Successful surgical management of a suspected high-flow inferior mesenteric artery aneurysm in a patient with chronic celiac and superior mesenteric artery occlusions.

Inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) aneurysms account for approximately 1% of visceral artery aneurysms and can occur secondary to high flow because of occlusive disease in other mesenteric arteries. We describe the case of a 79-year-old man who presented with a 3.3-cm IMA aneurysm and chronic total occlusions of the celiac artery and superior mesenteric artery (SMA). After an unsuccessful attempt at endovascular SMA recanalization, he underwent an uncomplicated retrograde aorta to SMA bypass and antegrade aorta to IMA bypass. We propose that an aorta to IMA bypass after SMA revascularization is safe and effective to treat suspected high-flow IMA aneurysms.

Evidence for clinician underprescription of and patient non-adherence to guideline-recommended cardiovascular medications among adults with peripheral artery disease: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: International guidelines recommend that adults with peripheral artery disease (PAD) be prescribed antiplatelet, statin and antihypertensive medications. However, it is unclear how often people with PAD are underprescribed these drugs, which characteristics predict clinician underprescription of and patient non-adherence to guideline-recommended cardiovascular medications, and whether underprescription and non-adherence are associated with adverse health and health system outcomes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will search MEDLINE, EMBASE and Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews from 2006 onwards. Two investigators will independently review abstracts and full-text studies. We will include studies that enrolled adults and reported the incidence and/or prevalence of clinician underprescription of or patient non-adherence to guideline-recommended cardiovascular medications among people with PAD; adjusted risk factors for underprescription of/non-adherence to these medications; and adjusted associations between underprescription/non-adherence to these medications and outcomes. Outcomes will include mortality, major adverse cardiac and limb events (including revascularisation procedures and amputations), other reported morbidities, healthcare resource use and costs. Two investigators will independently extract data and evaluate study risk of bias. We will calculate summary estimates of the incidence and prevalence of clinician underprescription/patient non-adherence across studies. We will also conduct subgroup meta-analyses and meta-regression to determine if estimates vary by country, characteristics of the patients and treating clinicians, population-based versus non-population-based design, and study risks of bias. Finally, we will calculate pooled adjusted risk factors for underprescription/non-adherence and adjusted associations between underprescription/non-adherence and outcomes. We will use Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation to determine estimate certainty. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval is not required as we are studying published data. This systematic review will synthesise existing evidence regarding clinician underprescription of and patient non-adherence to guideline-recommended cardiovascular medications in adults with PAD. Results will be used to identify evidence-care gaps and inform where interventions may be required to improve clinician prescribing and patient adherence to prescribed medications. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022362801.

Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infection after Lower Limb Revascularisation Surgery: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prognostic Studies.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and meta-analyse adjusted risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) after lower limb revascularisation surgery. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Embase, Evidence Based Medicine Reviews, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (inception to 28 April 2022). REVIEW METHODS: Systematic review and meta-analysis conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. After protocol registration, databases were searched. Studies reporting adjusted risk factors for SSI in adults who underwent lower limb revascularisation surgery for peripheral artery disease were included. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were pooled using random effects models. GRADE was used to assess certainty. RESULTS: Among 6 377 citations identified, 50 studies (n = 271 125 patients) were included. The cumulative incidence of SSI was 12 (95% confidence interval [CI] 10 - 13) per 100 patients. Studies reported 139 potential SSI risk factors adjusted for a median of 12 (range 1 - 69) potential confounding factors. Risk factors that increased the pooled adjusted odds of SSI included: female sex (pooled OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.20 - 1.64; high certainty); dependent functional status (pooled OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.03 - 1.35; low certainty); being overweight (pooled OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.29 - 2.56; moderate certainty), obese (pooled OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.44 - 3.36; high certainty), or morbidly obese (pooled OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.08 - 2.52; moderate certainty); chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (pooled OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.17 - 1.71; high certainty); chronic limb threatening ischaemia (pooled OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.22 - 2.29; moderate certainty); chronic kidney disease (pooled OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.18 - 3.83; moderate certainty); intra-operative (pooled OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.02 - 1.49), peri-operative (pooled OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.27 - 2.90), or post-operative (pooled OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.44 - 3.39) blood transfusion (moderate certainty for all); urgent or emergency surgery (pooled OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.22 - 3.70; moderate certainty); vein bypass and or patch instead of endarterectomy alone (pooled OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.33 - 2.59; moderate certainty); an operation lasting ≥ 3 hours (pooled OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.33 - 2.59; moderate certainty) or ≥ 5 hours (pooled OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.18 - 2.17; moderate certainty); and early or unplanned re-operation (pooled OR 4.50, 95% CI 2.18 - 9.32; low certainty). CONCLUSION: This systematic review identified evidence informed SSI risk factors following lower limb revascularisation surgery. These may be used to develop improved SSI risk prediction tools and to identify patients who may benefit from evidence informed SSI prevention strategies.

