Evolution of conservative treatment of acute traumatic aortic injuries: lights and shadows.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to compare early and long-term results in terms of survival and aortic complications for traumatic aortic injuries depending on the initial management strategy. METHODS: From January 1980 to January 2017, 101 patients with aortic injuries were divided into 3 groups according to management strategy at admission: 60 patients, conservative management; 26 patients, open surgery and 15 patients, endovascular repair. The groups were similar in terms of gender and trauma severity scores. RESULTS: All but 1 aortic-related complications and aortic-related mortality occurred in the conservative group (11.6% conservative vs 2.4% in both surgical and endovascular groups, P = 0.091). Total follow-up was 1109.27 patient-years. Survival in the conservative, surgical and endovascular group was 71.7%, 80.8% and 79.4% at 1 year, 68.2%, 80.8% and 79.4% at 5 years and 63.9%, 72.7% and 79.4% at 10 years, respectively (log-rank = 0.218). The rate of aortic-related complications was 58.3% in the conservative cohort. Cox regression identified the following risk factors for aortic-related complications: aortic injuries grade >I [odds ratio (OR), 3.05; P = 0.021], Trauma Injury Severity Score >50% (OR 1.21; P = 0.042) and the decade of treatment (OR 0.49; P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Minimal aortic injuries seem to be an amenable target for medical management, but patients remain at risk of developing aortic-related complications. Close, long-term imaging surveillance is mandatory to detect such complications at an early stage.

Repair of Late Retrograde Type A Aortic Dissection After TEVAR: Causes and Management.

One of the most feared complications of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and hybrid arch repair is retrograde type A aortic dissection (RTAD). More than two-thirds of RTAD occurs in the immediate postoperative period and first postoperative month. In presentations beyond that point, progression of the native aortopathy must be considered. We report a late presentation of an RTAD seven months after hybrid repair of an aortic intramural hematoma with an ulcer-like projection, and review the causes and management of this TEVAR complication.

Orthotopic Liver Transplantation in an Adult With Biliary Atresia, Situs Inversus, and Inferior Cava Vein Absence: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: We report the case of a 34-year-old man who underwent Kasai portoenterostomy for biliary atresia at 6 weeks of age. In 2011, pulmonary hypertension was diagnosed and he began treatment with sildenafil. In 2012, he presented with an episode of upper gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to esophageal varices resistant to treatment. Later, he exhibited liver dysfunction. He was included on the waiting list for transplantation on May 29, 2013, with a Model for End-stage Liver Disease score of 24. METHODS: He underwent liver transplantation with an isogroup graft from a brain dead donor on June 9, 2013. Native hepatectomy was laborious owing to important collateral circulation and adhesions after previous operations, which had injured loops of the small bowel (SB). Orthotopic implantation was accomplished with direct anastomosis of the upper liver cava vein to the right atrium of the receiver. Portal and arterial anastomoses were performed as usual. Biliary reconstruction surgery by hepatojejunostomy was delayed 24 hours owing to SB loops injuries. RESULTS: Graft viability was confirmed by normal hepatic function. Postoperative complications included abdominal compartment syndrome treated by decompressing laparotomy, severe pulmonary alveolar hemorrhage resolved with artery embolization and endotracheal intubation, intraabdominal abscess requiring percutaneous drain, and stroke requiring long-term rehabilitation. He is currently asymptomatic, presents normal graft function, and receives sildenafil because of pulmonary hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: The association of situs inversus and biliary atresia is low. There is no consensus on the optimal operative approach to liver transplantation. An individualized assessment and multidisciplinary patient management are required.

Predictors of outcome and different management of aortobronchial and aortoesophageal fistulas.

OBJECTIVE: Aortoesophageal and aortobronchial fistulas are uncommon but life-threatening conditions. The present study aimed to identify potential differences in outcomes, depending on the etiology, type, and management of the fistulas, and to determine mortality predictors. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a series of 26 consecutive patients with thoracic aorta fistulas admitted to our institution from 1998 to 2013 (18 aortobronchial, 7 aortoesophageal, and 1 combined fistula). RESULTS: The mean age was 61.5 ± 13.4 years, with 22 men. Management was thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in 8, open repair in 7, and conservative in 11. The TEVAR and nonoperative patients were significantly older and presented with more comorbidities. Shock developed in 15 patients and sepsis in 9. The most common radiologic findings were intramural hematoma (65.4%), pseudoaneurysm (53.8%), and bronchial compression (46.20%). Active contrast extravasation (23.1%) and ectopic gas (19.2%) were associated with a worse prognosis. In-hospital mortality was 100% in the conservative group, 37.5% in the TEVAR group, and 14.3% in the open repair group (P = .04). Septic shock was the most common cause of death. The risk factors for in-hospital mortality were hemodynamic instability on admission (P = .02), sepsis (P = .04), and conservative management (P < .001). The overall long-term survival in surgical patients at 1 and 5 years was 66% and 58.7%, respectively. Infectious and malignant etiologies resulted in the worst prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes are ultimately conditioned by the etiology of the fistula. Both open and endovascular management of aortic fistulas can prevent death by exsanguination; however, patients remain at high risk of infectious complications. Failure to treat the underlying cause will result in poor midterm outcomes.

