Challenging the limits in pancreatic surgery: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Today, pancreatic surgery can be performed with low mortality and tolerable morbidity in specialized centers. Nevertheless, due to its anatomical localization and proximity to important vascular structures, surgical resection of the pancreas remains challenging in many cases. PRESENTATION OF CASE: Here, we present the case of a young woman who presented in our department with abdominal pain and a tumor mass located at the pancreatic head. She had undergone explorative laparotomy elsewhere before, in which the pancreatic tumor mass was reported to be unresectable due to infiltration of the mesenteric root. However, biopsies obtained had not revealed malignancy. Moreover, postoperatively a stenting of the portal vein had been performed due to portal vein thrombosis and varices. Upon admission in our clinic, computed tomography revealed a tumor of the pancreatic head, occlusion of the portal vein stent and, more importantly, extravascular dislocation of the stent with perforation into the stomach. Upon explorative laparotomy we initially performed a mesenterico-caval shunt to release portal hypertension. Secondly, the dislocated stent was successfully removed upon gastrotomy, and finally, a partial pancreaticoduodencectomy was performed. Interestingly, the histopathological analysis revealed granulocytic epithelial lesions (GELs) confirming a type-2 autoimmune pancreatitis without evidence for malignancy. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patients was dismissed without any remaining symptoms. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION: This interesting and unique case underlines the complexity in diagnosis of pancreatic tumors with unsolved dignity and differential diagnosis of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, it demonstrated the challenges in pancreatic surgery for exceptional and uncommon conditions demanding complex surgical approaches.

Results from a First-in-Human Trial of a Novel Vascular Sealant.

BACKGROUND: Suture hole bleeding from synthetic grafts presents a hemostatic challenge. The designs of many vascular sealants are not optimal (non-adherence to wet surfaces, excessive swelling, inflexible). PreveLeak™ (formerly ArterX ((®)) ) is a polyaldehyde-bovine serum albumin-based sealant whose efficacy, safety, and performance were evaluated in this first-in-human study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, single-arm, multicenter study was performed in patients undergoing open vascular reconstructions with prosthetic grafts. Sealant was applied to the suture line after completion of the anastomosis. The primary endpoint was the incidence of immediate sealing (without clinically significant bleeding) upon clamp release. Secondary endpoints were time to sealing, safety, and assessment of product performance. RESULTS: Fifty-six anastomoses were performed in 32 patients. Grafts were Dacron (66% of sites), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE; 32%), or both Dacron and PTFE (2%). The femoral artery was the most common site of anastomosis (41% of sites). Immediate sealing after clamp release was achieved at all anastomoses (100%); 93% had no bleeding and 7% had oozing. No rebleeding occurred during 10 min of observation. The three most common adverse events were graft or bypass occlusion (n = 5 patients), infection (n = 4), and seroma (n = 3); none were device related. The sealant was considered easy to apply, quickly forming a soft gel, and adhering to tissue and grafts. CONCLUSION: PreveLeak effectively sealed anastomotic suture lines during vascular reconstruction procedures and was considered easy to use. Adverse events were consistent with those commonly observed in patients undergoing surgical procedures. These results provided the support for conducting a larger controlled clinical trial.

The bird beak configuration has no adverse effect in a magnetic resonance functional analysis of thoracic stent grafts after traumatic aortic transection.

