Real Life Outcomes of Infrapopliteal Endovascular and Surgical Bypass Intervention for Chronic Limb Threatening Ischaemia in GLASS Stages II and III.

OBJECTIVE: Great efforts have been made to choose between bypass surgery and angioplasty as the first choice for revascularisation in chronic limb threatening ischaemia (CLTI). Endovascular therapy predominates despite limited evidence for its advantages. The purpose of this observational cohort study was to investigate outcomes after open and endovascular infrapopliteal revascularisation in extensive infrainguinal arterial disease. METHODS: The medical records of 1 427 patients who underwent infrainguinal revascularisation exclusively for CLTI in the period January 2014 to February 2019 were reviewed. After detailed analysis, only infrapopliteal revascularisations classified as GLASS stage II or III were considered, resulting in 326 procedures. In total, 127 patients underwent endovascular therapy and 199 patients underwent bypass graft surgery (BGS). The primary endpoints included amputation free survival (AFS) and overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included the analyses of multiple factors related to long term AFS. RESULTS: Regarding the primary endpoint, AFS was 75.2% and 65.2% at one and three years, respectively. OS at one and three years was 91.2% and 83.1%, respectively. In the univariable analysis, the hazard of the combined endpoint of major amputation or death was higher after bypass surgery than after endovascular therapy (hazard ratio [HR] 1.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13 - 2.89; p = .013). After either revascularisation method, TASC II femoropopliteal D was associated with a higher risk of amputation or death (HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.10 - 2.58; p = .015). Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed no association between the variables analysed for AFS. CONCLUSION: Patients with CLTI submitted to infrapopliteal revascularisation and classified as GLASS II and III had satisfactory AFS and OS rates after an individualised team conference decision. Furthermore, the revascularisation modality (endovascular or open) did not influence the AFS results.

Diagnosis of chronic iliac venous obstruction.

Stenting has become the first line of treatment for symptomatic chronic iliofemoral venous obstruction in patients with quality-of-life-impairing clinical manifestations who have failed conservative therapy. Patient selection for such intervention is, however, dependent on clear identification of relevant clinical manifestations and subsequent testing to confirm the diagnosis. In this regard, the physician engaged in management of such patients needs to be well-aware of symptoms and signs of chronic iliofemoral venous obstruction, and instruments used to grade chronic venous insufficiency and determine quality of life, in addition to diagnostic tests available and their individual roles. This review serves to provide an overview of the diagnosis of chronic iliofemoral venous obstruction and patient selection for stenting.

Comparison of computed tomography venography and intravascular ultrasound in screening and classification of iliac vein obstruction in patients with chronic venous disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate power of computed tomography venography (CTV) to identify and characterize iliac vein obstruction (IVO) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) examination in highly symptomatic patients with chronic venous disease (CVD). METHODS: CVD CEAP C3-6 limbs with visual analog scale for pain score of greater than 3 and/or Venous Clinical Severity Scale of greater than 8 were prospectively investigated with CTV and IVUS examination. The segment of maximum IVO was verified and categorically classified: group I, 0% to 49%; group II, 50% to 79%; and group III, 80% or greater. The CTV's screening power to detect the point and degree of maximum IVO was compared with IVUS. RESULTS: The CTV point of maximum IVO was 80% in the left limb, 10% in the right limb, 10% bilaterally; 2% in the inferior vena cava; 91% in the common iliac vein (CIV) confluence (41.6% below the CIV confluence, 34.5 at the CIV confluence, and 23.9% above the CIV confluence); 7% at the external iliac vein (kappa index 0.841; P < .001, when compared with IVUS). The distal venous segment considered free of obstruction was above inguinal ligament: 68% (CIV, 47%; external iliac vein, 21%) 32% below the inguinal ligament (common femoral vein, 26%; deep femoral vein, 6%) (kappa index 0.671; P = .023, when compared with IVUS). The power of CTV to detect an IVO of 50% or greater (groups II and III) when compared with IVUS achieved a sensitivity and specificity ratio of 94.0% and 79.2%, respectively. The positive predictive value was 94%, the negative predictive value was 79.1%, accuracy was 86.7% (kappa, 0.733), and interobserver agreement was 92.1% (95% confidence interval, 87.1-97.7; kappa, 0.899). CONCLUSIONS: CTV is a powerful screening method in determining the precise point of compression and classifying IVO in limbs with symptomatic CVD when compared with IVUS. The prevalence of an obstruction above the iliac vein confluence is significant and should be considered in iliac vein stenting treatment strategy. The tomographic classification system proposed here may help to define the optimum technique of treatment, prognosis, and comparison of outcome results.

Randomized double-blinded study comparing medical treatment versus iliac vein stenting in chronic venous disease.

