The ViaHole technique: a novel approach for recanalizing major side branch occluded by Viabahn stent-graft.

INTRODUCTION: In managing arterial rupture, stent-graft implantation may cause limb ischemia by crossing a major branch for hemostasis. The ViaHole technique could circumvent a major branch occlusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The process involved advancing retrograde devices into an occluded major branch by the stent-graft implantation to reach the outer surface of the stent-graft, puncturing the stent-graft with a 20-gauge needle to touch the retrograde device, manipulating the guidewire through the needle hole and externalizing it, advancing the microcatheter into the proximal lumen, catching the microcatheter using an antegrade 4-Fr catheter, inserting an antegrade guidewire into the retrograde microcatheter to cross the stent-graft hole, dilating the lesion and stent-graft hole using a 3.0-mm balloon, and ensuring hemostasis at the puncture site. RESULTS: A 72-year-old male with a history of stent-grafted treatment for right popliteal aneurysm presented with acute limb ischemia (ALI). The occlusion spanned distal superficial femoral artery to the below-the-knee arteries. Hemostasis was achieved after an unintentional rupture of the proximal posterior tibial artery during surgical thrombectomy by implanting endoluminal stent-grafts instead of surgical bypass due to no distal anastomosis site. However, recurrent ALI occurred three months later. Surgical bypass was again deemed unfeasible due to no run-off. Unsuccessful recanalization attempts of the bilateral tibial arteries led us to perform the ViaHole technique to recanalize the peroneal artery occlusion. Finally. successful revascularization was achieved, and 1-year patency was confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: The ViaHole technique may be valuable for revascularizing a major side branch occluded by stent-graft implantation.

Fracking compared to conventional balloon angioplasty alone for calcified common femoral artery lesions using intravascular ultrasound analysis: 12-month results.

BACKGROUND: Fracking is a novel technique to crack calcified lesions by hydraulic pressure. This study aimed to compare the performance of fracking and conventional balloon angioplasty without stenting for calcified common femoral artery (CFA) lesions using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) analysis. METHODS: This retrospective, single-center, comparative observational study included 59 patients (67 limbs) with calcified CFA lesions treated with either fracking (n = 30) or balloon angioplasty (n = 29) between January 2018 and December 2020. The primary endpoint was 1-year primary patency. The secondary endpoints included procedure success, freedom from target lesion revascularization (TLR), procedure-related complications, and freedom from major adverse limb events (MALE). Predictors of restenosis were identified using multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis. RESULTS: The mean follow-up duration was 403 ± 236 days. The fracking group had significantly higher incidence of 1-year primary patency (89.8% versus 49.2%, P < 0.001), procedure success (96.9% versus 74.3%, P = 0.009), and freedom from TLR (93.5% versus 74.2%, P = 0.038) than the balloon group. The rate of freedom from MALE was significantly higher in the fracking group than in the balloon group (76.9% versus 48.6%, P = 0.033). The groups had no significant difference in procedure-related complications (6.2% versus 5.7%, P = 0.928). A larger postprocedural IVUS-estimated minimum lumen area (MLA) was associated with a lower risk of restenosis (hazard ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.91; P < 0.001), with a cut-off value of 16.0 mm2 determined using receiver operating characteristics curve analysis. The incidence of 1-year primary patency in patients with a postprocedural MLA ≥16.0 mm2 (n = 37) was significantly higher than that in those with a postprocedural MLA < 16.0 mm2 (n = 30) (87.8% versus 44.6%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the superior procedural efficacy of fracking compared to balloon angioplasty in treating calcified CFA lesions. The safety outcomes after fracking were comparable to those after balloon angioplasty. Large postprocedural MLA was an independent positive predictor of patency.

Propensity score-matched analysis of six-month outcomes of paclitaxel-coated balloons combined with UltraScore balloons versus conventional scoring balloons for femoropopliteal lesions.