BACKGROUND: This study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to analyze functional long-term outcome after endovascular repair of blunt aortic injury. METHODS: This prospective study enrolled 27 of 53 patients who were treated between 1999 and 2008. Patients underwent functional multidimensional contrast-enhanced MRI with flow analysis or compliance measurements of the aorta, or both. Ten patients were treated with the Medtronic Valiant (Medtronic World Medical, Sunrise, Fla), 14 patients received a Gore TAG (W. L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, Ariz), and two received a C (conformable)-TAG (W. L. Gore & Associates) stent graft. For several patients, repetitive measurements over time could be done. Median follow-up was 3.92 ± 2.7 years. The MRI parameters were: three-dimensional flow: echo time/repetition time = 3.1/5.3 ms, Δx(pixel density) = 2.5 × 2.5 × 3 mm(3); respiratory navigator, α = 15°, venc(encoding velocity) = 200 cm/s along anterior-posterior, right-left, and foot-head direction, 40 cardiac phases. Cine: echo time/repetition time = 1.7/3.4 ms, Δx(pixel density) = 1.2 × 1.2 × 6 mm(3), breathhold, α = 60°, 40 cardiac phases. RESULTS: The flow analysis showed flow acceleration at the proximal end of the stent graft, with higher values in patients with a nonoptimal alignment of the stent graft. No differences were found between different devices (median acceleration was 75.99 ± 37.98 cm/s for Gore and 71.59 ± 17.22 cm/s for Medtronic). The values were stable during follow-up. In the compliance analysis, the part of the aorta covered with the stent graft showed nearly no expansion, whereas the ascending and descending aorta showed normal expansion. This behavior did not change over the time. At the proximal end of the stent graft, a slight compression could be noted (-0.5 ± 0.14 mm), except in those patients with a C-TAG device from Gore. CONCLUSIONS: Functional analysis showed no adverse long-term outcome of the bird beak configuration of stent grafts in the aortic arch after endovascular repair after blunt aortic injury.

Outcome of infrainguinal prosthetic graft infections depending on the surgical management.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the outcome of different therapeutic pathways to manage infrainguinal prosthetic graft infections. METHODS: In this study a total of 66 patients treated between 1993 and 2009 (48 males and 18 females) were included. Subgroups were formed according to the following options of surgical management: excision of the grafts with or without arterial reconstruction (including prosthetic grafts and vein grafts), primary amputation, and surgical debridement with negative wound pressure therapy. Additionally, mortality, amputation rate, re-infection rate, and microbiological findings were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean age was 65.64±11.33 y and follow up was 22.21±36.85 mo. Thirty-day survival rate was 89.5%±4.1%, overall limb salvage rate was 82.5%±5.1%. In the group with primary amputation, one patient (20%) died; however, in the group of surgical debridement with negative wound pressure therapy, mortality was nil. In the group with graft excision, seven patients died (14.3%); no difference between the study groups was found (p=0.058). Amputation rate was 10% (n=5), 0% and 20.4% (n=10), respectively, with a higher rate in the primary amputation group (p<0.001). Reinfection rate was 0%, 8.3% (n=1) and 14.2% (n=7) respectively; p=0.822. Also, no difference was found regarding bypass level or revascularization graft material. CONCLUSION: Mortality and amputation rate is still high after infrainguinal prosthetic graft infection. Our strategy to preserve the graft whenever possible showed no difference compared with more aggressive strategies.

The diabetic patient has a higher benefit from infrapopliteal revascularization than the non-diabetic patient: a 10-year retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is to evaluate the limb salvage and patency rates after crural arterial revascularization, differences between graft material and co-morbidities. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients with crural artery bypasses were analysed retrospectively in a single centre (Department of Vascular Surgery, Thüringen Kliniken Saalfeld, Rudolstadt, Germany) over a 10-year period (1996-2006); 157 patients with 170 consecutive arterial reconstructions could be included. RESULTS: Follow-up time was 55 months (6-119). Median age of the 56 women and the 101 men at the time of operation was 70 years (45.6-93.6). The five-year secondary patency rates were 71.5 ± 6.22% (vein), 44.3 ± 10.8% (composite; p = 0.0011), 52.6 ± 13.4% (prosthetic graft with distal vein cuff/patch; p = 0.00953) and 42 ± 12% (prosthetic graft without distal vein cuff/patch; p = 0.00443). Limb salvage rates after five years were 79.5 ± 5.8%, 61.6 ± 10.3%, 77.9 ± 11.3% and 70.1 ± 14.7%, respectively. Cumulative limb salvage rate was significantly higher in diabetic patients (78.9 ± 4.9%), than in non-diabetic patients (66.6 ± 6.8); p = 0.023. CONCLUSION: Crural reconstruction is a suitable method for peripheral arterial occlusive disease to prevent amputation, particularly in diabetics.

Valiant thoracic stent-graft deployed with the new captivia delivery system: procedural and 30-day results of the Valiant Captivia registry.