Synchronized parallel deployment of vascular plugs for treating large aneurysms of pulmonary arteries.

We report an endovascular technique for the treatment of large neck pulmonary artery aneurysms. This technique consists of the synchronized parallel deployment of two vascular plugs.

Blunt traumatic aortic injuries of the ascending aorta and aortic arch: a clinical multicentre study.

OBJECTIVE: To report the clinical and radiological characteristics, management and outcomes of traumatic ascending aorta and aortic arch injuries. METHODS: Historic cohort multicentre study including 17 major trauma patients with traumatic aortic injury from January 2000 to January 2011. RESULTS: The most common mechanism of blunt trauma was motor-vehicle crash (47%) followed by motorcycle crash (41%). Patients sustaining traumatic ascending aorta or aortic arch injuries presented a high proportion of myocardial contusion (41%); moderate or greater aortic valve regurgitation (12%); haemopericardium (35%); severe head injuries (65%) and spinal cord injury (23%). The 58.8% of the patients presented a high degree aortic injury (types III and IV). Expected in-hospital mortality was over 50% as defined by mean TRISS 59.7 (SD 38.6) and mean ISS 48.2 (SD 21.6) on admission. Observed in-hospital mortality was 53%. The cause of death was directly related to the ATAI in 45% of cases, head and abdominal injuries being the cause of death in the remaining 55% cases. Long-term survival was 46% at 1 year, 39% at 5 years, and 19% at 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: Traumatic aortic injuries of the ascending aorta/arch should be considered in any major thoracic trauma patient presenting cardiac tamponade, aortic valve regurgitation and/or myocardial contusion. These aortic injuries are also associated with a high incidence of neurological injuries, which can be just as lethal as the aortic injury, so treatment priorities should be modulated on an individual basis.

Aortic injuries in crush trauma patients: different mechanism, different management.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to report the clinical and radiological characteristics and early and long-term survival of a series of acute traumatic aortic injuries (ATAI) in crush trauma patients, and to compare such data with our last 30 years experience managing ATAI in deceleration non-crush trauma patients. METHODS: From January 1980 to December 2010, 5 consecutive ATAI in crush trauma and 69 in non-crush trauma patients were admitted at our institution. ISS, RTS and TRISS scores were similar in both groups. RESULTS: Overall in-hospital mortality was 24.3%. There was no in-hospital mortality in crush patients and 26.1% in non-crush patients (p=0.32). All aortic-related complications occurred in non-crush patients. Median follow-up was 129 months (range 3-350 months). Non-crush group survival was 76.8% at 1 year, 73.6% at 5 years, and 71.2%% at 10 years. There was no mortality during follow-up in the crush group. Mean (SD) peak creatine phosphokinase was significantly higher in crush group than in non-crush group: 7598 (3690) IU/L vs. 3645 (2506) IU/L; p=0.041. Incidence of acute renal injury was higher in crush trauma patients (100% vs. 36.2%; p=0.018). Low-severity injuries were more common in crush trauma patients (100% in crush patients vs. 43.5% in non-crush patients, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Aortic injuries in crush thoracic trauma patients seem to present in a different clinical scenario from aortic injuries in high-speed thoracic trauma thus requiring distinct considerations. When planning the initial management of aortic injuries in crush trauma, the increased risk of rhabdomiolysis and subsequent acute renal failure, as well as a tendency to develop lower-risk aortic wall injuries, must be considered.

Traumatic aortic injury score (TRAINS): an easy and simple score for early detection of traumatic aortic injuries in major trauma patients with associated blunt chest trauma.

