Emergency endovascular treatment of a superior mesenteric artery occlusion.

Endovascular treatment of acute mesenteric ischemia is rarely reported. We report a patient with a 1-year history of chronic mesenteric ischemia who presented with acute worsening of his symptoms and peritoneal signs. Aortography depicted an occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery, which was successfully managed with immediate percutaneous angioplasty (PTA) and stent placement. The patient's clinical condition improved markedly and an exploratory laparotomy performed the following day confirmed the viability of the intestine. He remains symptom-free 12 months after the procedure, and color Doppler follow-up showed that the stent is patent.

Malignant biliary obstruction: management with percutaneous metallic stent placement.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To report our experience on palliative management of malignant biliary obstruction with percutaneous placement of metallic stents. METHODOLOGY: During a 3-year period 20 patients with malignant biliary obstruction were treated with percutaneous insertion of metallic biliary endoprostheses. RESULTS: Stent placement was successful in 19 patients, with significant improvement of jaundice in 18 patients. 17 patients have died up to date. In this group survival was 4-324 days (mean: 107 days) and mean stent primary and secondary patency 94.3 and 97.4 days, respectively. Three patients are alive with a follow-up from 20-195 days. Mean secondary patency is 65.3 days (20-134 days). We encountered serious complications in 4 patients (20%). Thirty-day mortality was 15%, while procedural mortality was 10%. Four patients presented 13-120 days (mean: 71.5 days) after the procedure with stent reocclusion (reocclusion rate: 20%). CONCLUSIONS: The procedure is relatively easy and safe to perform, yields excellent palliation of the patient's symptomatology and, therefore, contributes substantially to the maintenance of good quality of life of the patient with malignant biliary obstruction.