An unusual cause of failure in Zenith Alpha Abdominal endograft.

BACKGROUND: Graft disruption is an unusual complication of the endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). CASE PRESENTATION: A 71-year-old man underwent standard EVAR with Zenith Alpha Abdominal endograft. Follow-up examinations revealed an initial significant sac shrinkage. At 24 months, duplex ultrasound (DUS) scan and computed tomography showed increase of the sac diameter associated with complete disconnection of the suprarenal stent-graft from the main body without evidence of endoleak. A standard relining with a thoracic endograft was performed between the suprarenal stent and the main body of the previous graft. At 6 months DUS revealed sac shrinkage. CONCLUSIONS: This report demonstrates an uncommon cause of endograft failure with suprarenal stent disconnection from main body and highlights the need for continuous follow-up in patients undergoing EVAR.

Bifurcated bypass in severe chronic limb threatening ischaemia.

OBJECTIVES: Revascularization according to the angiosome concept is of proven importance for limb salvage in chronic limb threatening ischaemia but it is not always practicable. Bifurcated bypasses could be considered as an option when an endovascular approach is not feasible or has already failed and a single bypass would not allow direct revascularization of the ischaemic area. Bifurcated bypasses are characterized by landing on two different arteries, the main artery (in direct continuity with the foot vessels) and the secondary one (perfusing the angiosome district). The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of bifurcated bypass in chronic limb threatening ischaemia. METHODS: Thirty-five patients were consecutively treated with a bifurcated bypass for chronic limb threatening ischaemia from January 2014 to December 2019 in a single vascular surgery centre. Data from clinical records and operative registers were collected prospectively in an electronic database and retrospectively analysed. Primary and primary assisted bypass patency, amputation-free survival, morbidity and mortality rates at 12 and 24 months were analysed. RESULTS: Mean follow-up period was 25.1 months (range 2-72 months). Thirty-six bifurcated bypasses were performed on 35 patients (age 75.3 ± 7.2 years; 69.4% were male). According to Wound, Ischemia, foot Infection classification 22.2% belonged to stage 3 and 77.8% to stage 4 and the mean Rutherford's class was 5.1 ± 0.7. Immediate technical success was 100%. Early mortality and morbidity rates were respectively 5.5%, and 33.3%; foot surgery was performed in 50% of cases with wound healing in all patients. Primary patency and primary assisted bypass patency were 96.7% and 100% at 6 months; 85.2% and 92% at 12 months, 59.9% and 73.4% at 24 months, respectively. Amputation-free survival at 12 and 24 months was, respectively, 95.6% and 78.8%. Overall survival rates at 12 and 24 months were respectively 94.4% and 91.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Bifurcates bypass can provide good results in patients with chronic limb threatening ischaemia without endovascular option, especially in diabetic ones. Bifurcated bypass is a complex surgical solution, both to be planned and performed, and it is quite invasive for frail patients that should be accurately selected.

A case report of multisite arterial thrombosis in a patient with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

BACKGROUND: A systemic coagulation dysfunction has been associated with COVID-19. In this case report, we describe a COVID-19-positive patient with multisite arterial thrombosis, presenting with acute limb ischaemia and concomitant ST-elevation myocardial infarction and oligo-symptomatic lung disease. CASE SUMMARY: An 83-year-old lady with history of hypertension and chronic kidney disease presented to the Emergency Department with acute-onset left leg pain, pulselessness, and partial loss of motor function. Acute limb ischaemia was diagnosed. At the same time, a routine ECG showed ST-segment elevation, diagnostic for inferior myocardial infarction. On admission, a nasopharyngeal swab was performed to assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2, as per hospital protocol during the current COVID-19 pandemic. A total-body CT angiography was performed to investigate the cause of acute limb ischaemia and to rule out aortic dissection; the examination showed a total occlusion of the left common iliac artery and a non-obstructive thrombosis of a subsegmental pulmonary artery branch in the right basal lobe. Lung CT scan confirmed a typical pattern of interstitial COVID-19 pneumonia. Coronary angiography showed a thrombotic occlusion of the proximal segment of the right coronary artery. Percutaneous coronary intervention was performed, with manual thrombectomy, followed by deployment of two stents. The patient was subsequently transferred to the operating room, where a Fogarty thrombectomy was performed. The patient was then admitted to the COVID area of our hospital. Seven hours later, the swab returned positive for COVID-19. DISCUSSION: COVID-19 can have an atypical presentation with thrombosis at multiple sites.

