Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation in Patients with Ipsilateral Versus Contralateral Tunneled Dialysis Catheter: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although it is evident that a prior history of tunneled dialysis catheter (TDC) affects arteriovenous fistula (AVF) function, it is unclear whether its location (contralateral versus ipsilateral to AVF) has any effect on AVF maturation and failure rates. We aimed to document this possible effect. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis were performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Studies comparing outcomes between patients with contralateral TDC (CONTRA group) and those with ipsilateral one (IPSI group) were examined for inclusion. A random effects model meta-analysis of the odds ratio (OR) was conducted. Primary outcomes were AVF functional maturation, assisted maturation, and failure rates. RESULTS: Four eligible studies comprising 763 patients were included in the meta-analysis. There were no significant differences in terms of AVF functional maturation (OR: 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64-3.47; I2 = 83.4%), assisted maturation (OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.29-1.19; I2 = 61.4%), and failure rates (OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.29-1.58; I2 = 83.3%) between the 2 study groups. CONCLUSIONS: TDC laterality seems not to affect fistula maturation rate in patients requiring TDC placement and concurrent AVF creation, but rather, vein- and patient-related characteristics might play a more important role in choosing TDC access site. Further studies are needed to validate these results.

Outcomes of Stented vs Nonstented Femoropopliteal Lesions Treated With Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty.

PURPOSE: Drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty has been increasingly used for the treatment of lower limb peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, bail-out stenting may be necessary in cases of suboptimal angioplasty. This study investigated the outcomes of femoropopliteal disease treated with DCB with/without bail-out stenting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective study enrolling 166 consecutive patients (DCB+stent: n=81 vs DCB: n=85) with 253 femoropopliteal lesions (DCB+stent: n=99 vs DCB: n=154) treated with DCB with/without stenting. Bail-out stenting was performed at the operator discretion for postangioplasty dissections or otherwise suboptimal angiographic result (>30% residual stenosis). Cox regression analysis was performed to examine the outcomes of DCB with/without stenting during 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: The baseline clinical characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. About half of the patients presented with critical limb ischemia, with most of the lesions located at the superficial femoral artery. The overall mean lesion length was 147±67 mm. The most frequent bail-out stent types were bare metal stents (BMS) (53.5%) followed by drug-eluting stents (DES) (41.4%). Lesions requiring bail-out stenting were on average longer (177±67 mm vs 127±59 mm; p<0.01) and on average had higher prevalence of flow-limiting postangioplasty dissections. The overall procedural success rate was 94% without any differences between the 2 groups. Both the stented and nonstented treatment modalities were effective and safe, demonstrating similar rates of 2-year freedom from major adverse limb event (stented: 71.3% vs nonstented: 64.4%) and 2-year freedom from target lesion revascularization (stented: 77.1% vs nonstented: 72.3%) during following up. The use of DES as bail-out therapy was associated with a lower risk of 2-year death compared with the use of BMS (DES: 97.2% vs BMS: 75.8%; p=0.01). CONCLUSION: Drug-coated balloon with bail-out stenting is a viable treatment option for cases of suboptimal DCB results, promising similar efficacy with DCB-alone procedures. However, as the patency of stents at the femoropopliteal segment may be a challenge due to the biomechanical stress of the artery, the efficacy of DCB+bail-out stenting should be further evaluated. In addition, future studies are needed to determine which grades of post-DCB dissections should be treated and optimize current bail-out strategies.

Geniculate Artery Endovascular Embolization Post-Total Knee Arthroplasty for Hemarthrosis Treatment: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

PURPOSE: To provide an updated systematic review on the use of geniculate artery embolization (GAE) in the management of recurrent hemarthrosis post-total knee arthroplasty (TKA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted, and all clinical reports in the English language from inception to July 2022 were identified. References were manually reviewed to identify additional studies. Demographics, procedural techniques, post-procedural complications, and follow-up data were extracted and analyzed using STATA 14.1. RESULTS: A total of 20 studies (9 case reports, 11 case series; n= 214) were included for review. In all cases, patients underwent coil embolization of one or more geniculate arteries. Procedure success was reported in 94.8% (n=203/214) of cases without perioperative adverse events. Improvement of symptoms was seen in 72.6% (n=119/164) of cases, with 30.7% (n=58/189) of cases requiring repeat embolization. Recurrent hemarthrosis occurred in 22.2% (n=22/99) of cases over a mean follow-up of 48 months. CONCLUSION: GAE appears to be a safe and effective treatment for recurrent hemarthrosis following TKA. Future studies in the form of randomized controlled trials should be conducted to further evaluate such embolization techniques and compare outcomes between GAE and standard techniques. CLINICAL IMPACT: Conservative management of post total knee arthroplasty (TKA) hemarthrosis is successful in only one third of cases. Geniculate artery embolization (GAE) has recently gained attention due to its minimally invasive nature compared to open or arthroscopic synovectomy promising faster rehabilitation, decreased infection rates and less additional surgeries. The purpose of this article was to summarize current literature, provide an updated review on the use of GAE in the management of recurrent hemarthrosis post-TKA and describe immediate and long-term outcomes in an effort to help optimize current treatment algorithms.