PURPOSE: To develop a risk score based on physical examination and chest X-ray findings to rapidly identify major trauma patients at risk of acute traumatic aortic injury (ATAI). METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted with 640 major trauma patients with associated blunt chest trauma classified into ATAI (aortic injury) and NATAI (no aortic injury) groups. The score data set included 76 consecutive ATAI and 304 NATAI patients from a single center, whereas the validation data set included 52 consecutive ATAI and 208 NATAI patients from three independent institutions. Bivariate analysis identified variables potentially influencing the presentation of aortic injury. Confirmed variables by logistic regression were assigned a score according to their corresponding beta coefficient which was rounded to the closest integer value (1-4). RESULTS: Predictors of aortic injury included widened mediastinum, hypotension less than 90 mmHg, long bone fracture, pulmonary contusion, left scapula fracture, hemothorax, and pelvic fracture. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.96. In the score data set, sensitivity was 93.42 %, specificity 85.85 %, Youden's index 0.79, positive likelihood ratio 6.60, and negative likelihood ratio 0.08. In the validation data set, sensitivity was 92.31 % and specificity 85.1 %. CONCLUSIONS: Given the relative infrequency of traumatic aortic injury, which often leads to missed or delayed diagnosis, application of our score has the potential to draw necessary clinical attention to the possibility of aortic injury, thus providing the chance of a prompt specific diagnostic and therapeutic management.

Minimal traumatic aortic injuries: meaning and natural history.

OBJECTIVE Minimal aortic injuries (MAIs) are being recognized more frequently due to the increasing use of high-resolution diagnostic techniques. The objective of this case series review was to report the clinical and radiological characteristics and outcomes of a series of patients with MAI. METHODS From January 2000 to December 2011, 54 major blunt trauma patients were admitted to our institution with traumatic aortic injuries. Nine of them presented with MAI, whereas the remaining 45 patients suffered a significant aortic injury (SAI). RESULTS MAIs accounted for 17% of the overall traumatic aortic injuries in our series. Major trauma patients with MAI and SAI were similar regarding the presence of severe associated non-aortic injuries and the expected mortality calculated by injury severity score, revised trauma score and trauma injury severity score. There were no statistically significant differences in in-hospital mortality between MAI (22.2%) and SAI (30.2%). No death in the MAI group was aortic related, whereas five deaths in the SAI group were caused by an aortic complication. The survival of MAI patients was 77.8% at 1 and 5 years. There was no late mortality among MAI patients. The survival of SAI patients was 69.7% at 1 year and 63.6% at 5 and 10 years. None of the seven surviving patients with MAI presented a progression of the aortic injury. In six patients, the intimal tear completely healed in imaging controls, whereas one patient developed a small saccular pseudoaneurysm. CONCLUSIONS Blunt traumas presenting MAI are as severe as traumas that associate SAI and present similar in-hospital mortality. In contrast to SAI traumas, in-hospital mortality due to MAI is not usually related to the aortic injury, so these injuries are more amenable to a conservative management. It is mandatory to perform a close imaging surveillance to detect early any potential adverse evolution of an MAI. Nevertheless, a balance must be struck between a close serial imaging surveillance and the potentially detrimental effects of obtaining high-resolution additional images.

Traumatic aortic injuries associated with major visceral vascular injuries in major blunt trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to report the clinical and radiological characteristics and outcomes of a series of acute traumatic aortic injuries (ATAIs) with associated injury to major aortic abdominal visceral branches (MAAVBs). METHODS: From January 2000 to August 2011, 10 consecutive major blunt trauma patients with associated ATAI and injury to MAAVBs (group A) and 42 major blunt trauma patients presenting only an ATAI without MAAVB injuries (group B) were admitted to our institution. RESULTS: Overall in-hospital mortality was 32.7%. In-hospital mortality in group A was 40% and in group B it was 31% (p = 0.86). Observed in-hospital mortality was slightly lower than the expected in-hospital mortality in both groups. Mean peak creatine phosphokinase was significantly higher in group A than in group B patients (23,008 ± 33,400 vs. 3,970 ± 3,495 IU/L; p < 0.001). Acute renal injury occurred in 50% of group A and in 26.2% of group B patients. Hemodiafiltration was required in 30% of group A and in 9.5% of group B patients. Median follow-up time was 64 months (range = 1-130 months). Group A survival was 60% at 1, 5 and 10 years. Group B survival was 69% at 1 year and 63.3% at 5 and 10 years (p = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS: Aortic injuries associated with MAAVB injuries in major trauma patients seem to present in a different clinical scenario. These patients present increased risk of rhabdomyolysis, visceral ischemia, and acute renal failure, as well as higher in-hospital mortality. A multidisciplinary approach combining endovascular and open surgical techniques for a staged treatment of these life-threatening aortic and MAAVB injuries is mandatory in this critical subset of trauma patients.