A Meta-Analysis to Derive Population-Based Quality Benchmarks of the Incidence of Surgical Site Infection after Lower Limb Revascularization Surgery.

BACKGROUND: The reported incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) after lower limb revascularization surgery varies. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based studies reporting the incidence of SSI in adults who underwent these surgeries in high-income countries to derive SSI quality benchmarks. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews (inception-to-April 28th, 2022) for population-based studies estimating the cumulative incidence of SSI among adults who underwent lower limb revascularization surgery for peripheral artery disease (PAD) in high-income countries. Two investigators independently screened abstracts and full-text articles, extracted data, and assessed risks of bias. We used random-effects models to pool data and GRADE to assess certainty. RESULTS: Among 6,258 citations, we included 53 studies (n = 757,726 patients); 8 of which (n = 435,769 patients) reported nonoverlapping data that were meta-analyzed. The pooled cumulative incidence of any SSI was 6.0 in 100 patients [95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.3-8.0 in 100 patients; n = 8 studies; n = 435,769 patients; moderate certainty]. The cumulative incidence of Szilagyi grade I (cellulitis), grade II (subcutaneous tissue), and grade III (prosthetic graft) SSI was 6.5 in 100 patients (95% CI = 4.3-8.6 in 100 patients; n = 2 studies; n = 39,645 patients; low certainty), 2.1 in 100 patients (95% CI = 2.0-2.3 in 100 patients; n = 2 studies; low certainty), and 0.4 in 100 patients (95% CI = 0.4-0.4 in 100 patients; n = 1 study; n = 333,275 patients; low certainty), respectively. The pooled cumulative incidence of any early (in-hospital/≤30-days) and late (>30-days) SSI was 6.2 in 100 patients (95% CI = 4.4-8.0 in 100 patients; n = 7 studies; n = 431,273 patients; moderate certainty) and 3.7 in 100 patients (95% CI = 2.2-5.2 in 100 patients; n = 2 studies; n = 10,565 patients; low certainty), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review derived population-based benchmarks of the incidence of any SSI; Szilagyi I, II, and III SSI; and early and late SSI after lower limb revascularization surgery. These may be used by practicing surgeons and healthcare leaders/administrators to guide quality improvement efforts in the United States and perhaps other countries.

Efficacy of Strategies Intended to Prevent Surgical Site Infection After Lower Limb Revascularization Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of strategies intended to prevent surgical site infection (SSI) after lower limb revascularization surgery. BACKGROUND: SSIs are common, costly complications of lower limb revascularization surgery associated with significant morbidity and mortality. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews (inception to April 28, 2022). Two investigators independently screened abstracts and full-text articles, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated strategies intended to prevent SSI after lower limb revascularization surgery for peripheral artery disease. We used random-effects models to pool data and GRADE to assess certainty. RESULTS: Among 6258 identified citations, we included 26 RCTs (n=4752 patients) that evaluated 12 strategies to prevent SSI. Preincision antibiotics [risk ratio (RR)=0.25; 95% CI, 0.11-0.57; n=4 studies; I2 statistic=7.1%; high certainty] and incisional negative-pressure wound therapy (iNPWT) (RR=0.54; 95% CI, 0.38-0.78; n=5 studies; I2 statistic=7.2%; high certainty) reduced pooled risk of early (≤30 days) SSI. iNPWT also reduced the risk of longer-term (>30 days) SSI (pooled-RR=0.44; 95% CI, 0.26-0.73; n=2 studies; I2 =0%; low certainty). Strategies with uncertain effects on risk of SSI included preincision ultrasound vein mapping (RR=0.58; 95% CI, 0.33-1.01; n=1 study); transverse groin incisions (RR=0.33; 95% CI, 0.097-1.15; n=1 study), antibiotic-bonded prosthetic bypass grafts (RR=0.74; 95% CI, 0.44-1.25; n=1 study; n=257 patients), and postoperative oxygen administration (RR=0.66; 95% CI, 0.42-1.03; n=1 study) (low certainty for all). CONCLUSIONS: Preincision antibiotics and iNPWT reduce the risk of early SSI after lower limb revascularization surgery. Confirmatory trials are required to determine whether other promising strategies also reduce SSI risk.