Long-Term Outcomes of Open Versus Endovascular Treatment for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis With Reconstructed Time-to-Event Data.

BACKGROUND: The advent of endovascular techniques has revolutionized the care of patients with uncomplicated abdominal aortic aneurysms. This analysis compares the overall survival and the freedom from reintervention rate between open surgical repair (OSR) and endovascular repair (EVAR) in patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies including patients who underwent either OSR or EVAR for uncomplicated AAA. All randomized controlled trials and propensity-score-matched cohort studies reporting on the outcomes of interest were considered eligible for inclusion. The systematic search of the literature was performed by 2 independent investigators in accordance with the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. We conducted 1-stage and 2-stage meta-analyses with Kaplan-Meier-derived time-to-event data and meta-analysis with a random-effects model. RESULTS: Thirteen studies met our eligibility criteria, incorporating 13 409 and 13 450 patients in the OSR and EVAR arms, respectively. Patients who underwent open repair had improved overall survival rates compared with those who underwent EVAR (hazard ratio [HR]=0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.88-0.98, p=0.004) during a mean follow-up of 53.8 (SD=29.8) months and this was validated by the 2-stage meta-analysis (HR=0.89, 95% CI=0.8-0.99, p=0.03, I2=62.25%). Splitting timepoint analysis suggested that EVAR offers better survival outcome compared with OSR in the first 11 months following elective intervention (HR=1.37, 95% CI=1.22-1.54, p<0.0001), while OSR offers a significant survival advantage after the 11-month timepoint and up to 180 months (HR=0.84, 95% CI=0.8-0.89, p<0.0001). Similarly, freedom from reintervention was found to be significantly better in EVAR patients (HR=1.28, 95% CI=1.14-1.44, p<0.0001) within the first 30 days. After the first month postrepair, however, OSR demonstrated higher freedom-from-reintervention rates compared with EVAR that remained significant for up to 168 months during follow-up (HR=0.73, 95% CI=0.66-0.79, p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the first-year survival advantage of EVAR in patients undergoing elective AAA repair, OSR was associated with a late survival benefit and decreased risk for reintervention in long-term follow-up. CLINICAL IMPACT: Open surgical repair for uncomplicated abdominal aortic aneurysm offers better long-term outcomes in terms of survival and freedom from reintervention rate compared to the endovascular approach but in the first year it carries a higher risk of mortality. The novelty of our study lies that instead of comparing study-level effect estimates, we analyzed reconstructed individual patient-level data. This offered us the opportunity to perform our analyses with mathematically robust and flexible survival models, which was proved to be crucial since there was evidence of different hazard over time. Our findings underline the need for additional investigation to clarify the significance of open surgical repair when compared to the latest endovascular devices and techniques within the evolving era of minimally invasive procedures.

Endovascular Repair of Popliteal Artery Injury Post-total Knee Arthroplasty is Safe and Effective: A Case Report and Systematic Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Popliteal artery pseudoaneurysms are a rare but serious complication following total knee arthroplasty that have been traditionally managed with open surgical repair. Endovascular stenting, while relatively new, offers a promising alternative that is less invasive and may reduce the risk of perioperative complications. METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted, and all clinical reports in the English language from inception to July 2022 were identified. References were manually reviewed to identify additional studies. Demographics, procedural techniques, postprocedural complications, and followup data were extracted and analyzed using STATA 14.1. Additionally, we present a case of a patient with a popliteal pseudoaneurysm treated with a covered endovascular stent. RESULTS: A total of 14 studies (12 case reports, 2 case series; n = 17) were included for review. In all cases, a stent-graft was placed across the popliteal artery lesion. In 5 out of 11 cases, popliteal artery thrombus was present and treated with adjacent modalities (i.e., mechanical thrombectomy, balloon angioplasty, etc.). Procedure success was reported in all cases without perioperative adverse events. Stents remained patent over a median followup of 32 weeks (interquartile range: 36). In all but one case, the patients experienced immediate symptom relief and had an uneventful recovery. For our case, at the 12-month followup the patient was asymptomatic, and ultrasound demonstrated vessel patency. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular stenting is a safe and effective treatment for popliteal pseudoaneurysms. Future studies should be aimed at evaluating the long-term outcomes of such minimally invasive techniques.