PURPOSE: To evaluate procedural and 30-day outcomes of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) employing the Valiant Thoracic Stent Graft with the Captivia Delivery System. METHODS: Enrollment in the study ( www.ClinicalTrials.com identifier NCT01181947) included all eligible patients implanted with the Valiant Captivia System retrospectively and prospectively at 15 sites in Europe and Turkey between October 2009 and June 2010. In the 100 treated patients (81 men; mean age 64.6 ± 12.0 years, range 25-87), indications included descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA, 49.0%) and aortic dissection (42.0%). RESULTS: Technical success was 100.0%, with no misaligned deployments or aortic perforations. Mean follow-up was 68.9 ± 34.9 days (range 20-147, median 61). The 30-day rate of all-cause mortality was 4.0% (all 4 cases procedure-related, 3 device-related). Retrograde type A dissection occurred in 2 patients. The only conversion to open surgery was successful in a patient experiencing intraoperative aneurysm rupture. Stroke occurred in 4 (4.0%) patients and paraplegia in 1 (1.0%). Among 66 patients with 30-day imaging studies evaluable for endoleak, 4 (6.1%) had type I and 7 (10.6%) had type II endoleak; there were no types III or IV. Within 30 days, no secondary endovascular procedures were required due to endoleak. One patient with type II endoleak died 3 weeks postimplantation before scheduled embolization. CONCLUSION: In this analysis of procedural and 30-day results, the high technical success and clinical outcome rates showed that the Valiant Thoracic Stent Graft with the new Captivia Delivery System has promising capacity to treat a variety of thoracic aortic conditions in a range of anatomies.

Endovascular repair of aortic isthmus coarctation with a self-expanding covered stent.

BACKGROUND: Coarctation is one of the most often seen congenital aortal defects. In the majority, diagnosis will be made in newborns. Endovascular repair is critical in children owing to their growth, but in adult patients, it is an interesting alternative. METHODS: A 31-year-old man presenting with hypertension of upper extremities and pulseless lower extremities was admitted to our hospital. Systolic blood pressure was 190 mm Hg, although a triple antihypertensive medication was administered. Computed tomographic angiography showed a nearly total occlusion of the aortic isthmus. Coarctation was treated by an endovascular approach with a self-expanding covered stent-graft (Medtronic Talent; Medtronic World Medical, Sunrise, FL) after predilatation with a Reliant balloon (Medtronic World Medical, Sunrise, FL). RESULTS: After a follow-up of 40 months, the patient is normotensive and antihypertensive medication could be reduced. Lower extremities showed normal pulses and normal ankle-brachial index. Computed tomographic scans showed unchanged stent-graft position, with constant slight waist. DISCUSSION: Endovascular repair of atresia or coarctation of the thoracic aorta is a minimal invasive debatable option. Not only reduction of blood pressure but also reduction of left ventricular mass and prolongation of life expectancy can be achieved by endovascular treatment.

Comparison of aortic neck dilatation after open and endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the changes of the aortic diameter at the suprarenal and infrarenal segment after open repair (OR) and endovascular repair (EVAR) of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing AAA repair between 1997 and 2008. Inclusion criteria were at least 3 months of follow-up at our institution, elective aneurysm repair, and absence of false, mycotic, or inflammatory aneurysms. For EVAR, standard computed tomography (CT) scans from follow-up were used; in the OR group, CT scans performed for unrelated nonvascular indications were used. Diameters of the aorta were measured at the first slice below the lowest renal artery and at the first slice above the highest renal artery. A 2-mm change was defined as measurable aortic neck dilatation. RESULTS: Inclusion criteria were met by 46 patients in the OR group and 103 in the EVAR group. After a follow-up of 34.1 months (range, 5.5-131.7 months) in the OR group and 39.4 months (range, 3-108.9 months) in the EVAR group, the mean changes were 1.75 ± 3.50 mm (OR) and 0.9 ± 2.3 mm (EVAR; P = .305) in the suprarenal diameters and 0.8 ± 2.9 mm (OR) and 1.2 ± 2.5 mm (EVAR; P = .311) in the infrarenal diameters. The absolute suprarenal vs infrarenal sizes were 29.7 ± 7.1 and 28.7 ± 6.8 mm in the OR group and 28.7 ± 3.2 and 28.5 ± 3.6 mm, respectively, in the EVAR group (suprarenal, P = .749; infrarenal, P = .273). Increase of the aortic diameter >2 mm, defined as aortic neck dilatation, was found in 23 of 103 EVAR patients (22.3% ± 0.862%), and in nine of 46 OR patients (19.57% ± 0.484%; P = .870). Increase in the suprarenal change >2 mm occurred in 21 of 103 EVAR patients (20.39% ± 1.04%) and in 14 of 46 OR patients (30.4% ± 0.446%; P = .260). Reintervention rate of patients with an increase >2 mm was 31% (seven of 23) in EVAR and 11.1% (one of nine) in the OR group (P = .386). CONCLUSIONS: The AAA groups treated with EVAR or OR demonstrated similar increases of aneurysmal neck diameters. This suggests that aortic neck dilatation may be caused by a natural progression of the disease rather than by deviating therapeutic strategies.