Outcomes After Neuraxial or Regional Anaesthesia Instead of General Anaesthesia for Lower Limb Revascularisation Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised and Non-Randomised Studies.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether receipt of neuraxial or regional anaesthesia instead of general anaesthesia for lower limb revascularisation surgery affects patient outcomes. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Evidence Based Medicine Reviews, and Google Scholar. REVIEW METHODS: After protocol registration, the data sources were searched for randomised and non-randomised studies comparing neuraxial or regional anaesthesia with general anaesthesia for lower limb revascularisation surgery in adults. Two investigators independently selected articles, extracted data, and assessed risks of bias. Data were pooled using random effects models. GRADE was used to assess certainty in cumulative evidence. RESULTS: From 10 755 citations identified, five randomised (n = 970) and 13 non-randomised (n = 96 800) studies were included. Use of neuraxial instead of general anaesthesia for lower limb revascularisation surgery was associated with no statistically significant reduction in short term (in hospital or 30 day) mortality in randomised studies (pooled odds ratio [OR] 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.33 - 1.81; low certainty) and a statistically significant reduction in adjusted short term mortality in non-randomised studies (pooled OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.56 - 0.81; low certainty). Adults allocated to neuraxial anaesthesia in randomised studies had fewer pulmonary complications (pooled OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.16 - 0.76; low certainty). In non-randomised studies, neuraxial instead of general anaesthesia was associated with a lower adjusted odds of any morbidity (pooled OR 0.66; 95% CI 0.52 - 0.84), cardiac complications (pooled OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.58 - 0.79), pneumonia (pooled OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.64 - 1.02), prolonged mechanical ventilation (OR 0.09; 95% CI 0.002 - 0.55), and bypass graft thrombosis (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.59 - 0.85), as well as a shorter operative duration (low certainty for all). Use of a nerve block instead of general anaesthesia was associated with a lower adjusted odds of delirium (OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.06 - 0.42) and a shorter operative duration (low certainty for both). CONCLUSION: Randomised and non-randomised data suggest that neuraxial anaesthesia for lower limb revascularisation surgery reduces morbidity and possibly mortality. Until randomised trials with a low risk of bias become available, this study supports use of neuraxial anaesthesia for these procedures where appropriate.

Detection of inadvertent passage of guide wire into the false lumen during thoracic endovascular aortic repair of Type B aortic dissection by transesophageal echocardiography.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has become a widely accepted treatment strategy for patients with thoracic aortic pathologies. We present a case of TEVAR where transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) played a crucial role for adequate placement of an endovascular stent graft. CASE PRESENTATION: A 71-year-old male received TEVAR for type B aortic dissection. TEE detected both true/false lumens with an intimal tear. A guidewire was inserted into the descending aorta via the left femoral artery; however, angiography failed to identify the precise location of the tip of the guidewire. TEE detected the guide wire passing through the intimal tear into the false lumen, promoted the surgeon to manipulate and advance it to the true lumen, followed by placement of a stent graft. The patient was hemodynamically stable through the whole procedure. CONCLUSION: TEE was crucially important for detecting the precise location of the guidewire and preventing complications during TEVAR.

Canadian Cardiovascular Society 2022 Guidelines for Peripheral Arterial Disease.