Superficial Femoral Artery Remote Endarterectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Remote superficial femoral artery endarterectomy (RSFAE) is a hybrid procedure with low risk for perioperative complications and promising patency rates over time. The aim of this study was to summarize current literature and to determine the role of RSFAE in limb salvage with regards to technical success, limitations, patency rates and long-term outcomes. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. RESULTS: Overall 19 studies were identified, comprising 1,200 patients with extensive femoropopliteal disease among whom 40% presented with chronic limb threatening ischemia. The average technical success rate was 96%, with a 7% rate for perioperative distal embolization and 13% rate for superficial femoral artery perforation. The primary patency was 64% and 56%, primary assisted patency was 82% and 77%, and secondary patency was 89% and 72% at 12 and 24 months follow-up, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: For long femoropopliteal TransAtlantic InterSociety ConsensusC/D lesions, RSFAE appears to be a minimally invasive hybrid procedure with acceptable perioperative morbidity, low mortality, and acceptable patency rates. RSFAE should be considered an alternative to open surgery or a bridge to bypass.

Hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) versus coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in multivessel coronary artery disease (MVCAD): A meta-analysis of 14 studies comprising 4226 patients.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the outcomes of hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) with traditional coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in multivessel coronary artery disease (MVCAD). BACKGROUND: HCR has emerged as an alternative to CABG in patients with MVCAD. Through minimally invasive surgical techniques, HCR carries the potential for faster recovery postoperatively, fewer complications, and lower utilization of resources. METHODS: Systematic search of electronic databases was conducted up to December 2021 and studies comparing HCR with CABG in the treatment of MVCAD were included in this meta-analysis. Primary outcomes of interest were incidence of 5-year mortality and major adverse cardiac and cerebral event (MACCE). RESULTS: Fourteen studies (12 observational studies and 2 randomized controlled trials) comprising 4226 patients were included. The rates of 5-year mortality (odds ratios [OR]: 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.92-2.62; I2 = 83.0%) and long-term MACCE (OR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.47-2.01; I2 = 74.7%) were comparable between HCR and CABG groups. HCR was associated with a significantly lower likelihood of perioperative blood transfusion (OR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.25-0.51; I2 = 55.9%), shorter mean hospital stay (weighted mean difference: -2.04; 95% CI: -2.60 to -1.47; I2 = 54%), and risk of postoperative acute kidney injury (OR: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.23-0.88; p = 0.02). CABG demonstrated a lower likelihood of requiring long-term repeat revascularization (OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.03-2.20; I2 = 18%) over a follow-up duration of 29.14 ± 21.75 months. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggests that HCR is feasible and safe for the treatment of MVCAD. However, benefits of HCR should be carefully weighed against the increased long-term risk of repeat-revascularization when selecting patients, and further studies evaluating differences in long-term mortality between HCR and CABG are required.

Effectiveness and safety of intracranial events associated with the use of direct oral anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 92 studies.

AIMS: Observational studies have investigated the effectiveness and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) used in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the risk of ischaemic stroke, thromboembolism (TE) and intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) associated with the use of DOACs and VKAs. METHODS: Medline and Embase were systematically searched until April 2021. Observational studies were gathered and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were extracted. Subgroup analyses based on DOAC doses, history of chronic kidney disease, stroke, exposure to VKA, age and sex were performed. A random-effects model was used. RESULTS: We included 92 studies and performed 107 comparisons. Apixaban was associated with lower risk of stroke (HR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68-0.99) compared to dabigatran. Rivaroxaban was associated with lower risk of stroke (HR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83-0.98) compared to VKA. Dabigatran (HR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.80-0.91), rivaroxaban (HR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.77-0.89) and apixaban (HR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.65-0.86) were associated with lower risk for TE/stroke compared to VKA. Apixaban (HR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.03-1.68) and rivaroxaban (HR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.31-1.89) were associated with higher risk of ICH compared to dabigatran. Dabigatran (HR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.44-0.52), apixaban (HR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.49-0.73) and rivaroxaban (HR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.65-0.81) were associated with lower risk of ICH compared to VKA. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated significant differences in the risk of ischaemic stroke, TE/stroke and ICH associated with individual DOACs compared to both other DOACs and VKA.