Comparison of clinical and surgical-pathological staging in IIIA non-small cell lung cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The heterogeneous group of IIIA NSCLC patients requires careful preoperative clinical staging as tumor size and lymph node involvement guide treatment. The purpose of our study was to analyze the correctness of clinical staging in IIIA patients. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of all patients resected due to lung cancer that had been staged IIIA either clinically using invasive and noninvasive techniques or surgical-pathologically after surgical resection. Correctness, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of clinical staging were calculated. RESULTS: From our tumor database, 49 patients who met the inclusion criteria were identified. The histology of the primary tumor included adenocarcinoma (53%), squamous cell carcinoma (41%), and other (6%). Preoperative clinical staging consisted of computed tomography (CT), integrated positron emission tomography-CT (PET-CT), bronchoscopy, and mediastinoscopy. The predominant surgical procedures performed were lobectomies (57%) and pneumonectomies (29%). Clinical staging for UICC, T and N stage was correct in 36.7, 38.7, and 40.8%, respectively. In terms of T4 stage, sensitivity was 28.5%, specificity was 80.9%, positive predictive value was 20%, and negative predictive value was 87.1%. As for N2 involvement, we found a sensitivity of 66.6% and a specificity of 35.7%. Positive and negative predictive values for N2 involvement were 43.7 and 58.8% in that order. CONCLUSIONS: Despite multimodal preoperative invasive and noninvasive staging techniques, the correctness of clinical staging in IIIA NSCLC patients is low. Hence, in doubt more invasive staging or probatory thoracotomy should be performed not to deny potentially curative surgery in those patients.

Technical and clinical success after endovascular therapy for chronic type B aortic dissections.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze early technical success and late clinical success after endovascular entry sealing for chronic type B dissection with special emphasis on reintervention, false lumen thrombosis, and aortic remodeling. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of a prospective database. From September 1999 to January 2011, 19 patients with chronic type B dissections were treated by endovascular entry sealing. Median age was 60 years. Median time between onset of acute dissection and surgical intervention was 36 (1 to 60) months. Median follow-up was 13 months (1 to 124). RESULTS: The endografts used were: Medtronic Captivia (5), Medtronic Valiant (5), Gore TAG (6), Gore C-TAG (2), and Cook Zenith (1). In four patients, revascularization of the left subclavian artery was performed prior to entry sealing. Primary technical success rate (entry sealing, absence of type I leak) was 18/19 (94.7%). In-hospital mortality was 0%. Spinal cord injury with persistent paraplegia occurred in 1/19 (5.2%) patients. After a maximal follow-up of 124 months, reinterventions in 9/19 (47.3%) were necessary: distal/proximal extension of stent graft (8), replacement of the aortic arch due to retrograde dissection (1), and open infrarenal aneurysm repair (1). During follow-up, none of the patients died due to stent-related complications. CONCLUSION: Endovascular treatment (EVT) in chronic type B dissections has a high technical success rate and low mortality/morbidity. However reintervention rates are not negligible which might reduce the clinical success of EVT. Future investigations should aim at identifying patients who benefit from EVT at better defining the timing of EVT and at determining if entry sealing alone is sufficient.