Patients with widespread atherosclerosis such as peripheral artery disease (PAD) have a high risk of cardiovascular and limb symptoms and complications, which affects their quality of life and longevity. Over the past 2 decades there have been substantial advances in diagnostics, pharmacotherapy, and interventions including endovascular and open surgical to aid in the management of PAD patients. To summarize the evidence regarding approaches to diagnosis, risk stratification, medical and intervention treatments for patients with PAD, guided by the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework, evidence was synthesized, and assessed for quality, and recommendations provided-categorized as weak or strong for each prespecified research question. Fifty-six recommendations were made, with 27% (15/56) graded as strong recommendations with high-quality evidence, 14% (8/56) were designated as strong recommendations with moderate-quality evidence, and 20% (11/56) were strong recommendations with low quality of evidence. Conversely 39% (22/56) were classified as weak recommendations. For PAD patients, strong recommendations on the basis of high-quality evidence, include smoking cessation interventions, structured exercise programs for claudication, lipid-modifying therapy, antithrombotic therapy with a single antiplatelet agent or dual pathway inhibition with low-dose rivaroxaban and aspirin; treatment of hypertension with an angiotensin converting enzyme or angiotensin receptor blocker; and for those with diabetes, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor should be considered. Furthermore, autogenous grafts are more effective than prosthetic grafts for surgical bypasses for claudication or chronic limb-threatening ischemia involving the popliteal or distal arteries. Other recommendations indicated that new endovascular techniques and hybrid procedures be considered in patients with favourable anatomy and patient factors, and finally, the evidence for perioperative risk stratification for PAD patients who undergo surgery remains weak.

Evidence for overuse of cardiovascular healthcare services in high-income countries: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Overuse of cardiovascular healthcare services, defined as the provision of low-value (ineffective, harmful, cost-ineffective) tests, medications and procedures, may be common and associated with increased patient harm and health system inefficiencies and costs. We seek to systematically review the evidence for overuse of different cardiovascular healthcare services in high-income countries. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will search MEDLINE, EMBASE and Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews from 2010 onwards. Two investigators will independently review titles and abstracts and full-text studies. We will include published English-language studies conducted in high-income countries that enrolled adults (mean/median age ≥18 years) and reported the incidence or prevalence of overuse of cardiovascular tests, medications or procedures; adjusted risk factors for overuse; or adjusted associations between overuse and outcomes (reported estimates of morbidity, mortality, costs or lengths of hospital stay). Acceptable methods of defining low-value care will include literature review and multidisciplinary iterative panel processes, healthcare services with reproducible evidence of a lack of benefit or harm, or clinical practice guideline or Choosing Wisely recommendations. Two investigators will independently extract data and evaluate study risk of bias in duplicate. We will calculate summary estimates of the incidence and prevalence of overuse of different cardiovascular healthcare services across studies unstratified and stratified by country; method of defining low-value care; the percentage of included females, different races, and those with low and high socioeconomic status or cardiovascular risk; and study risks of bias using random-effects models. We will also calculate pooled estimates of adjusted risk factors for overuse and adjusted associations between overuse and outcomes overall and stratified by country using random-effects models. We will use the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation to determine certainty in estimates. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethics approval is required for this study as it deals with published data. Results will be presented at meetings and published in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021257490.

Development and evaluation of an evidence-based, theory-grounded online Clinical Frailty Scale tutorial.

INTRODUCTION: Frailty is a robust predictor of adverse outcomes in older people. Practice guidelines recommend routine screening for frailty; however, this does not occur regularly. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is a validated, feasible instrument that can be used in a variety of clinical settings and is associated with many adverse outcomes. Our objective was to develop and evaluate an online training module to guide frailty assessment using the CFS. METHODS: A multidisciplinary team of clinical experts developed an evidence-based, theory-grounded online training module for users who wished to perform frailty assessment using the CFS. The module was prospectively evaluated for user satisfaction, effectiveness and feasibility using a standardised questionnaire. Qualitative feedback was analysed with thematic analysis. RESULTS: Version 1 of the CFS module was used 627 times from 21 October 2019 to 24 March 2020. Satisfaction, effectiveness and feasibility of the module were positively rated (≥4/5 on a 5-point Likert scale n = 582 [93%], n = 507, [81%], n = 575, [91%], respectively). Qualitative feedback highlighted ease of use, likelihood of users to share the module with others and opportunities to increase multimedia content. CONCLUSION: An online tutorial, designed using evidence and theory to guide frailty assessment using the CFS, was positively rated by users. The module's content and structure was rated effective and feasible, and users were satisfied with, and likely to share, the module. Research evaluating the module's impact on the accuracy of frailty assessment is required.

