34 men [59%], mean 69 ± 29 years) were included. Endovascular revascularization was technically successful in 51/58 (88%) patients, and 10 (17%) patients had post-procedural complications. Stenting and in situ thrombolysis were performed in most patients (n = 33 and n = 19, respectively). Thirty-two patients (55%) were recurrence-free and required no further treatment after the procedure, while 9 (16%), 5 (9%), and 5 (9%) patients underwent 2nd-line bowel resection, surgical revascularization, or both. Overall, 46 (79%), 45 (78%), and 34 patients (63%) were alive at 3 months, 1 year, and 3 years. No significant difference in survival was found in care pathways or baseline characteristics. CONCLUSION: Endovascular revascularization is highly feasible for the treatment of arterial AMI, and is associated with an acceptable rate of complications. Results of endovascular revascularization shall only be interpreted as part of a multidisciplinary patient management strategy. KEY POINTS: • Endovascular revascularization is highly feasible for the treatment of arterial AMI, and is associated with an acceptable rate of complications. • Several techniques are available to perform endovascular revascularization, and their use depends on the cause, the location, and the quality of underlying arteries of patients. • Results of endovascular revascularization shall only be interpreted in relation to its role in an integrated multidisciplinary and patient management strategy.

Acute Isolated Mesenteric Artery Dissection: Four Year Experience From a French Intestinal Stroke Centre.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to report outcomes of patients with symptomatic acute isolated mesenteric artery dissection (IMAD) treated within a French intestinal stroke centre (ISC). METHODS: All patients with symptomatic IMAD referred to the ISC from January 2016 to January 2020 were included prospectively. Patients with aortic dissection and asymptomatic IMAD were not included. The standardised medical protocol included anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy, gastrointestinal resting, and oral antibiotics. Operations were considered for acute mesenteric ischaemia (AMI). RESULTS: Among the 453 patients admitted to an ISC during the study period, 34 (median age, 53 years [41 - 67]; 82% men) with acute symptomatic IMAD were included. According to the classification of Yun et al., IMADs were reported as follows: type I (n = 7, 20%), type IIa (n = 6, 18%), type IIb (n = 15, 44%), and type III (i.e., complete superior mesenteric artery [SMA] occlusion; n = 6, 18%). Overall, nine (26%) patients had AMI (type I/II, n = 3; type III, n = 6). On initial computerised tomography angiogram, nine (26%) patients had an associated visceral arterial dissection or pseudoaneurysm. All patients with types I/II (n = 28, 82%) followed a favourable clinical course with conservative therapy, with no need for any operation. All patients with type III (n = 6, 18%) underwent urgent laparotomy with SMA revascularisation (open, n = 4; stenting, n = 1) and or bowel resection (early, n = 3; late, n = 1). Rates of intestinal resection and short bowel syndrome were 12% and 8.8%, respectively. After a median follow up of 26 months [18 - 42], recurrence of symptoms occurred in four (12%) patients and aneurysmal change in 14 (41%), with no re-intervention. CONCLUSION: Although IMAD was associated with a high frequency of AMI, a standardised protocol produced a low rate of intestinal resection. Conservative therapy seems appropriate in types I/II patients, whereas urgent SMA revascularisation should aim to avoid intestinal resection or death in type III patients.

Midterm results after covered stenting of the superior mesenteric artery.

OBJECTIVE: Despite the continuing controversy of covered stents (CS) vs bare metal stents, the use of CS in mesenteric occlusive disease (MOD) has been recommended by expert centers. The aim of this study was to report midterm results with CS of the superior mesenteric artery. METHODS: Between January 2014 and October 2019, patients with MOD with a severe atheromatous stenosis or occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery treated by mesenteric CS were included. Clinical presentation included both acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI), chronic mesenteric ischemia, and asymptomatic patients planned for major surgery. Demographics, procedure details, and follow-up data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed. Study end points included primary patency, primary assisted patency, and secondary patency. RESULTS: During the study period, 86 patients (mean age, 70 ± 9 years; 57% males) were included. Clinical presentation was AMI (n = 42 [49%]), chronic mesenteric ischemia (n = 31 [36%]), and asymptomatic (n = 13 [15%]). The technical success rate was 97%. A total of 96 stents were implanted, including 86 proximal CS (Advanta V12, n = 73; Lifestream, n = 13). The mean length and mean diameter of the CS were 31.5 ± 6.3 mm and 6.9 ± 0.5 mm, respectively. Additional distal bare metal stents were used in 10 patients (12%) to overcome a kinking (n = 9) or a dissection (n = 1) downstream of the CS. All postoperative deaths occurred in patients with AMI (n = 11, 13%). During a median follow-up of 15.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.6 ± 3.6 months), 12 patients (14%) underwent reinterventions for either stent misplacement (n = 3), stent recoil (n = 3), stent thrombosis (n = 2), de novo stenosis at the distal edge of the CS (n = 2), or gastric ischemia (n = 1). At 1 year, overall the primary patency, primary assisted patency, and secondary patency rates were 83% (95% CI, 83% ± 9%), 99% (95% CI, 99% ± 3%), and 99% (95% CI, 99% ± 3%), respectively. At 2 years, the overall primary patency, primary assisted patency, and secondary patency rates were 76% (95% CI, 76% ± 13%), 95% (95% CI, 95% ± 8%) and 95% (95% CI, 95% ± 8%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Mesenteric CS provide very satisfactory midterm results in patients with MOD, with an excellent primary assisted patency rate at 2 years, at the price of a significant reintervention rate.