MRI assessment of thoracic stent grafts after emergency implantation in multi trauma patients: a feasibility study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of MRI for static and dynamic assessment of the deployment of thoracic aortic stent grafts after emergency implantation in trauma patients. METHODS: Twenty patients initially presenting with a rupture of the thoracic aorta were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). The deployment of the implanted stent graft was assessed by CTA and MRI, comprising the assessment of the aortic arch with and without contrast agent, and the assessment of the motion of the stent graft over the cardiac cycle. RESULTS: The stent graft geometry and motion over the cardiac cycle were assessable by MRI in all patients. Flow-mediated signal variations in areas of flow acceleration could be well visualised. No statistically significant differences in stent-graft diameters were observed between CT and MRI measurements. CONCLUSION: MRI appears to be a valuable tool for the assessment of thoracic stent grafts. It shows similar performance in the accurate assessment of stent-graft dimensions to the current gold standard CTA. Its capability of providing additional functional information and the lack of ionising radiation and nephrotoxic contrast agents may make MRI a valuable tool for monitoring patients after TEVAR.

Fast track management reduces the systemic inflammatory response and organ failure following elective infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair.

OBJECTIVES: Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is common after abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of a multimodal fast track (FT) regimen on incidence rates of SIRS after elective infrarenal AAA repair. METHODS: Post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial including 99 patients after either traditional (TC) or FT care. Basic FT elements were no bowel preparation, reduced preoperative fasting, patient controlled epidural analgesia, enhanced postoperative feeding and mobilization. The presence of SIRS, organ failure and mortality, length of stay (LOS) on intensive care unit (ICU) were analyzed during the postoperative course. RESULTS: The incidence of SIRS in the FT treatment arm was significantly lower as compared to TC: 28% vs. 50%, P = 0.04. The rate of any organ failure (AOF) and multiple organ failure (MOF) was lower in the FT group: AOF: 16% vs. 36%, P = 0.039; MOF: 2% vs. 12%; P = 0.112. LOS on ICU showed a slight advantage for FT care: 20 hours vs. 32 hours (P = 0.183). CONCLUSION: An optimized patient care program in elective open AAA repair significantly decreases the postoperative incidence of SIRS as well as rates of organ failure.

Influence of different self-expanding stent-graft types on remodeling of the aortic neck after endovascular aneurysm repair.

PURPOSE: To evaluate aortic neck changes, specifically aortic neck dilatation, over a 10-year period in patients undergoing endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysm. METHODS: All patients who underwent elective EVAR at our institution from 1998 through 2007 were analyzed retrospectively. Among these, 103 patients (96 men; mean age 71 years, range 35-84) who received the 3 most frequently implanted self-expanding stent-grafts (35 Talent, 39 Excluder, and 29 Zenith) and had a minimum 3-month imaging follow-up at our department were selected for this study. All diameters were measured perpendicular to the centerline of flow on computed tomography; baseline data were derived from the first postoperative scan. Stent-graft migration was measured from the lowermost renal artery to the first strut of the stent-graft. Based on intra- and interobserver error measurements, a minimum change of 2 mm defined aortic neck dilatation. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 39.4 months (range 3-108.8), infrarenal aortic neck dilatation (>2 mm) was found in 10 patients (28.6%, 95% CI 14.6-46.3) in the Talent group, 4 (10.3%, 95% CI 2.9-24.2) in the Excluder group, and 9 (31.0%, 95% CI 15.3-50.8) in the Zenith group (p=0.299). In 7 (31%) of the 23 patients with neck dilatation, additional therapy was necessary. Suprarenal changes were found in 6 patients (17.1%, 95% CI 6.6-33.6), 8 patients (20.5%, 95% CI 9.3-36.5), and 5 patients (17.2%, 95% CI 5.8-35.8), respectively (p=0.218). Stent-graft migration >2 mm was seen in 2 (1.9%) of the 103 patients in follow-up. The overall endoleak rates were 37.1% for Talent, 30.8% for Excluder, and 37.9% for Zenith (p>0.05). Two patients were converted to open repair owing to Talent stent-graft migration and persistent type I leak (Zenith). The overall reintervention rate was 13.6% (13/103). CONCLUSION: Only a small number of the patients treated with self-expanding stent-grafts show notable infrarenal aortic neck dilatation, which does not appear to be related to the stent-graft model. Almost all cases of aortic neck dilatation exceeded the percentage of oversizing; less than a third of patients with aortic neck dilatation required therapy.

Plasmin triggers chemotaxis of monocyte-derived dendritic cells through an Akt2-dependent pathway and promotes a T-helper type-1 response.