Orbital Atherectomy Prior to Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty in Calcified Infrapopliteal Lesions: A Randomized, Multicenter Pilot Study.

PURPOSE: Optimal balloon angioplasty for infrapopliteal lesions is often limited by severe calcification, which has been associated with decreased procedural success and lower long-term patency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, multicenter pilot trial that included adult subjects with calcified lesions located from the popliteal segment below the knee (BTK) joint to within 5 cm above the ankle with ≥70% diameter stenosis by angiography. Patients were randomized 1:1 to undergo orbital atherectomy (OA) with adjunctive drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty versus plain balloon angioplasty (BA) and DCB angioplasty (control). The periprocedural and 12 month outcomes of both procedures were compared. RESULTS: Overall, 66 subjects (OA + DCB = 32 vs control = 34) were included in an intention to treat analysis. Baseline demographics and lesion characteristics were well-balanced. The mean lesion length was 101.3 mm (SD = 72.8 mm) and 78.8 (SD = 61.0 mm) in the OA + DCB and control groups, respectively, with almost all lesions having severe calcification per the Peripheral Academic Research Consortium (PARC) criteria. Chronic total occlusions (CTOs) were present in 43.8% and 35.3% of the patients in the OA + DCB and control groups, respectively. The technical success of OA + DCB versus DCB was 81.8% and 89.2%, respectively, with 3 slow flow/no reflow, 1 perforation, 1 severe dissection occurred in OA + DCB group, and one distal embolization occurred in the control group. The target lesion primary patency rate was numerically higher in the OA + DCB versus control group at 6 (88.2% vs 50.0%, p=0.065) and 12 month follow-up (88.2% vs 54.5%, p=0.076). The 12 month freedom from major adverse events, clinically-driven target lesion revascularization, major amputation, and all-cause mortality rates were similar between both groups. CONCLUSION: The results of the Orbital Vessel PreparaTIon to MaximIZe Dcb Efficacy in Calcified BTK (OPTIMIZE BTK) pilot study indicated that utilization of OA + DCB is safe for infrapopliteal disease. Further prospective adequately powered studies should investigate the potential benefit of combined OA + DCB for BTK lesions.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Efficacy and Safety of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease.

BACKGROUND: PAD is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality affecting over 200 million people worldwide. Current guidelines recommend at least a single antiplatelet or anticoagulant agent in symptomatic PAD and lifelong antithrombotic treatment after a revascularization procedure. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the efficacy and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality affecting over 200 million people worldwide. METHODS: The present systematic review and meta-analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Risk ratios (RR) were calculated using the random effects model. RESULTS: Overall, 10 studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. In 4 studies, 14,257 patients with PAD were enrolled and they were assigned to receive either aspirin (ASA)+/- clopidogrel (N = 5,894) or DOAC+/- anti-platelet (e.g., ASA, clopidogrel) (n = 8,363). Non DOAC users were found to have higher reintervention rates (RR 1.12; 95% CI 1.01-1.24; P = 0.025) compared to DOAC users. No statistically significant difference was observed between the 2 groups, in terms of major bleeding (RR 0.78; 95% CI 0.50-1.23; P = 0.285), all-cause mortality (RR 0.98; 95% CI: 0.83-1.16; P = 0.818) and cardiovascular mortality (RR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.73-1.333; P = 0.946) mortality. In addition, two real-world studies comparing DOAC with warfarin showed decreased rates of major cardiovascular events in the DOAC group. CONCLUSION: DOAC use alone or combined with an anti-platelet agent could be associated with lower re-intervention rates, without increasing the risk for adverse bleeding events. However, this study failed to detect any difference in terms of all-cause mortality, MACEs and MALEs between DOAC users and DOAC naïve patients. Future studies are needed to better determine the efficacy and safety of DOACs in patients with PAD.