OBJECTIVE: Iliac vein stenting has emerged as the procedure of choice in the treatment of iliac vein obstruction (IVO). However, clinical outcomes have never been studied by a randomized clinical trial. Our purpose was to compare medical and endovascular treatment results in symptomatic chronic venous disease (CVD) patients with significant IVO documented by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). METHODS: Patients with Clinical, Etiology, Anatomy, and Pathophysiology clinical class C3 to C6 and a visual analog scale for pain (VAS pain) score >3 were considered eligible. We randomly assigned limbs with ≥50% IVO on IVUS to undergo medical treatment alone or medical treatment plus iliac vein stenting. The patient and clinical physician were blinded. Primary outcomes included change from baseline in VAS pain score, Venous Clinical Severity Score, and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey quality of life questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included stent integrity, migration, and patency rates at 6 months. RESULTS: Of 207 CVD patients, 58 (28%) were eligible and eight (14%) were excluded; 51 of 85 class C3 to C6 limbs (60%) had ≥50% IVO by IVUS. Iliac vein stenting, in randomized patients, was 100% technically successful. At 6 months' follow-up, the mean VAS pain score declined from a median of 8 to 2.5 in patients receiving stents and from 8 to 7 in patients receiving only medical treatment (P < .001). The Venous Clinical Severity Score dropped from a median of 18.5 to 11 after stenting and from 15 to 14 with medical treatment (P < .001). The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (0-100) improved from a total median score of 53.9 to 85.0 with stenting and 48.3 to 59.8 after medical treatment (P < .001). There was no stent fracture or migration, and the primary, assisted primary, and secondary patency rates were 92%, 96%, and 100%, respectively (median, 11.8; range, 6-18 months). CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular treatment of IVO with stenting is safe and promotes effective relief of symptoms and improvement in quality of life compared with medical treatment alone in symptomatic CVD patients. Our results echo those achieved in numerous previously published nonrandomized clinical series.

Giant femoropopliteal artery aneurysm and vein rupture.

Atherosclerotic popliteal aneurysms are the most common peripheral artery aneurysms. Thrombosis, embolization, rupture, and compression of adjacent structures are well-known complications. We report a patient with a giant thigh hematoma and a pulsatile mass thought to be a ruptured popliteal artery aneurysm. It proved to be an unruptured 8.5 cm femoropopliteal aneurysm with avulsed and bleeding adjacent veins, the source of the hematoma. This constitutes the first known report of this unusual complication.

O valor atual da trombólise na oclusão arterial aguda do membro inferior / Current value of thrombolytic therapy for acute peripheral arterial occlusion

A oclusão arterial aguda dos membros inferiores pode ser definida como deficiência súbita de perfusão sangüínea tecidual, levando ao risco de perda da capacidade funcional do membro. A revascularização precoce do leito arterial comprometido corresponde ao princípio terapêutico mais importante. Na realidade, além da revascularização cirúrgica, a infusão de trombolíticos vem sendo utilizada com resultados satisfatórios em alguns estudos. Neste artigo, procuramos demonstrar os principais conceitos e o valor atual da terapia fibrinolítica, através da revisão dos principais estudos que utilizaram agentes trombolíticos na oclusão arterial aguda de membros inferiores...

Fluoroscopia perioperatória em revascularização de membros inferiores / Perioperative fluoroscopy in lowter lim revascularization

No período de feveretro/1997 a março/2001 a fluoroscopia perioperatoria foi utiliZada em 88 cirurgías de revascularização de membros inferiores. O método foi aplicado no pré-operatório em 14,7 por cento , em 27,2 por cento no intra-operatório e em 97,7 por cento no pós-operatório. Ela determinou alteração de conduta em 25 por cento destas cirurgias.Auxiliou na escolha do leito vascular revascularizado em 6,8 por cento dos casos. No intra-operatório, fatores de risco para a oclusão do enxerto foram identificados e corrigidos em 5,7 por cento. Ao término da círurgia a fluoroscopia determínou reoperação em 12,5 por cento dos casos.A perviedade do enxerto foi de 91,4 por cento e de 89,7 por cento no primeiro e terceiro mês de acompanhamento.A fluoroscopia mostra-se importante método auxiliar à cirurgia de revascularização de membros inferiores. Neste trabalho, sugere sensibilidade superior à arteriografiaconvencional na escolha do leito arterial e na identificação e correção de falhas técnicas que possam comprometer a perviedade do enxerto...

Perviedade primária assistida através da angioplastia transluminal na cirurgia de revascularização de membros inferiores criticamente isquemiados / Assisted primary patency through transluminal angioplasty in revascularization surgery of critically ischemic lower limbs

Objetivo: Embora a revisão cirúrgica seja o tratamento tradicionalmente utilizado em lesões estenóticas, a angioplastia transluminal tem-se mostrado uma alternativa menos invasiva para o tratamento dessas lesões. O objetivo deste estudo é analisar os resultados de perviedade obtidos após a angioplastia transluminal de lesões estenóticas pós-operatórias.Método: Foram estudadas prospectivamente 19 angioplastias transluminais realizadas em 16 pacientes com lesões estenóticas diagnosticadas no trajeto do enxerto e consideradas adequadas para a realização do procedimento. As variáveis analisadas foram: tempo de pós-operatório; método diagnóstico; características da estenose; método para realização da angioplastia; sucesso imediato do procedimento; complicações; perviedade em médio prazo.Resultados: A análise das 19 lesões estenóticas favoráveis à angioplastia evidenciou que o tempo médio de pós-operatório foi de 10,26 meses; o eco-Doppler colorido foi o responsável pelo diagnóstico em 68,4 por cento dos casos, todos assintomáticos. Os sítio de angioplastia transluminal foram: corpo do enxerto(terço proximal e terço distal); anastomose distal; anastomose proximal;artéria ilíaca(leito proximal); e leito distal. Após 15 meses, 15 dos 16 pacientes (93,75 por cento) evoluíram sem sintomas isquêmicos. Foram alcançados índices de perviedade primária de 78,9 por cento, de perviedade assistida de 94 por cento, e de salvamento de membro de 100 por cento.Conclusão: A angioplastia transluminal representa um método alternativo e menos invasivo para a manutenção da perviedade e salvamento de membro nos pacientes submetidos à revascularização de membros inferiores...