Endovascular arterialization of deep crural and pedal veins in a patient with critical lower limb ischaemia. / Éndovaskuliarnaia arterializatsiia glubokikh ven goleni i stopy u patsienta s kriticheskoi ishemiei nizhnikh konechnostei.

Described in the article is a clinical case report regarding complete endovascular arterialization of deep crural and pedal veins in a male patient with accompanying pathology and impossibility of intraluminal restoration of the arterial bed. Peculiarities of the presented case report consisted in creation of an arteriovenous anastomosis in the upper third of the crus using an endovascular technique. During treatment, a repeat intervention was required, i. e., balloon angioplasty of veins and implantation of an additional stent graft due to reocclusion of veins because of long-term local treatment of wounds and cytostatic therapy for background diseases (chronic myeloleukaemia and rheumatoid arthritis). The performed treatment resulted in a clear trend towards healing of the wounds on the foot and limb salvage.

[Chronic spinal stimulation in treatment of lower limb critical ischaemia syndrome]. / Khronicheskaia spinal'naia stimuliatsiia v lechenii sindroma kriticheskoi ishemii nizhnikh konechnostei.

Obliterating peripheral artery disease is a commonly occurring pathological condition, most often resulting from an atherosclerotic lesion of vessels with progressive narrowing of their lumens. The consequences of decompensation of chronic arterial insufficiency such as ischaemic pain, claudication, and trophic impairments are in some instances difficult to treat, despite using multicomponent medicamentous therapy and/or performing revascularizing interventions. This article describes a clinical case report regarding the use of spinal stimulation in a patient presenting with stage IV chronic lower limb ischaemia according to the Fontaine classification. This is accompanied and followed by depicting the dynamics of the laboratory, instrumental, and clinical parameters over a two-year follow-up period. In order to explain the choice of the intervention and the causes of the described picture, discussed are the existing theories of the mechanisms of action of spinal stimulation. To this is added a literature review of using this method in treatment of lower limb critical ischaemia when performing reconstructive angiosurgical treatment is unavailable. Mention is also made of the incidence and types of probable complications, as well as possibilities and limitations of the method.

[Therapeutic potential of a biomedical cellular product in rats with lower limb ischaemia]. / Terapevticheskii potentsial biomeditsinskogo kletochnogo produkta pri ishemii nizhnikh konechnostei u krys.

Critical ischaemia of lower limbs is a cause of death and invalidity in the whole world. Stem cells and products of their secretion find wide application in treatment of vascular diseases, including critical ischaemia of the lower limbs. Erythropoietin promotes an increase in the angiogenic potential of stem cells. The authors examined the therapeutic potential of a biomedical cellular product (mesenchymal stem cells and products of their secretion) and mesenchymal stem cells with erythropoietin on the processes of restoration of vessels in the hind legs of Wistar male rats following induction of lower limb critical ischaemia. Mesenchymal stem cells were derived from the bone marrow of male Wistar rats. Critical ischaemia of hind legs was modulated by transaction of the femoral artery. The parameters of microcirculation in the foot were assessed with the help of laser Doppler flowmetry. In the blood serum and crural muscles by means of solid-phase enzyme immunoassay we examined the levels of cytokines, growth factors, and persistent metabolites of nitrogen oxide - nitrites. Muscles morphology and the number of blood vessels were assessed by the findings of histological examination. It was shown that the biomedical cellular product alone and in combination with erythropoietin stimulated angiogenesis. The results of Doppler flowmetry revealed restoration of the parameters of microcirculation in the lower limb by 35-75% of the baseline values. Besides, we observed a decrease of muscle necrosis, connective tissue proliferation, and an increase in the number of the vessels supplying the muscles in the experimental groups. It was also determined that the biomedical cellular product influenced the levels of cytokines in blood serum and crural muscles. Hence, the obtained findings proved the therapeutic potential of the biomedical cellular product in critical ischaemia of lower limbs.

[Efficacy of treatment of lower-limb critical ischaemia by methods of indirect revascularization]. / Éffektivnost' lecheniia kriticheskoi ishemii nizhnikh konechnostei metodami nepriamoi revaskuliarizatsii.