OBJECTIVE: Dendritic cells (DC) accumulate in atherosclerotic arteries where they can modulate atherogenesis. We investigated whether plasmin might alter the function of human DC. METHODS AND RESULTS: Stimulation of monocyte-derived DC with plasmin elicited a time-dependent actin polymerization and chemotaxis comparable to that triggered by the standard chemoattractant formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. Plasmin triggered rapid activation of Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinases, followed by phosphorylation of the regulatory myosin light chain and chemotaxis. For the chemotactic DC migration, the activation of Akt and p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinases were indispensable, as shown by pharmacological inhibitors. DC express Akt1 and Akt2, but not Akt3. However, in DC, plasmin activates exclusively Akt2 via a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent pathway. Accordingly, knockdown of Akt2 with short-hairpin RNA, but not of Akt1, blocked the plasmin-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 activation and the chemotactic response. Moreover, plasmin-stimulated DC induced polarization of CD4(+) T cells toward the interferon-gamma-producing, proinflammatory Th1 phenotype. Consistent with a role for DC and adaptive immune response in atherogenesis, we demonstrate DC in human atherosclerotic vessels and show that plasmin is abundant in human atherosclerotic lesions, where it colocalizes with DC. CONCLUSIONS: Plasmin generation in the atherosclerotic vessel wall might contribute to accumulation of DC, activation of the adaptive immune response, and aggravation of atherosclerosis.

Elective infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm repair--transperitoneal, retroperitoneal, endovascular?

We retrospectively analyzed the peri-operative outcome of 210 consecutive patients undergoing elective infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair according to the surgical approach: transperitoneal (TP; 63 patients), retroperitoneal (RP; 81 patients) and endovascular (EV; 66 patients) repair. Concerning gender, AAA diameter and classification of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA score) all groups were comparable; the median age in the EV group was significantly higher (78 years vs. 68 years and 67 years, respectively, P=0.001). Mortality rates were 0% for TP, 1.2% for RP and 3% for EV repair (n.s.). Morbidity rates did not significantly differ between the groups. In specialized centres mortality rates of elective infrarenal aneurysm repair are low - regardless of the surgical approach. In such centres the best treatment options for each patient as to the surgical approach as well as peri-operative management can be provided individually.

Results from the first in man german pilot study of the silver graft, a vascular graft impregnated with metallic silver.

The purpose of this study was to assess the safety of a novel vascular prosthesis in 50 patients who underwent inguinal and infrainguinal vascular reconstructions. The safety data were based on ultrasound Doppler data at 2 and 18 months to quantify the graft-tissue integration in this patient cohort. Between August 9, 2005, and January 25, 2006, 50 patients underwent inguinal or infrainguinal reconstructions with the Silver Graft (SG; B. Braun Melsungen AG, B. Braun Aesculap AG, Tuttlingen, Germany) in six vascular centers. All participating centers received the metallic silver-coated polyester graft (SG) with a diameter of 8 mm and a total length of 60 cm, which was length adjusted to fit the patient's anatomy and the planned vascular reconstruction. The mean patient age was 69.1 +/- 9.0 years, the male inclusion rate was 72.0%, and the Fontaine classifications were stage IV (16%), stage III (14%), stage IIb (66%), and stage IIa (4%), whereas aneurysm repairs amounted to 4%. In-hospital results revealed the presence of minimal perigraft fluid in 14.0% of all cases (7 of 50). At the 2-month follow-up, perigraft fluid was detected in one patient (1 of 50). At 18 months, a single case of minimal perigraft fluid was detected in an asymptomatic patient. Wound healing was accomplished at discharge in 96% of all patients, whereas at the 2-month follow-up, no signs of wound infection or irritation could be detected. The accumulated primary patency rates were 94% at 2 months and 88% at 18 months. The available clinical data on perigraft fluid as a marker for graft-tissue incorporation at 2 and 18 months, patency, and wound healing are comparable to those of other relevant clinical results with polyester grafts and support the safety of the metallic SG in the studied patient population with inguinal and infrainguinal reconstructions. However, it cannot be guaranteed that all graft infections can be avoided with the SGs.

A prospective randomized trial comparing traditional and fast-track patient care in elective open infrarenal aneurysm repair.