Efficacy and Safety of Tumor Necrosis Factor Antagonists in Treatment of Internal Fistulizing Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Few data are available on the effects of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist therapy for patients with internal fistulizing Crohn's disease (CD) and there is debate regarding the risk of abscess. We aimed to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of anti-TNF therapy for patients with internal fistulas. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of data collected from the Groupe d'Etude Thérapeutique des Affections Inflammatoires Digestives trial, from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2017. Our final analysis included 156 patients who began treatment with an anti-TNF agent for CD with internal fistula (83 men; median disease duration, 4.9 y). The primary end point was the onset of a major abdominal surgery. Secondary analysis included disappearance of the fistula tract during follow-up evaluation and safety. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: After a median follow-up period of 3.5 years, 68 patients (43.6%) underwent a major abdominal surgery. The cumulative probabilities for being surgery-free were 83%, 64%, and 51% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. A concentration of C-reactive protein >18 mg/L, an albumin concentration <36 g/L, the presence of an abscess at the fistula diagnosis, and the presence of a stricture were associated independently with the need for surgery. The cumulative probabilities of fistula healing, based on imaging analyses, were 15.4%, 32.3%, and 43.9% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Thirty-two patients (20.5%) developed an intestinal abscess and 4 patients died from malignancies (3 intestinal adenocarcinomas). One patient died from septic shock 3 months after initiation of anti-TNF therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In a retrospective analysis of data from a large clinical trial, we found that anti-TNF therapy delays or prevents surgery for almost half of patients with CD and luminal fistulas. However, anti-TNF therapy might increase the risk for sepsis-related death or gastrointestinal malignancies.

Normal Lactate and Unenhanced CT-Scan Result in Delayed Diagnosis of Acute Mesenteric Ischemia.

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the factors associated with a delayed diagnosis (DD) of acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI). METHODS: An observational cohort study from an intestinal failure center. The primary outcome was DD >24 hours. RESULTS: Between 2006 and 2015, 74 patients with AMI were included and 39 (53%) had a DD. Plasma lactate <2 mmol/L (odd ratio: 3.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.1-9.1; P = 0.03) and unenhanced computed tomography scan (odds ratio: 5.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.4-25.8; P = 0.01) were independently associated with DD. DISCUSSION: Suspicion of AMI should no longer be affected by normal plasma lactate levels and should prompt evaluation by a contrast-enhanced computed tomography-scan.

Oral Antibiotics Reduce Intestinal Necrosis in Acute Mesenteric Ischemia: A Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: To identify treatments likely to prevent progression towards irreversible transmural intestinal necrosis (ITIN) in acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI). METHODS: Prospective observational cohort study from a French intestinal stroke center. Multivariate analysis using a time-dependent Cox regression model. RESULTS: Between 2009 and 2015, 67 patients with AMI were included. ITIN occurred in 34% of patients and mortality was 13%. Oral antibiotics was independently associated with a decreased risk of ITIN (HR: 0.16 (95% CI = 0.03-0.62); p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: By decreasing luminal bacterial load and translocation, oral antibiotics in addition to early revascularization might reduce progression of AMI to ITIN.

Laparoscopic Surgery in Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia: Release of the Superior Mesenteric Artery from the Median Arcuate Ligament Using the Transperitoneal Left Retrorenal Approach.

Median arcuate ligament (MAL) syndrome usually involves the celiac artery (CA) only. Far less frequently, both the CA and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) are compressed, leading to chronic mesenteric ischemia. We report the case of a 46-year-old woman with a 4-year history of permanent nausea, postprandial abdominal pain, and asthenia. A clear epigastric bruit was observed on physical examination. Duplex ultrasound and computed tomography angiography revealed an occlusion of the CA and a highly compressed proximal SMA by the MAL, with an important collateral mesenteric network. Laparoscopic release of the MAL using a transperitoneal retrorenal approach was performed, with excellent postoperative outcomes. Compression of the SMA by the MAL is a rare cause of chronic mesenteric ischemia. Laparoscopic release of the SMA from the MAL using a transperitoneal retrorenal approach is safe and effective. Long-term outcomes need to be further assessed.

[Modern treatment of mesenteric ischemia]. / Prise en charge moderne des ischémies mésentériques.