Embolic protection devices for carotid artery stenting: A network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is an alternative treatment option for patients at high risk for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) but has been correlated with increased risk for distal embolization and periprocedural stroke despite the use of adjunctive embolic protection devices (EPD). This study compared four types of EPDs and their intra and periprocedural related complications. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted in PubMed/Medline to identify studies that investigated the outcomes of CAS with adjuvant use of EPDs, including Proximal Balloon (PB), Distal Filter (DF), and Distal Balloon (DB) strategy. Continuous flow reversal performed via transcarotid approach by a commercially available device as an embolic protection strategy was intentionally excluded based on its distinct procedural characteristics and lack of availability outside of the United States. This network meta-analysis was performed according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. RESULTS: Overall, 45 studies, consisting of 7600 participants satisfied the predetermined search criteria and were included in this network meta-analysis. Overall, 13 studies provided data regarding the number of patients with new ischemic lesions detected in the DW-MRI. DF (OR: 3.15; 95% CI: 1.54-6.44; p = 0.002) and DB (OR: 2.28; 95% CI: 1.58-3.29; p < 0.001) were associated with higher odds of new ischemic lesions compared to PB on DW-MRI imaging. No statistical difference was identified between DB versus DF groups (OR: 1.48; 95% CI: 0.73-2.59; p = 0.317). 36 and 27 studies reported on periprocedural stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) rates, respectively, showing similar odds of neurologic adverse events between all three groups. CONCLUSIONS: PB deployment during CAS is superior to DF and DB in preventing distal embolization phenomena. However, no statistically significant difference in TIA and stroke rate was found among any of the analyzed EPD groups. Further research is warranted to investigate the association of embolic phenomena on imaging after CAS with clinically significant neurologic deficits.

Venous thromboembolism after esophagectomy for cancer: a systematic review of the literature to evaluate incidence, risk factors, and prophylaxis.

PURPOSE: Although esophagectomy remains the preferred treatment for esophageal cancer, it is still associated with a number of complications, including post-operative venous thromboembolism (VTE). The aim of this study was to summarize the reported incidence of VTE after esophagectomy, its risk factors, and prevention strategies. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of the literature in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. RESULTS: Fourteen studies met our inclusion criteria and were selected in the present review. Overall, we identified 9768 patients who underwent esophagectomy, with a post-operative VTE rate of 4% (440 patients). The reported risk factors for VTE included advanced age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class III or IV, a history of cardiovascular or pulmonary disease, and the implementation of preoperative chemo-radiotherapy. Postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome was also associated with VTE. No universally applied prevention strategies for VTE after esophagectomy were identified in the literature. CONCLUSIONS: Despite advances in perioperative care, VTE after esophagectomy still represents a source of morbidity for about 4% of patients. Low molecular weight heparin is suggested as the routine standard prophylactic regimen after esophageal cancer surgery.

Statins and statin intensity in peripheral artery disease.

Background: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects more than 202 million people worldwide. Several studies have shown that patients with PAD are often undertreated, and that statin utilization is suboptimal. European and American guidelines highlight statins as the first-line lipid-lowering therapy to treat patients with PAD. Our objective with this meta-analysis was to further explore the impact of statins on lower extremities PAD endpoints and examine whether statin dose (high vs. low intensity) impacts outcomes. Patients and methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis according to the PRISMA guidelines. Any study that presented a comparison of use of statins vs. no statins for PAD patients or studies comparing high vs. low intensity statins were considered to be potentially eligible. We excluded studies with only critical limb threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients. The Medline (PubMed) database was searched up to January 31, 2021. A random effects meta-analysis was performed. Results: In total, 39 studies and 275,670 patients were included in this meta-analysis. In total, 136,025 (49.34%) patients were on statins vs. 139,645 (50.66%) who were not on statins. Statin use was associated with a reduction in all cause-mortality by 42% (HR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.49-0.67, p<0.01) and cardiovascular death by 43% (HR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.40-0.74, p<0.01). Statin use was associated with an increase in amputation-free survival by 56% (HR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.30-0.58, p<0.01). The risk of amputation and loss of patency were reduced by 35% (HR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.41-0.89, p<0.01) and 46% (HR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.34-0.74, p<0.01), respectively. Statin use was also associated with a reduction in the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) by 35% (HR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.51-0.80, p<0.01) and myocardial infarction rates by 41% (HR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.33-0.86, p<0.01). Among patients treated with statins, the high-intensity treatment group was associated with a reduction in all cause-mortality by 36% (HR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.54-0.74, p<0.01) compared to patients treated with low intensity statins. Conclusions: Statin treatment among patients with PAD was associated with a statistically significant reduction in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, MACE, risk for amputation, or loss of patency. Higher statin dose seems to be associated with improved outcomes.