Ruptured Mycotic Aneurysm After Intravesical Instillation for Bladder Tumor.

BACKGROUND: Intravesical instillation of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is an effective and widely used treatment for patients with in situ bladder cancer. Major complications are quite uncommon, but a systemic dissemination of the attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis is possible. Few cases of aortic rupture caused by M bovis infection are described in literature. METHODS: A 70-year-old male, treated 3 months before with BCG instillation, presented to the emergency department because of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. The patient was hemodynamically stable, with a "hostile" abdomen. Therefore, an Endologix AFX endograft was deployed. During the postoperative period, his blood inflammatory markers increased, suspicious of a graft infection. Single-photon emission computed tomography (CT)/CT scan showed aortic increased uptake. Antibiotic therapy was continued, but after some days, the patient presented with hematemesis, and the CT scan showed an aortoenteric fistula. In emergency, the infected graft and aneurysm were removed, enteric fistula was closed, and an axillobifemoral bypass was performed. The patient died 25 days after endovascular aneurysm repair explantation. RESULTS: Despite the high suspicion of mycotic aortic aneurysm and graft infection by M bovis, there is no proof of this theory because of the absence of any positive culture test. M bovis is a slow-growing bacteria, and specific culture tests are required to identify it; indeed, all our blood and intraoperative samples were positive to other bacteria, probably the contaminant ones. CONCLUSIONS: Mycotic aneurysm is an extremely rare complication of intravesical BCG therapy, but it must be taken into consideration in patients with rapidly growing aortic aneurysms or rupture of a normal aorta, who have been previously submitted to this kind of instillation.

Open Surgical Management of Hypogastric Artery during Aortic Surgery: Ligate or Not Ligate?

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is associated with 43% of cases with common iliac artery aneurysms and an extension of prosthetic replacement distal to the iliac bifurcation is needed. The decision about preserving the hypogastric artery (HA) is a source of discussion, in particular when only one HA is interested. The low risk of pelvic ischemia, even if existing, has to be compared with the greater technical difficulty of the vascular reconstruction. The aim of this study is to evaluate retrospectively the perioperative results in patients who underwent ligation or reconstruction of the HA during open surgical procedures for AAA. METHODS: Over a period of 11 years (January 2002 to December 2012), 1,487 patients were treated electively for AAA. In 235 cases (15.8%), the aneurysm involved the iliac bifurcation with need to extend distally the prosthetic reconstruction; among them, 63 patients were subjected to HA ligation (26.8%, group 1) and 172 to HA bypass (73.2%, group 2). Indication for ligation was the presence of extended HA aneurysm in 34 cases (54%) and heavy calcification of HA in 29 (46%). RESULTS: Perioperative mortality and morbidity rates were, respectively, 1.6% (1/63) and 7.9% (5/63) in group 1 and 1.2% (2/172) and 6.4% (11/172) in group 2 (P = 0.902 and 0.689). The incidence of buttock claudication was significantly higher in group 1 (6/63, 9.5% vs. 4/172, 2.3% P = 0.025), while there were no significant differences in other complications of pelvic ischemia. In group 2, higher intraoperative blood loss (754 ± 721 vs. 996 ± 608 mL, P = 0.011), longer operating time (283.2 ± 104.7 vs. 302 ± 109 min, P = 0.053), and longer postoperative length of stay (PLOS) (5.8 ± 2.2 vs. 6.7 ± 3.6 days, P = 0.049) occurred. CONCLUSIONS: HA bypass during open surgery for AAA is a safe procedure. If compared with ligation, it reduces the risk of buttock claudication without increasing perioperative morbidity and mortality. However, the increased complexity of the intervention involves an increase in blood loss, operating time, and PLOS.