Acute mesenteric ischemia is a highly morbid affliction which requires urgent care. Acute mesenteric ischemia consists in an ischemia injury of the small bowel, secondary to vascular insufficiency, either occlusive (thrombosis, embolism, arterial, venous) or non-occlusive (low flow or vasospasm). Given that the superior mesenteric artery supplies the small bowel as well as the right part of the colon, any ischemic process involving the right colon should be considered an acute mesenteric ischemia until proven otherwise. Acute mesenteric ischemia should always be suspected in the setting of a sudden, unusual and intense abdominal pain requiring opioids. Chronic mesenteric ischemia can also be revealed by postprandial abdominal pain associated with significant weight loss. The clinical presentation of mesenteric ischemia is nonspecific. Thus, a suspected diagnosis must be confirmed by imaging usually consisting in an abdominal computed tomography scan. Imaging will also provide guidance with regards to treatment decision. Organ failure, serum lactate elevation as well as bowel loop dilationper imaging are predictive of irreversible intestinal necrosis. In the presence of any of these predictive factors, surgical management should be considered. The modern treatment of mesenteric ischemia in Intestinal Stroke Centers has allowed rates of resection-free survival in nearly two-thirds of patients. The management of mesenteric ischemia relies in a combination of: (1) a medical protocol including oral/enteral antibiotics; (2) the revascularization of viable bowel and (3) the surgical resection of necrosic, non viable intestinal tissue. The inception and development of Intestinal Stroke Centers has been the cornerstone of significantly improved management and survival rates as well as crucial asset in research, specifically in the field of biomarkers associated with early diagnosis.

The psoas muscle transversal diameter predicts mortality in patients with cirrhosis on a waiting list for liver transplantation: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Malnutrition impairs prognosis in liver cirrhosis. Our aims were to determine (1) if transversal (TPTI) and axial (APTI) psoas thickness indices predict mortality in cirrhotic patients and (2) the feasibility and reproducibility of transversal (TDPM) and axial (ADPM) diameters of the psoas muscle measurements. METHODS: This was a retrospective study. Inclusion criteria included cirrhosis diagnosis, on liver transplantation waiting list, and abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan within the 3 mo preceding list inscription. TDPM and ADPM were measured on a single umbilicus-targeted CT image by non-expert and expert operators. TPTI or APTI (mm/m) were calculated as TDPM or ADPM/height (m). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and Cox proportional hazard models were assessed. TPTI and APTI interobserver agreement: κ correlation test. RESULTS: A total of 173 patients were included. Low TPTI was associated with increased mortality: AUC = 0.66 (95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.80). TPTI was the only factor associated with mortality (hazard ratio = 0.87, 95% confidence interval 0.76-0.99, P = 0.034). There was an almost perfect interobserver agreement between the two operators: TDPM, κ = 0.97; ADPM, κ = 0.94; P <0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: TPTI measured on umbilicus-targeted CT scan before inscription on the waiting list for liver transplantation predicts mortality of cirrhotic patients. TPTI measurement is easy and reliable, even by a non-trained operator, and this is highly feasible in daily clinical practice.

Surgical revascularization of the celiac artery for persistent intestinal ischemia in short bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Without prompt superior mesenteric artery (SMA) revascularization, acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) frequently leads to death or short bowel syndrome (SBS). In SBS patients, persistent or chronic intestinal ischemia (PII) of the remnant bowel can lead to recurrences of AMI. Since SMA revascularization is sometimes unfeasible, celiac artery (CA) revascularization may improve blood supply to the remnant bowel. The aim of this study was to describe and to assess our experience of the CA revascularization in case of SMA occlusion unsuitable for revascularization in the setting of PII in SBS patients. METHODS: All consecutive patients with i) SBS consecutive to AMI, ii) persistent intestinal ischemia (PII), iii) irreversible SMA occlusion, i.e unsuitable for radiological or surgical revascularization and iv) occlusion or severe stenosis of the CA were included. RESULTS: Thirteen patients (7 males/6 females, mean age = 47.2 ±â€¯12.1 years) were included. The mean length of remnant small bowel was 47 ±â€¯39 cm and 77% of patients had a stoma. The types of revascularization included anterograde aorto-hepatic bypass n = 11 (84%), ilio-hepatic bypass n = 1 (8%) and endarterectomy n = 1 (8%). Major adverse events were observed in 5 cases: bypass graft infection (n = 2), hemorrhagic pericarditis (n = 2), hemorrhagic shock (n = 2) and aortic false aneurysm (n = 1). After a mean follow-up of 27.0 ±â€¯25.2 months, symptoms of PII relieved in 12 cases (92%) allowing for digestive surgical rehabilitation with continuity restoration in 7 patients (54%). PN was weaned for 2 patients. One-year and 3-year survival rates were 73.8% and 73.8% respectively. No recurrence of AMI or further need for bowel resection was noticed. CONCLUSION: For patients with SBS suffering from PII with CA occlusion or stenosis without possibility of SMA revascularization, the surgical revascularization of the CA allowed digestive rehabilitation with acceptable morbidity and mortality rates.