BACKGROUND: Fast-track recovery programs have led to reduced patient morbidity and mortality after major surgery. In terms of elective open infrarenal aneurysm repair, no evidence is available about such programs. To address this issue, we have conducted a randomized prospective pilot study. METHODS: The study involved prospective randomization of 101 patients with the indication for elective open aneurysm repair in a traditional and a fast-track treatment arm. The basic fast-track elements were no bowel preparation, reduced preoperative fasting, patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA), enhanced postoperative feeding, and postoperative mobilization. Morbidity and mortality, need for postoperative mechanical ventilation, length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (ICU) and total length of postoperative hospital stay were analyzed in terms of an intention to treat. RESULTS: Demographic data for the two groups were similar. In the fast-track group the need for postoperative ventilation was significantly lower (6.1% versus 32%; p = 0.002), the median LOS on ICU did not significantly differ (20 h versus 32 h; p = 0.183), full enteral feeding was achieved significantly earlier (5 versus 7 days; p < 0.0001), and the rate of postoperative medical complications-gastrointestinal, cardiac, pulmonary, renal, and infective-was significantly lower (16% versus 36%; p = 0.039). The postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the fast-track group (10 days versus 11 days; p = 0.016); the mortality rate in both groups was 0%. CONCLUSIONS: An optimized patient care program in open infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair shows favorable results concerning need for postoperative assisted mechanical ventilation, time to full enteral feeding, and incidence of medical complications. Further ranomized multicentric trials are necessary to justify broad implementation (clinical trials. gov identifier NCT 00615888).

The retroperitoneal approach combined with epidural anesthesia reduces morbidity in elective infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair.

In elective open infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair the surgical approach and the use of epidural anesthesia (EDA) may determine patients' outcome. Hence we analyzed our results after elective open aneurysm repair in the light of the surgical approach and the use of EDA. Retrospective analysis of a prospective data base. From December 2005 to April 2008, 125 patients with infrarenal aortic aneurysm underwent elective open repair. Patients were divided into four groups: retro- and transperitoneal approach with and without epidural anesthesia (RP+/-EDA and TP+/-EDA). In terms of age, sex, aneurysm diameter, ASA score and clamping time all groups were comparable. In the retroperitoneal groups significantly more tube grafts were implanted (63 vs. 27; P=0.001). The rate of surgical complications did not differ between the groups. The RP+EDA group had the lowest rate of postoperative assisted mechanical ventilation (5.1% vs. 35.7%; P=0.002) and medical complications (17.9% vs. 42.8%; P=0.032). Concerning frequency of surgical complications, the retroperitoneal incision was comparable to the transperitoneal approach in infrarenal aortic reconstruction. Supplementation with EDA resulted in a decreased rate of postoperative assisted mechanical ventilation and in lower morbidity rates.

Reduction of postoperative pulmonary complications after lung surgery using a fast track clinical pathway.

BACKGROUND: Fast track programs, multimodal therapy strategies, have been introduced in many surgical fields to minimize postoperative morbidity and mortality. In terms of lung resections no randomized controlled trials exist to evaluate such patient care programs. METHODS: In a prospective, randomized controlled pilot study a conservative and fast track treatment regimen in patients undergoing lung resections was compared. Main differences between the two groups consisted in preoperative fasting (6h vs 2h) and analgesia (patient controlled analgesia vs patient controlled epidural analgesia). Study endpoints were pulmonary complications (pneumonia, atelectasis, prolonged air leak), overall morbidity and mortality. Analysis was performed in an intention to treat. RESULTS: Both study groups were similar in terms of age, sex, preoperative forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)), American Society of Anesthesiologists score and operations performed. The rate of postoperative pulmonary complications was 35% in the conservative and 6.6% in the fast track group (p=0.009). A subgroup of patients with reduced preoperative FEV(1) (<75% of predicted value) experienced less pulmonary complications in the fast track group (55% vs 7%, p=0.023). Overall morbidity was not significantly different (46% vs 26%, p=0.172), mortality was comparable in both groups (4% vs 3%). CONCLUSION: We evaluated an optimized patient care program for patients undergoing lung resections in a prospective randomized pilot study. Using this fast track clinical pathway the rate of pulmonary complications could be significantly decreased as compared to a conservative treatment regimen; our results support the implementation of an optimized perioperative treatment in lung surgery in order to reduce pulmonary complications after major lung surgery.