Bovine pericardial patch repair in infected fields.

OBJECTIVE: Bovine pericardial patches (BPP) are frequently used for arterial reconstruction, but little data exist regarding their ability to resist infection. We hypothesize that BPP would provide a reasonable alternative to autologous vein patches in infected fields. METHODS: We used BPP to repair 51 arteriotomies (25 brachial, 23 femoral, three popliteal) in 48 consecutive patients (mean age, 68 years; 65% men, 75% diabetic, 67% dialysis dependent) undergoing removal of infected (33 gram-positive, three gram-negative, eight mixed flora, and four culture-negative) polytetrafluoroethylene grafts (35 arteriovenous grafts, nine femoral-distal bypasses, and four femoral patch angioplasties) between January 2007 and January 2011. Patient records were retrospectively reviewed and outcomes, including death, rupture, secondary reconstruction, and infection, were recorded. RESULTS: Over a mean follow-up of 2.1 years (range, 3-48 months), 50 of 51 patches remained in place without evidence of recurrent infection, rupture, or revision. One patient had acute rupture of a popliteal arteriotomy 1 week postrepair and had subsequent ligation and above-knee amputation. Eight of the 48 patients died from unrelated causes during follow-up (three withdrew from dialysis, three myocardial infarction, and two unknown). CONCLUSIONS: BPP provide a durable alternative to saphenous vein for arterial reconstruction following removal of infected arterial grafts.

Drug-eluting tibial stents: objective patency determination.

PURPOSE: Endovascular management of limb-threatening ischemia often requires treatment of tibial occlusive disease. This study was preformed to examine the patency of drug-eluting tibial stents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of all patients undergoing drug-eluting tibial stent placement for limb-threatening ischemia from June 2004 to June 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Postprocedural antiplatelet therapy included clopidogrel and aspirin. Patients were followed with serial arterial duplex ultrasonography and had selective subsequent angiographic evaluation based on noninvasive findings. Primary patency of the target lesion, limb salvage, and survival rates were reported. RESULTS: A total of 240 patients underwent 283 tibial angioplasty procedures to treat limb-threatening ischemia during the 4-year period. Fifty-two patients (22%) had a suboptimal balloon result and were treated with a drug-eluting tibial stent. Balloon-expandable paclitaxel-eluting stents were used in all patients (1.2 stents per patient; range, 1-3; median diameter, 2.75 mm; range, 2.5-3.5 mm; median length, 24 mm; range, 20-32 mm). Forty-eight of those 52 patients (92%) had simultaneous endovascular treatment of proximal lesions. Mean follow-up was 14.3 months (range, 1-48 months). Target lesion patency of the drug-eluting tibial stent was 73% at 24 months (SE < 10%). Limb salvage rate in patients treated with drug-eluting tibial stents was 86% at 26 months (SE < 10%), and the survival rate was 65% at 24 months (SE < 10%). CONCLUSIONS: Drug-eluting tibial stents are a viable option for the endovascular management of limb-threatening ischemia and have acceptable patency rates. The majority of patients require multilevel endovascular treatment, and close surveillance is required for limb salvage.