Role of conservative management in traumatic aortic injury: comparison of long-term results of conservative, surgical, and endovascular treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to compare early and long-term results in terms of survival and cardiovascular complications of patients with acute traumatic aortic injury who were conservatively managed with patients who underwent surgical or endovascular repair. METHODS: From January 1980 to December 2009, 66 patients with acute traumatic aortic injury were divided into 3 groups according to treatment intention at admission: 37 patients in a conservative group, 22 patients in a surgical group, and 7 patients in an endovascular group. Groups were similar with regard to gender, age, Injury Severity Score, Revised Trauma Score, and Trauma Injury Severity Score. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was 21.6% in the conservative group, 22.7% in the surgical group, and 14.3% in the endovascular group (P = .57). In-hospital aortic-related complications occurred only in the conservative group. Median follow-up time was 75 months (range, 5-327 months). Conservative group survival was 75.6% at 1 year, 72.3% at 5 years, and 66.7% at 10 years. Surgical group survival remained at 77.2% at 1, 5, and 10 years, whereas survival in the endovascular group was 85.7% at 1 and 5 years (P = .18). No patient in the surgical or endovascular group required reintervention because of aortic-related complications, whereas 37.9% of the conservative group had an aortic-related complication that required surgery or caused the patient's death during the follow-up period. Cumulative survival free from aortic-related complications in the conservative group was 93% at 1 year, 88.5% at 5 years, and 51.2% at 10 years. Cox regression confirmed the initial type of aortic lesion (hazard ratio, 2.94; P = .002) and a Trauma Score-Injury Severity Score greater than 50% on admission (hazard ratio, 1.49; P = .042) as risk factors for the appearance of aortic-related complications. Two peaks in the complication rate of the conservative group were detected in the first week and between the first and third months after blunt thoracic trauma. CONCLUSIONS: The advent of thoracic aortic endografting has enabled a revolution in the management of acute traumatic aortic injury in patients with multisystem trauma with a low in-hospital morbimortality. Nonoperative management may be only a therapeutic option with acceptable survival in carefully selected patients. The natural history of these patients has revealed a marked trend of late aortic-related complications developing, which may justify an endovascular repair even in some low-risk patients.

Challenging endovascular repair of a critical aortic endograft migration and massive type III endoleak.

Type III endoleaks, which may be caused by endograft disconnection, pose the risk of aneurysm enlargement and rupture because the pressure in the aneurysmatic sac tends to equal the systolic aortic pressure. We report the endovascular treatment of a critical dislocation of two thoracic aorta endografts with subsequent massive aneurysmatic pressurization of the aneurysmatic sac, which led to its impending rupture. The aberrant migration of both endografts required a combined, right humeral and left femoral, approach to capture the guide wire with an endovascular snare in the aneurismal sac. Several maneuvers were necessary to avoid trapping the guide wire in one of the bare stents. A final 'push-pull' technique was used to loop the wire and advance the new endografts into the ascending aorta to achieve a correct exclusion of the endoleaks. The patient suffered a perioperative stroke which could have been a complication of wire manipulation in the highly atheromatous aortic arch. A review of several maneuvers which may be taken to prevent these complications has been performed.

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Mid-term results of thoracic endovascular aortic repair in surgical high-risk patients.

Between May 2001 and June 2008, the outcome and morphological changes in thoracic aortic lesions of 20 surgical high-risk patients who underwent TEVAR were evaluated. Aortic lesions included 8 (40%) type B dissections, 5 (25%) atherosclerotic aneurysms, 4 (20%) penetrating ulcers and 3 (15%) traumatic aortic ruptures. All patients were classified as American Society of Anaesthesiologists class IV and obtained high scores in both the logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation, median of 14.5% (range 8.1-65.7%), and the STS Parsonet 95 scoring system, median of 14 (range 10-52). Endovascular stent-graft deployment was technically successful in all cases. No surgical conversion occurred. Early mortality was observed in two patients. Clinical and imaging follow-up was available in all patients at a median time of 28 months (range 4-89 months). Overall actuarial survival was 90% at one and five years and 60% at seven years. Mean diameter of the descending aorta decreased from 51.1+/-13 mm to 45.3+/-8 mm (P=0.032). Mean reduction in dimension of aneurysms was 10.7+/-8 mm. Endovascular thoracic aorta repair will probably benefit more patients with multiple comorbidities that limit their life expectancy than patients with a lower profile.