PURPOSE: Combination angioplasty with paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCBs) and conventional scoring balloons for femoropopliteal lesions has demonstrated satisfactory results, even for complex lesions. The UltraScore balloon (Becton Dickinson, New Jersey, USA), which has a maximum length of 300 mm, has two longitudinal 0.010-inch stainless steel wires and is a new treatment option for complex femoropopliteal lesions. However, no studies have evaluated the effect of the UltraScore balloon on femoropopliteal lesions. This study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of angioplasty over a six-month period using UltraScore balloons versus conventional scoring balloons for the treatment of atherosclerotic femoropopliteal lesions with PCBs. METHODS: A retrospective single-center observational study enrolled 272 patients who underwent PCB angioplasty combined with an UltraScore balloon (n = 58) or conventional scoring balloon (n = 214) without bailout stenting. Propensity score matching was used to minimize intergroup differences in baseline characteristics, and six-month outcomes were compared between the two groups. The primary endpoint was a technical success (i.e., residual angiographic stenosis of <30% with non-severe dissection). The secondary endpoints were the incidences of periprocedural complications, restenosis, and target lesion revascularization (TLR). RESULTS: After propensity score matching, 50 matched pairs of patients were selected for analysis. The UltraScore group had a significantly longer vessel length (192.8 ± 94.9 versus 36.6 ± 7.9 mm, P < 0.001), a lower frequency of non-compliant balloon (26.0% versus 56.0%, P = 0.002), and a smaller PCB diameter (5.32 ± 0.65 versus 5.66 ± 0.52 mm, P = 0.002) compared with the scoring group. The primary endpoint of technical success was significantly higher in the UltraScore group than in the scoring group (76.0% versus 56.0%, P = 0.035). There were no significant differences in periprocedural complications (4.0% versus 2.0%, P = 0.562), six-month restenosis (4.0% versus 8.0%, P = 0.339), and TLR (2.0% versus 4.0%, P = 0.500) between both groups. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that UltraScore use was independently associated with an increase in technical success (odds ratio: 2.58; 95% confidence interval: 1.05-6.36, P = 0.040). CONCLUSION: The use of an UltraScore balloon during PCB angioplasty for femoropopliteal lesions significantly improved technical success compared with conventional scoring balloons. UltraScore use was an independent predictor of technical success, indicating its potential advantages in peripheral intervention procedures.

Comparative 2-year outcomes of the Misago stent versus other self-expandable nitinol stents for the endovascular treatment of aortoiliac disease.

BACKGROUND: The Misago iliac stent has not been compared with other stents. This study aimed to evaluate the 2-year clinical outcomes between the Misago stent and other self-expandable nitinol stents for symptomatic chronic aortoiliac disease. METHODS: This retrospective, single-center observational study enrolled 138 patients (180 limbs; Rutherford classification, between categories 2 and 6) treated with a Misago stent (N.=41) or self-expandable nitinol stent (N.=97) between January 2019 and December 2019. The primary endpoint was patency for up to 2 years. The secondary endpoints were technical success, procedure-related complications, freedom from target lesion revascularization, overall survival, and freedom from major adverse limb events. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to investigate predictors of restenosis. RESULTS: The mean follow-up duration was 710±201 days. The 2-year primary patency rate was comparable between the groups (Misago, 89.6% and self-expandable nitinol stent, 91.0%, P=0.883). The technical success rate was 100% in both groups, and procedure-related complications were equivalent between the groups (1.7% and 2.4%, respectively; P=0.773). Freedom from target lesion revascularization was not significantly different between the groups (97.6% and 94.4%, respectively; P=0.890). The overall survival rate and freedom from major adverse limb events were not significantly different between the groups (77.2% and 70.8%, respectively, P=0.209; 66.9% and 58.4%, respectively, P=0.149). Statin therapy was positively associated with primary patency. CONCLUSIONS: The Misago stent for aortoiliac lesions demonstrated comparable and acceptable clinical results of safety and efficacy for up to 2 years compared with other self-expandable stents. Statin use predicted the prevention of patency loss.

Synthesis and Structure-Photophysics Evaluation of 2-N-Amino-quinazolines: Small Molecule Fluorophores for Solution and Solid State.

2-N-aminoquinazolines were prepared by consecutive SN Ar functionalization. X-ray structures display the nitrogen lone pair of the 2-N-morpholino group in conjugation with the electron deficient quinazoline core and thus representing electronic push-pull systems. 2-N-aminoquinazolines show a positive solvatochromism and are fluorescent in solution and in solid state with quantum yields up to 0.73. Increase in electron donor strength of the 2-amino substituent causes a red-shift of the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) band (300-400 nm); whereas the photoluminescence emission maxima (350-450 nm) is also red-shifted significantly along with an enhancement in photoluminescence efficiency. HOMO-LUMO energies were estimated by a combination of electrochemical and photophysical methods and correlate well to those obtained by computational methods. ICT properties are theoretically attributed to an excitation to Rydberg-MO in SAC-CI method, which can be interpreted as n-π* excitation. 7-Amino-2-N-morpholino-4-methoxyquinazoline responds to acidic conditions with significant increases in photoluminescence intensity revealing a new turn-on/off fluorescence probe.