Transcervical carotid artery revascularization: A systematic review and meta-analysis of outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Carotid artery stenosis is considered a determinant factor for cerebrovascular events, estimated to be the cause of 10% to 20% of all ischemic strokes. Transcervical carotid artery revascularization (TCAR) has been offered as an alternative to transfemoral carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomy to treat carotid artery stenosis. METHODS: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective and retrospective studies reporting the outcomes of patients who had undergone TCAR for carotid artery stenosis. The incidence of periprocedural adverse events was calculated. RESULTS: A total of 45 studies with 14,588 patients met the predefined eligibility criteria and were included in the present meta-analysis. The technical success rate was 99% (95% confidence interval [CI], 98%-99%). The reasons for technical failure included an inability to cross the lesion and/or failure to deploy the stent. Access site complications occurred in 2% of all cases (95% CI, 1%-2%; 30 studies). Overall, the incidence of cranial nerve (CN) injuries was very rare, with only 33 of 8994 patients experiencing neurologic deficits attributed to CN involvement. Bleeding complications were reported by 20 studies and occurred in 2% (95% CI, 1%-3%) of all cases. The overall periprocedural all-cause mortality and stroke rate was 0.5% and 1.3%, respectively. In-stent restenosis was observed in 4 of 260 patients (1.5%; 7 studies), and early (30-day) reocclusion or acute thrombosis of the target lesion occurred in 12 of 1243 patients (∼1%; 11 studies). CONCLUSIONS: The results from the present study have provided significant evidence that TCAR is a very promising and safe carotid revascularization approach with favorable technical success rates associated with low periprocedural stroke and CN injury rates.

Anterior, posterior, or all-vessel infrapopliteal revascularization in patients with moderate-severe claudication: Insights from the LIBERTY 360 study.

BACKGROUND: Little data guides revascularization of infrapopliteal peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in patients with claudication. We assessed outcomes after infrapopliteal-only intervention for claudication in the LIBERTY 360 observational study. METHODS: In this post hoc analysis, LIBERTY 360 patients (N = 128) with claudication and isolated infrapopliteal disease undergoing endovascular revascularization were divided by territory into anterior-vessel, posterior-vessel, or all-vessel groups. Patients were followed for periprocedural, in-hospital, and long-term outcomes. Logistic regression for odds ratios, Cox proportional hazard models, ANOVA, and Kaplan-Meier estimates were utilized to compare outcomes. RESULTS: Patients underwent anterior (N = 37), posterior (N = 76), or all-vessel (N = 15) infrapopliteal revascularization. Initial procedural success was 86%, 86%, and 69% for anterior, posterior, and all-vessel groups, respectively. Each group had improvements in Rutherford classification (RC) from baseline to 2 years (mean RC change: -1.3, -1.5, and -1.5, respectively). Compared with all-vessel intervention, both anterior and posterior groups had lower rate of major adverse events (MAE) and target vessel revascularization (TVR) at 3 years (MAE: 12% and 15% in anterior and posterior groups, respectively compared with 51% in the all-vessel group; hazard ratios and 95% CIs 0.22 [0.06-0.74], p = .015; 0.24 [0.09-0.64], p = .004). Other outcomes were similar among the three groups. The anterior group showed more improvement in pain subdomain and total VascuQoL scores compared with posterior and all-vessel groups at 2 years (p = .016, p = .020 and p = .068, p = .009, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Both anterior or posterior revascularization have favorable outcomes and may be beneficial for improvement of symptoms in claudicants with isolated infrapopliteal PAD.

Association of Postangioplasty Femoropopliteal Dissections With Outcomes After Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty in the Femoropopliteal Arteries.