Late complication of classic Fontan operation: giant right atrial thrombus and massive pulmonary thromboembolism.

Thrombus formation can be a significant cause for morbidity and mortality after Fontan operation. Intracardiac thrombus formation can lead to chronic pulmonary embolic disease if formed on the right side, or stroke, if on the left side of the heart. Right-sided embolism may result in ventilation/perfusion mismatch or elevation of pulmonary vascular resistance, both of which may seriously hamper cavopulmonary physiology. We report the case of a 22-year-old patient, with past history of classic Fontan procedure performed at the age of six to palliate a single-ventricle tricuspid atresia, who presented with a massive pulmonary embolism and hemodynamic instability. Due to his critical status, mechanical fragmentation of the clot using the angiography catheter was started, followed by a local catheter-directed infusion of urokinase. This case demonstrated that pharmacomechanical thrombolysis therapy with a standard Pig-tail catheter and thrombolytic therapy with urokinase is secure, effective, and appropriated to manage heart chamber and pulmonary arterial thrombosis in patients with congenital heart disease.

Hybrid procedure for proximal arch and descending aortic aneurysms.

This report describes the feasibility of combined surgical and endovascular repair of extensive pathologies of the aorta with a specially hybrid procedure. An ascending aorta and proximal aortic arch aneurysm, involving the origin of the innominate artery, and a descending thoracic aorta aneurysm were simultaneously repaired in a 65-year-old man. The ascending aorta, proximal arch, and the origin of the innominate artery were replaced by Dacron grafts (InterVascular, Datascope, La Ciotat, France) under circulatory arrest and deep hypothermia. After weaning from extracorporeal circulation, the thoracoabdominal aneurysm was excluded with two endografts deployed in an antegrade fashion through a side branch of the ascending aorta graft.

Biliary complications after liver transplantation from maastricht category-2 non-heart-beating donors.

BACKGROUND: There are unresolved issues regarding the security of liver transplantation with non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs). Recently, an increased incidence of biliary complications, mainly intrahepatic ischemic-type biliary strictures, has been described after controlled NHBDs. METHODS: We studied the incidence and risk factors for biliary complications among uncontrolled NHBDs recipients compared with a large population of HBD recipients. RESULTS: Overall, 16.8% of patients in the HBD group and 41.7% of patients in the NHBD group suffered any type of biliary complication (P=0.66). However, the incidence of nonanastomotic biliary strictures was significantly greater in the NHBD group (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that independent risk factors for nonanastomotic strictures were hepatic artery thrombosis (relative risk; 98.7) and receiving a liver from a NHBD (relative risk; 47.1). CONCLUSIONS: If this type of donors is accepted as a source of liver organs, the high incidence of biliary complications should be considered and efforts should be made to decrease ischemic injury.

Endovascular treatment of splenomesenteric-portal vein thromboses during orthotopic liver transplantation.

Extensive splanchnic venous thrombosis in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) continues to have a substantial impact on surgical complexity and perioperative morbidity and mortality rates. This report presents an experience in eight patients with splanchnic venous thrombosis treated by means of splanchnic vessel recanalization, primary stent placement, and closure of spontaneous competitive shunts during OLT. In all cases, portal perfusion in the allograft was adequate, portal hypertension was solved, and no complications were observed. None of the patients died during surgery or follow-up. The results reported here need to be confirmed in future studies.

Auxiliary liver transplantation with portal arterialization in the rat: description of a new model.

In recent years, portal arterialization has been used in liver transplantation to increase the portal flow, as a solution for singular technical problems. We have developed a new auxiliary liver transplantation model in the rat with portal arterialization, so the native hepatic hilium remains untouched, consisting on a graft with a previous 70% hepatectomy. It is sited on the right renal bed, joining the infrahepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) of the graft with the recipient IVC. With an abdominal aortic graft, we connect the recipient aorta with the portal vein from the auxiliary liver. All the animals survived at the seventh day. No thrombosis was seen in any graft and an important rejection was observed in all the fields. We have developed a new experimental model of an auxiliary liver with portal arterialization, avoiding the utilisation of the native hepatic hilium, necessary for the possible recovering of the proper liver in the case of a reversible fulminant hepatitis.