Accuracy of presenting symptoms, physical examination, and imaging for diagnosis of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) is a life-threatening condition, and rapid diagnosis is necessary to facilitate early surgical intervention. We sought to evaluate the accuracy of presenting symptoms, physical examination signs, computed tomography with angiography (CTA), and point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) for diagnosis of rAAA. METHODS: We searched six databases from inception through April 2021. We included studies investigating the accuracy of any of the above tests for diagnosis of rAAA. The primary reference standard used in all studies was intraoperative diagnosis or death from rAAA. Because PoCUS cannot detect rupture, we secondarily assessed its accuracy for the diagnosis of AAA, using the reference standard of intraoperative or CTA diagnosis. We used GRADE to assess certainty in estimates. RESULTS: We included 20 studies (2,077 patients), with 11 of these evaluating signs and symptoms, seven evaluating CTA, and five evaluating PoCUS. Pooled sensitivities of abdominal pain, back pain, and syncope for rAAA were 61.7%, 53.6%, and 27.8%, respectively (low certainty). Pooled sensitivity of hypotension and pulsatile abdominal mass were 30.9% and 47.1%, respectively (low certainty). CTA had a sensitivity of 91.4% and specificity of 93.6% for diagnosis of rAAA (moderate certainty). In our secondary analysis, PoCUS had a sensitivity of 97.8% and specificity of 97.0% for diagnosing AAA in patients suspected of having rAAA (moderate certainty). CONCLUSIONS: Classic clinical symptoms associated with rAAA have poor sensitivity, and their absence does not rule out the condition. CTA has reasonable accuracy, but misses some cases of rAAA. PoCUS is a valuable tool that can help guide the need for urgent transfer to a vascular center in patients suspected of having rAAA.

Structure, processes, and initial outcomes of The Ottawa Hospital Multi-Specialist Limb-Preservation Clinic and Programme: A unique-in-Canada quality improvement initiative.

In 2017, The Ottawa Hospital initiated a unique-in-Canada quality improvement initiative by opening a novel, multi-specialist limb-preservation clinic. We sought to describe the structure, processes, and initial outcomes of the clinic and evaluate whether it is achieving its mandate of providing high-quality wound clinical care, education, and research. We conducted a descriptive prospective cohort study alongside a nested study of 162 clinic patients requiring serial assessments. There have been 1623 visits, mostly (72.2%) from outpatients. During 17.8% of visits, patients were evaluated by >1 specialist. Therapies provided most often included negative-pressure wound therapy (32.7%), biological wound dressings (21.6%), and total contact casting (18.5%). Furthermore, 1.2% underwent toe/ray amputations or skin grafting in clinic and 22.8% were initiated on antimicrobials. Mixed-effects models suggested that mean wound volumes for those requiring serial assessments decreased by 1.6 (95% confidence interval = -0.86 to -2.27) cm3 between visits. The clinic provided seven rotations to vascular surgery, infectious diseases, dermatology, and palliative care physicians; three nursing preceptorships; and two educational workshops. It also initiated provincial and national vascular health and wound care research initiatives. This study may be used to guide development of other limb-preservation clinics and programmes. Findings support that our programme is achieving its mandate.

