Retrospective Evaluation of Percutaneous Access for TEVAR and EVAR: Time to Make it the Standard Approach?

Introduction To evaluate the safety of percutaneous endovascular aortic repair and the relationship of access site characteristics to complications Materials and Methods All patients undergoing percutaneous TEVAR, EVAR and FEVAR procedures from January 2010 to May 2016 were retrospectively analysed for incidence of complications and their relationship to various access site characteristics like access artery size, degree of vessel calcification, skin to artery distance and sheath to artery ratio. Hemostasis occurring within 15 min after suture closure with or without manual compression was defined as primary hemostasis. Results 92 patients with 142 femoral access sites were included in the study. Median follow-up was 28.13 months (range 2.5 - 76.7 months, Mean 32.39, SD - 21.66 months). Introducer system size ranged from 12F to 25F. Primary haemostasis was achieved in 97.1 % (138/142) of the total femoral access sites. Four access sites (2.8 %) had to be closed surgically; in all 4 cases the introducer systems was ≥ 18F. Two of these access sites had been operated upon previously. Late complications including inguinal hematoma (n = 7), wound infection (n = 1), scrotal hematoma (n = 1), pseudoaneurysm (n = 4) and late bleeding (n = 4) occurred in 17 access sites (11.9 %), of which 13 were managed conservatively. On account of the low complication rate, no correlation between the evaluated variables and observed complications could be established. Conclusion Percutaneous endovascular aortic repair is feasible and safe irrespective of the size of the introducer sheath and the nature of aorto-iliac pathology. The technical success rate is high and the incidence of complications is low. Early complications are most often associated with sheath sizes ≥ 18 F. The majority of the late complications can be treated conservatively. Key points: · Percutaneous endovascular aortic repair is feasible and safe.. · Technical success rate is high and complication rate is low.. · Vascular closure device failure in the occasional patient may necessitate surgical intervention.. Citation Format · Thomas RP, Kowald T, Schmuck B et al. Retrospective Evaluation of Percutaneous Access for TEVAR and EVAR: Time to Make it the Standard Approach?. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2017; 189: 347 - 355.

Cardiac surgery in nonagenarians: pushing the boundary one further decade.

With increasing age of the general population, the necessity for cardiac surgery in the collective of patients aged 90 and older has been increasing. To aid in the choice of adequate therapy we investigated our experience for the group of nonagenarians undergoing surgical interventions. From 6/2000 to 9/2007, 17 patients aged 90 and older underwent open-heart surgery at our institution. We performed a retrospective data analysis including baseline preoperative clinical status, intra- and postoperative results and the long-term survival in the further postoperative course. We performed cardiac surgical procedures in 17 patients (male/female ratio 6/11), including isolated aortic valve replacement (n = 7), aortic root replacement (n = 2), isolated coronary bypass surgery (n = 4), combined coronary and valve surgery (n = 5), re-operative valve replacement (n = 1) and root replacement with arch repair (n = 1). Emergency procedures were performed in 11.8% (2/17). Mean age was 91.9 ± 1.2 years, ranging 90.1-94.2. Mean follow-up was 3.2 ± 2.2 years. The 30-day mortality was 17.6% (3/17), overall mortality at 42.9 follow-up patient years was 58.8% (10/17). We conclude that cardiac surgery procedures can be performed with therapeutic benefit for selected nonagenarians safely and with acceptable operative risk. After analysis our clinical experience we believe age alone not to be a contraindication for surgical intervention, consideration of the physiologic status of the patient reflects on the postoperative outcome. Survival of the patients investigated that survived the initial 30-day postoperative period was similar to the estimated survival of the equally aged general population in Germany.

Frozen elephant trunk procedure in a dextropositioned arch and descending aorta.

PURPOSE: To describe the use of a hybrid frozen elephant trunk technique to treat a patient suffering from a multisegmentally diseased, dextropositioned aortic arch and right descending aorta. TECHNIQUE: The technique is illustrated in a 58-year-old woman who was diagnosed with chronic type A aortic dissection in a right aortic arch and descending aorta; a lusoric left subclavian artery passed behind the esophagus. Aneurysmal dilatation of the arch and descending aorta required treatment. A frozen elephant trunk procedure was performed in a single stage via a median sternotomy using a hybrid Chavan-Haverich endograft, with complete surgical replacement of aortic arch. The stents for the endograft were placed in the descending aorta in an antegrade fashion through the opened aortic arch. CONCLUSION: This case demonstrates the feasibility of treating complex pathologies of the thoracic aorta even in cases of aberrant anatomy. A conventional 2-stage approach for treatment of the complex pathology could have been complicated due to difficulties with exposure.

Comparison of operative techniques in acute type A aortic dissection performing the distal anastomosis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate early and midterm clinical outcomes of two surgical techniques: open anastomosis in deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) compared to anastomosis with clamped aorta while continuing on extracorporeal circulation (CECC). METHODS: Between November 1997 and February 2002, 67 patients were operated for acute type A aortic dissection. Records of 35 patients with isolated replacement of the ascending aorta without intervention on the aortic arch were retrospectively reviewed. The influence of two techniques (DHCA n = 15, CECC n = 20) on clinical outcome and midterm follow up was investigated. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in preoperative data. Female gender in the DHCA group was coincidentally more frequent. Intraoperative management did not result in different early clinical outcome. 30-day mortality was not statistically different. Mean follow up time was 20.7 +/- 11.1 months in the DHCA group and 28.7 +/- 14.3 months in the CECC group. One-year and 3-year survival estimates in DHCA group were 85%+/- 7% and 79%+/- 9%, respectively. In the CECC group similar survivals were 80%+/- 10% and 73%+/- 11%, respectively. No statistically significant differences between the two groups were obtained in early or midterm outcome. CONCLUSION: While there is no difference in clinical outcome in surgical treatment of acute type A aortic dissection with or without circulatory arrest, there are some practical technical advantages if the distal anastomosis is performed in an open manner. Probably the long-term outcome too is better with this anastomosis technique.