PURPOSE: Balloon angioplasty for the treatment of femoropopliteal lesions is often complicated by postangioplasty dissections. While dissections are known to affect patency and reintervention after balloon angioplasty, the association between dissections and major adverse limb event (MALE) after drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty remains uncertain. Thus, the postangioplasty dissection and bailout stenting patterns were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective study enrolling patients with de novo femoropopliteal lesions treated with DCB with/without stenting. Postangioplasty target vessel dissection was graded based to the coronary artery classification grades A-F, with grade C-F considered "severe." Cox regression analysis was performed to examine the association of dissection severity with outcomes during 2-year follow up, among nonstented cases. RESULTS: In 85.3% of the cases (N=203/238) a postangioplasty dissection was observed. The average dissection length was 55.57 mm (SD 36.71 mm), with 1 dissection present in 91.8% (N=180/196) and 2 or more dissections present in 8.2% (N=16/196). Dissection severity was grade A (19.8%), B (20.6%), C (23.1%), D (10.9%), E (10.1%), and F (0.8%). Bailout stenting was required in 40.4% of the patients, being more prevalent among grade C and grade E cases. Among 142 nonstented cases, dissections were present in 85.2%. A total of 75 (52.8%) of these dissections were grade A and B, while 46 (32.4%) were grade C to F. Among nonstented cases, grade C (hazard ratio [HR] 5.83; 95% CI 1.25 to 27.31; p=0.025) and grade D (HR 6.32; 95% CI 1.39 to 28.86; p=0.017) vs grade A dissections were associated with a higher risk for 2-year MALE. Multivariate analysis adjusting for several lesion characteristics demonstrated a statistically significant higher risk for 2-year MALE among the severe dissection group (HR 2.94; 95% CI 1.27 to 6.79; p = 0.012). Interestingly, the risks of limb loss (HR 1.30; 95% CI 0.22 to 7.79; p=0.774) and repeat revascularization (HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.40 to 2.26; p=0.905) during follow-up were similar between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that nonstented moderate and severe postangioplasty dissections after DCB angioplasty were associated with higher risk for MALE. Future studies are needed to validate our results and determine other dissection characteristics (eg, total dissection length, lumen area, total number of dissections) that may affect the efficacy of DCB.

Iliac Conduits for Endovascular Treatment of Aortic Pathologies: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm has largely shifted to endovascular techniques. However, severe iliofemoral arterial disease often presents a challenge during these interventions. As a result, iliac conduits have been introduced to facilitate aortic endovascular therapy. The goal of the current study was to gauge utilization and to analyze iliac artery conduit outcomes to facilitate endovascular therapy to treat aortic pathologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A meta-analysis of 14 studies was conducted with the use of random effects modeling. The incidence of periprocedural adverse events was gauged based on iliac conduit vs nonconduit cases and planned vs unplanned iliac conduit placement. Outcomes of interest included length of hospital stay, morbidity and mortality associated to conduits, and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Iliac conduits, either open or endo-conduits, were utilized in 17% (95% CI: 9%-27%) of 16,855 cases, with technical successful rate of 94% (95% CI: 80%-100%). Periprocedural complications occurred in 32% (95% CI: 22%-42%) of the cases, with overall bleeding complication rate being 10% (95% CI: 5%-16%). Female patients, positive history for smoking, pulmonary disease, and peripheral artery disease at baseline were associated with more frequent utilization of iliac conduits. Conduit use was associated with longer hospitalization, higher periprocedural all-cause mortality (OR: 2.85; 95% CI: 1.75-4.64; p<0.001), and bleeding complication rate (OR: 2.38; 95% CI: 1.58-3.58; p<0.001). Sensitivity analysis among conduit cases showed that planned conduits were associated with fewer periprocedural complications compared to unplanned conduits (OR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.20-0.73; p=0.004). CONCLUSION: Iliac conduit placement is a feasible strategy, associated with high technical success to facilitate complex aortic endovascular repair. However, periprocedural adverse event rate, including bleeding complications is not negligible. All-cause mortality and morbidity rates among cases that require iliac conduits should be strongly considered during clinical decision making. High-quality comparative analyses between iliac conduit vs nonconduit cases and between several types of iliac conduit grafts aiming at facilitating endovascular aortic repair are still needed to determine the best strategy to address challenging iliac artery accesses.

Three-Year Outcomes From the LIBERTY 360 Study of Endovascular Interventions for Peripheral Artery Disease Stratified by Rutherford Category.

PURPOSE: To report the 3-year results of the LIBERTY 360 study, which investigated outcomes of endovascular treatment of symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The LIBERTY trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01855412) was a prospective, observational, core laboratory-assessed, multicenter study of endovascular interventions enrolling >1200 participants treated at 51 sites. Data from 1189 patients were stratified according to Rutherford category (RC) and analyzed [RC 2-3 (n=500), RC 4-5 (n=589), and RC 6 (n=100)]. The primary outcomes were major amputation of the target limb and all-cause death; secondary outcomes were target vessel revascularization (TVR) or target lesion revascularization (TLR); major adverse events (MAEs; death within 30 days, TVR or TLR, and major amputation); death or major amputation combined; and change in self-reported quality of life (QoL) measures (VascuQol-25). The Kaplan-Meier (KM) method was employed to estimate the outcomes; estimates are presented with the 95% confidence intervals (CI). Predictors of 3-year MAE, death, TVR, and major amputation were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression modeling. RESULTS: The 36-month KM survival rates were 86.0% in RC 2-3, 79.8% in RC 4-5, and 62.0% in RC 6 groups. The KM estimates of freedom from major amputation at 36 months were 98.5% in RC 2-3, 94.0% in RC 4-5, and 79.9% in RC 6. The 36-month KM estimates for freedom from TVR/TLR were 71.1% in RC 2-3, 64.2% in RC 4-5 and 61.9% in RC 6 groups. Patients with claudication at baseline were at lower risk for MAEs compared with RC 4-5 and RC 6 patients during the 36-month follow-up. Vascular QoL improved from baseline and persisted up to 36 months in all patients. CONCLUSION: Endovascular therapy is a viable treatment option for patients with symptomatic PAD, with sustained improved quality of life in both claudicants and patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia. These results provide important point estimates for midterm outcomes after modern endovascular interventions for PAD.