Outcomes After Receipt of Neuraxial or Regional Anesthesia Instead of General Anesthesia for Lower Limb Revascularization Surgery: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing lower limb revascularization surgery for peripheral artery disease (PAD) have a high risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality and often have long hospital stays. Use of neuraxial or regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia may represent one approach to improving outcomes and reducing resource use among these patients. OBJECTIVE: The aim is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether receipt of neuraxial or regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia in adults undergoing lower limb revascularization surgery for PAD results in improved health outcomes and costs and a shorter length of hospitalization. METHODS: We will search electronic bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, the seven databases in Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews, medRxiv, bioRxiv, and Google Scholar), review papers identified during the search, and included article bibliographies. We will include randomized and nonrandomized studies comparing the use of neuraxial or regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia in adults undergoing lower limb revascularization surgery for PAD. Two investigators will independently evaluate the risk of bias. The primary outcome will be short-term (in-hospital or 30-day) mortality. Secondary outcomes will include longer-term mortality; major adverse cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, and limb events; delirium; deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism; neuraxial or regional anesthesia-related complications; graft-related outcomes; length of operation and hospital stay; costs; and patient-reported or functional outcomes. We will calculate summary odds ratios (ORs) and standardized mean differences (SMDs) using random-effects models. Heterogeneity will be explored using stratified meta-analyses and meta-regression. We will assess for publication bias using the Begg and Egger tests and use the trim-and-fill method to estimate the potential influence of this bias on summary estimates. Finally, we will use Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology to make an overall rating of the quality of evidence in our effect estimates. RESULTS: The protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). We executed the peer-reviewed search strategy on March 2, 2021. We completed the review of titles and abstracts on July 30, 2021, and plan to complete the review of full-text papers by September 30, 2021. We will complete full-text study data extraction and the risk-of-bias assessment by November 15, 2021, and conduct qualitative and then quantitative data synthesis and GRADE assessment of results by January 1, 2022, before drafting the manuscript. We anticipate that we will be able to submit the manuscript for peer review by the end of February 2022. CONCLUSIONS: This study will synthesize existing evidence regarding whether receipt of neuraxial or regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia in adults undergoing lower limb revascularization surgery for PAD results in improved health outcomes, graft patency, and costs and a shorter length of hospital stay. Study results will be used to inform practice and future research, including creation of a pilot and then multicenter randomized controlled trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Prospero CRD42021237060; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=237060. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/32170.

Disability, pain, and wound-specific concerns self-reported by adults at risk of limb loss: A cross-sectional study using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0.

INTRODUCTION: There has been limited study of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients at risk of limb loss. Our primary objective was to estimate the prevalence of disability in this patient population using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited patients referred to a limb-preservation clinic. Patients self-reported their disability status using the 12-domain WHODAS 2.0. Severity of disability in each domain was scored from 1 = none to 5 = extreme and the total normalized to a 100-point scale (total score ≥25 = clinically significant disability). We also asked patients about wound-specific concerns and wound-related discomfort or distress. RESULTS: We included 162 patients. Reasons for clinic referral included arterial-insufficient (37.4%), postoperative (25.9%), and mixed etiology (10.8%) wounds. The mean WHODAS 2.0 disability score was 35.0 (standard deviation = 16.0). One-hundred-and-nineteen (73.5%) patients had clinically significant disability. Patients reported they had the greatest difficulty walking a long distance (mean score = 4.2), standing for long periods of time (mean score = 3.6), taking care of household responsibilities (mean score = 2.7), and dealing with the emotional impact of their health problems (mean score = 2.5). In the two-weeks prior to presentation, 87 (52.7%) patients expressed concern over their wound(s) and 90 (55.6%) suffered a moderate amount or great deal of wound-related discomfort or distress. In adjusted ordinary least squares regression models, although WHODAS 2.0 disability scores varied with changes in wound volume (p = 0.03) and total revised photographic wound assessment tool scores (p<0.001), the largest decrease in disability severity was seen in patients with less wound-specific concerns and wound-related discomfort and distress. DISCUSSION: The majority of people at risk of limb loss report suffering a substantial burden of disability, pain, and wound-specific concerns. Research is needed to further evaluate the WHODAS 2.0 in a multicenter fashion among these patients and determine whether care and interventions may improve their PROs.

Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infection After Lower Limb Revascularization Surgery in Adults With Peripheral Artery Disease: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common, costly, and associated with increased morbidity and potential mortality after lower limb revascularization surgery (ie, arterial bypass, endarterectomy, and patch angioplasty). Identifying evidence-informed risk factors for SSI in patients undergoing these surgeries is therefore important. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of prognostic studies to identify, synthesize, and determine the certainty in the cumulative evidence associated with reported risk factors for early and delayed SSI after lower limb revascularization surgery in adults with peripheral artery disease. METHODS: We will search MEDLINE, Embase, the seven databases in Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews, review articles identified during the search, and included article bibliographies. We will include studies of adults (aged ≥18 years) with peripheral artery disease that report odds ratios, risk ratios, or hazard ratios adjusted for the presence of other risk factors or confounding variables and relating the potential risk factor of interest to the development of SSI after lower limb revascularization surgery. We will exclude studies that did not adjust for confounding, exclusively examined certain high-risk patient cohorts, or included >20% of patients who underwent surgery for indications other than peripheral artery disease. The primary outcomes will be early (in-hospital or ≤30 days) SSI and Szilagyi grade I (cellulitis involving the wound), grade II (infection involving subcutaneous tissue), and grade III (infection involving the vascular graft) SSI. Two investigators will independently extract data and evaluate the study risk of bias using the Quality in Prognosis Studies tool. Adjusted risk factor estimates with similar definitions will be pooled using DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models. Heterogeneity will be explored using stratified meta-analyses and meta-regression. Finally, we will use the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to determine certainty in the estimates of association between reported risk factors and the development of SSI. RESULTS: The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews). We will execute the peer-reviewed search strategy on June 30, 2021, and then complete the review of titles and abstracts and full-text articles by July 30, 2021, and September 15, 2021, respectively. We will complete the full-text study data extraction and risk of bias assessment by November 15, 2021. We anticipate that we will be able to submit the manuscript for peer review by January 30, 2022. CONCLUSIONS: This study will identify, synthesize, and determine the certainty in the cumulative evidence associated with risk factors for early and delayed SSI after lower limb revascularization surgery in patients with peripheral artery disease. The results will be used to inform practice, clinical practice statements and guidelines, and subsequent research. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42021242557; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=242557. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/28759.

Declining institutional memory of open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

OBJECTIVE: Since its introduction, endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) has become a mainstay in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), resulting in the decline of open aneurysm repairs. The objective of this study was to determine whether reduced open aneurysm repair frequency has led to a reduction in perioperative efficiency and increase in postsurgical complications. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study compared perioperative data and complications of 49 consecutive juxtarenal AAA (<1-cm neck) open repairs performed between 2014 and 2017 and 53 consecutive juxtarenal AAA controls (2005-2007) at The Ottawa Hospital. There was no change in surgical personnel during this 10-year comparison. RESULTS: The Ottawa Hospital experienced a 61% decline in the number of open AAA repairs between the two time periods examined; 541 open AAA repairs and 86 EVARs were performed between 2005 and 2007, whereas 358 open AAA repairs and 385 EVARs were performed between 2014 and 2017. Age of participants significantly decreased in the 2014 to 2017 group (P = .01), as did the number of women undergoing open juxtarenal AAA repair (P = .05). Total operating room time and anesthesia time were longer in the 2014-2017 group (P = .02; P = .01), whereas surgical times remained consistent (P = .13). Suprarenal clamp time and blood loss during the procedure were decreased in the 2014-2017 group (P < .01; P < .01). Intensive care unit stay and overall hospital stay were not significantly different between groups (P = .77; P = .87); however, there were large standard deviations observed for the 2014-2017 group. As well, 18.4% of patients in the 2014-2017 group experienced postsurgical complications of Clavien-Dindo grade IIIa or higher compared with 11.3% of patients in the historical control group (P = .07). Mortality also trended toward an increase in the 2014-2017 group (P = .43). CONCLUSIONS: The reduced rate of open repair performance at The Ottawa Hospital reflects the global trend toward EVAR. Anesthesia and operating room times increased during the period examined, reflecting a possible loss of expertise in the last decade. Complications also increased during this time for anatomically similar patients. Taken together, these findings may reflect a decreased institutional familiarity with open aneurysm repair and postsurgical care.