AIM: The study was aimed at comparing the efficacy of implantation of autologous bone marrow cells with that of revascularizing osteotrephination in treatment of lower limb chronic critical ischaemia in patients with a poor distal vascular bed. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We analysed the results of comprehensive examination and treatment of a total of 60 patients presenting with lower limb chronic critical ischaemia due to atherosclerotic lesions of the femoropopliteal-tibial segment. According to the technology of treatment, the patients were divided into two statistically homogenous groups of 30 people each. Group One patients underwent standard revascularizing osteotrephination and Group Two patients in accordance with the original technique received intramuscular implantation of 40 ml of autologous bone marrow cells, with this volume distributed in 2-ml injections to 20 points of the muscles of the crus and femur along the internal and external surface. RESULTS: The use of the original technique of treatment made it possible to achieve the clinical status in the form of moderate or minimal improvement 6 months after bone marrow cells implantation in 29 (96.7%) patients and after 12 months in 28 (93.3%) patients, whereas after revascularizing osteotrephination in 25 (83.3%) and 20 (66.7%) patients, respectively. In the remote period after 12 months, the limb was saved in 28 (93.3%) and 26 (86.7%) patients in Group Two and Group One, respectively. The patients of the second group as compared with those of the first group after 12 months demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the physical health component by 19.8% and the mental health component by 9.8%. CONCLUSION: Implantation of autologous bone-marrow cells in chronic critical limb ischaemia is pathogenetically substantiated and makes it possible to optimize the results of treatment of patients.

[Does an attempt to save a limb always prolong the patient's life?] / Vsegda li popytka sokhranit' konechnost' prodlevaet zhizn' patsienta?

AIM: The purpose of the study was to examine overall survival and the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events, as well as economic expenditures for treatment of patients with occlusion of the femoropopliteal-tibial segment and critical ischaemia in low competence of the outflow channel, with a poor prognosis for endovascular or open revascularization of lower-limb arteries. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied the results of treating a total of 68 patients with lower-limb critical ischaemia and low parameters of the outflow channel competence. Primary arterial reconstruction was performed in 48 cases. At various terms after revascularization due to thrombosis of the reconstruction zone and the development of gangrene, amputation of the lower limb was performed: at 3 to 11 (n=25) and at 12 to 24 (n=25) months. Primary amputation of the lower limb was performed in 20 patients. The endpoints of the study included overall survival, the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events, and economic expenditures for the in-hospital treatment. The average duration of follow-up amounted to 2 years. RESULTS: The obtained findings demonstrated that in patients with lower-limb critical ischaemia and low parameters of the outflow channel competence, redo arterial reconstructions and amputation within 11 months, as well as a high level of surgical risk were associated with a low overall survival rate and the development of major adverse cardiovascular events in the remote period. Secondary surgical interventions on the major vessels significantly increased the cost of treatment.

[Outcomes of revascularizing operations on lower-limb arteries in patients with critical ischaemia and multifocal atherosclerosis]. / Iskhody revaskuliariziruiushchikh operatsii na arteriiakh nizhnikh konechnostei u bol'nykh s kriticheskoi ishemiei i mul'tifokal'nym aterosklerozom.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the amputation-free survival rate and predictors of major adverse cardiovascular events (extracardiac and cardiac mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke) in patients with atherosclerotic occlusive-stenotic lesions of the femoropopliteal-tibial segment and critical ischaemia. We analysed the results of treating a total of 122 patients with atherosclerotic lesions of the superficial femoral artery and lower limb critical ischaemia. Of these, 35 patients had no lesions of other arterial basins, 24 patients presented with a concomitant lesion of the carotid basin, 41 subjects had lesions of the coronary basin, and 22 had lesions of the coronary and carotid basins. The patients were subjected to either bypass graft operation (n=75) or endovascular intervention (n=47). The evaluated outcome measures were amputation-free survival and the frequency of major adverse cardiovascular events. The average duration of follow up amounted to 38.2±4.3 months. The carried out multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the factors associated with lower limb amputation and the development of major adverse cardiovascular events were as follows: a concomitant lesion of the coronary (p=0.044) and coronary-carotid (p<0.05) basins, a history of endured myocardial infarction (p=0.003), a C-reactive protein level not less than 17.0 mg/l (p<0.05) and the value of the apolipoprotein B/A1 ratio above 1.0 (p=0.004).

[Choice of reconstructive operation in lesions of femoropopliteotibial segment and dubious outflow pathways]. / Vybor rekonstruktivnoi operatsii pri porazheniiakh arterii bedrenno-podkolenno-bertsovogo segmenta i somnitel'nykh putiakh ottoka.

We analysed the results of surgical treatment of 40 patients with lower limb critical ischaemia induced by atherosclerotic lesion of arteries of the femoropopliteotibial segment with dubious outflow pathways. The patients were divided into two groups of 20 each. Group One patients underwent autovenous femoropopliteal or tibial bypass grafting below the fissure of the knee joint and Group Two patients were subjected to profundoplasty with closure of the arteriotomic opening with an autovenous patch. The outflow pathway index in Group One amounted to 7.5±0.09 and in Group Two to 7.45±0.08. Our findings suggest that the use of profundoplasty as reconstructive operation in patients with dubious outflow pathways is pathogenetically substantiated, because it makes it possible to decrease the rate of early postoperative complications by 20% and that of late bypass thromboses by 25%, as well as to increase the level of the physical component of health by 12.1% and that of mental health by 3.2%. A conclusion drawn is that performing profundoplasty in this cohort of patients is appropriate and effective.