Intravascular Lithotripsy for Treatment of Calcified Lesions During Carotid Artery Stenting.

PURPOSE: To report the use of intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) in the treatment of calcified carotid artery lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of 21 high-surgical-risk patients (mean age 75.1±8.1 years; 17 men) who were treated at 8 centers for carotid artery stenosis ≥70% were retrospectively reviewed. Twelve patients had a history of cerebrovascular disease. All patients had heavily calcified carotid artery lesions: 19 de novo and 2 in-stent restenoses (ISR). The mean baseline stenosis was 82.3%±9.7%. IVL was utilized at the discretion of the operator, followed by balloon angioplasty. Embolic protection devices were used in all cases. RESULTS: In 19 patients, IVL was followed by stent implantation; the 2 ISR lesions were dilated only. The mean IVL balloon diameter was 4.64±1.13 mm, and the mean number of IVL pulses applied was 67.2±61.4 (range 10-180). All procedures were technically successful (<30% residual stenosis). No patients developed symptomatic bradycardia or hypotension due to IVL, and there were no adverse events associated with IVL delivery. All patients were discharged on dual antiplatelet therapy. Seventeen days after the procedure, 1 patient experienced an ischemic stroke that was deemed due to aortic arch manipulation during transfemoral access. Carotid duplex ultrasound examination identified significant restenosis (>70%) in 1 asymptomatic patient at 12 months after the index procedure. No patients required reintervention during a median follow-up of 6 months (range 1-12). CONCLUSION: This preliminary experience demonstrates that IVL can be a safe and effective approach for the management of severely calcified carotid lesions. Further research is warranted to determine the longer-term safety and efficacy of IVL for dilation of calcified carotid artery lesions as an adjunct to carotid artery stenting.

Technical Success and Complication Rates of Retrograde Arterial Access for Endovascular Therapy for Critical Limb Ischaemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Antegrade crossing techniques via transfemoral access are often challenging and may be associated with technical and clinical failure when treating patients with critical limb ischaemia (CLI). The objective of this study was to summarise all available literature regarding retrograde endovascular treatment of patients with CLI and to investigate the technical success and complication rate of retrograde access. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Central until May 2020. A meta-analysis of 31 observational studies (29 retrospective and two prospective; 26 and five studies with low and moderate risk of bias, respectively) was conducted with random effects modelling. The incidence of adverse events peri-procedurally and during follow up were calculated. RESULTS: The 31 studies enrolled 1 910 patients who were treated endovascularly for femoropopliteal and/or infrapopliteal lesions causing CLI. Most of the patients had diabetes while more than half of the overall population had coronary artery disease and dyslipidaemia. All lesions were located in the infra-inguinal segment and most were chronic total occlusions (96%; 95% CI 85%-100%). Seven studies reported moderate or severe calcification in approximately half of the cases (45%; 95% CI 30%-60%). The overall technical success of the retrograde approach was 96% (18 studies; 95% CI 92%-100%). Perforation, flow limiting dissection, distal embolisation, and local haematoma at the retrograde access site were infrequent and observed in 2.1%, 0.6%, 0.1%, and 1.3% of the patients, respectively. The six month primary patency rate was 78% (five studies; 95% CI 46%-99%), the six month limb salvage rate was 77% (four studies; 95% CI 70%-84%). CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the retrograde or bidirectional antegrade/retrograde approach is safe and effective and facilitates angioplasty when antegrade treatment fails. However, prospective studies with standardised wound care and surveillance protocols are needed to investigate retrograde techniques in patients with CLI who failed antegrade revascularisation, to improve long term limb salvage and survival.