Association between neuraxial anaesthesia or general anaesthesia for lower limb revascularisation surgery in adults and clinical outcomes: population based comparative effectiveness study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between neuraxial anaesthesia or general anaesthesia and clinical outcomes, length of hospital stay, and readmission in adults undergoing lower limb revascularisation surgery. DESIGN: Comparative effectiveness study using linked, validated, population based databases. SETTING: Ontario, Canada, 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2015. PARTICIPANTS: 20 988 patients Ontario residents aged 18 years or older who underwent their first lower limb revascularisation surgery in hospitals performing 50 or more of these surgeries annually. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome was 30 day all cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were in-hospital cardiopulmonary and renal complications, length of hospital stay, and 30 day readmissions. Multivariable, mixed effects regression models, adjusting for patient, procedural, and hospital characteristics, were used to estimate associations between anaesthetic technique and outcomes. Robustness of analyses were evaluated by conducting instrumental variable, propensity score matched, and survival sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Of 20 988 patients who underwent lower limb revascularisation surgery, 6453 (30.7%) received neuraxial anaesthesia and 14 535 (69.3%) received general anaesthesia. The percentage of neuraxial anaesthesia use ranged from 0.6% to 90.6% across included hospitals. Furthermore, use of neuraxial anaesthesia declined by 17% over the study period. Death within 30 days occurred in 204 (3.2%) patients who received neuraxial anaesthesia and 646 (4.4%) patients who received general anaesthesia. After multivariable, multilevel adjustment, use of neuraxial anaesthesia compared with use of general anaesthesia was associated with decreased 30 day mortality (absolute risk reduction 0.72%, 95% confidence interval 0.65% to 0.79%; odds ratio 0.68, 95% confidence interval 0.57 to 0.83; number needed to treat to prevent one death=139). A similar direction and magnitude of association was found in instrumental variable, propensity score matched, and survival analyses. Use of neuraxial anaesthesia compared with use of general anaesthesia was also associated with decreased in-hospital cardiopulmonary and renal complications (odds ratio 0.73, 0.63 to 0.85) and a reduced length of hospital stay (-0.5 days, -0.3 to-0.6 days). CONCLUSIONS: Use of neuraxial anaesthesia compared with general anaesthesia for lower limb revascularisation surgery was associated with decreased 30 day mortality and hospital length of stay. These findings might have been related to reduced cardiopulmonary and renal complications after neuraxial anaesthesia and support the increased use of neuraxial anaesthesia in patients undergoing these surgeries until the results of a large, confirmatory randomised trial become available.

Endarterectomy of carotid artery bifurcation in the setting of a persistent hypoglossal artery and anomalous collateral vascular supply.

Presented is a patient with carotid artery stenosis resulting in crescendo anterior and posterior circulation transient ischemic attacks. Treatment was complicated by a rare persistent hypoglossal artery (HGA) arising from the left internal carotid artery in addition to severe contralateral carotid disease, hypoplastic vertebral arteries, and incomplete circle of Willis. A carotid endarterectomy with shunting was performed, maintaining perfusion of both the proper left internal carotid artery and HGA. This is a rare case of carotid stenosis in the setting of a persistent HGA with contralateral carotid disease and highlights the importance of planning intracranial perfusion before carotid surgery.

Efficacy and safety of secondary procedures for maintaining arteriovenous hemodialysis access patency: protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Arteriovenous (AV) hemodialysis access creation is recommended by international guidelines as the preferred method of hemodialysis access. However, most AV access sites will require revision to maintain patency. Although several treatment options exist, many have not been directly compared. We intend to compare the relative effectiveness of methods to maintain post-intervention primary patency of failing AV access. METHODS: We will search EMBASE, MEDLINE, CENTRAL, trial registries, the grey literature, and ancestry and citation search from January 1977 to present, for randomized controlled trials comparing interventions to maintain primary patency of AV access. Two investigators will independently and blindly review all identified citations and extract data from included studies. The primary outcome is the primary patency 6 months after intervention. Secondary outcomes include immediate technical and functional success, reinterventions, patency, and mortality. Risk of bias, subgroup analyses, and sensitivity analyses are planned. DISCUSSION: There are a number of treatment modalities for the management of failing AV access. However, most modalities have only been directly compared with plain old balloon angioplasty, and currently synthesized evidence focuses on individual pairwise comparisons. In light of the lack of comprehensively synthesized evidence and clinical equipoise, our study intends to synthesize currently available evidence though it is unclear which treatment modality is most effective. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO ID CRD42020148224.

Persisting autoimmune heparin-induced thrombocytopenia after elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: a case report.

Persisting heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is characterized by ongoing thrombocytopenia more than 7 days after stopping heparin. It is part of cases referred to as autoimmune HIT (aHIT). In contrast to typical HIT cases, aHIT involves heparin-independent platelet activation mechanism highlighted by a strongly positive functional assay done without heparin. We report the first case of persisting HIT after an elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair presenting with arterial and venous thrombosis, and describe the potential role of intravenous immunoglobulin in such patients.