Association of metformin use with abdominal aortic aneurysm: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a cardiovascular disease characterized by a high mortality rate when ruptured. Some studies suggest a potential inverse correlation between AAA and diabetes patients, especially those undergoing metformin treatment. However, this relationship remains unclear. This paper offers a systematic review and meta-analysis with the objective of clarifying the influence of metformin on AAA. METHODS: A search for relevant articles was performed across multiple databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane and Scopus. The focus was on studies that examined the comparative effects of metformin and non-metformin treatments on AAA patients. Data from appropriate studies were consolidated to estimate the effects. Our study encompassed 11 articles, comprising 13 cohorts that compared metformin (n = 32,250) with a control group (n = 116,339). RESULTS: The random effects meta-analysis revealed that metformin was associated with a slower growth rate (weighted mean difference (WMD) -0.86 mm; 95% CI: -1.21 to -0.52; p < 0.01; I2: 81.4%) and fewer AAA-related events (OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.34 to 0.86; p = 0.01; I2: 60.9%). The findings suggest that metformin may be linked to a reduced risk of aortic aneurysm. A meta-regression analysis indicated that the association between metformin and AAA growth was significantly influenced by male gender (p = 0.027), but not by age (p = 0.801), hypertension (p = 0.256), DM (p = 0.689), smoking history (p = 0.786), use of lipid-lowering agents (p = 0.715), or baseline diameter (p = 0.291). CONCLUSION: These results hint at a potential role for metformin in limiting annual AAA growth, AAA-related events, and the risk of AAA.

Successful Ovarian Vein Embolization of a Multiparous Woman with Pelvic Congestion Syndrome.

Pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) is a clinical syndrome supported by specific findings, such as ovarian vein's dilatation, that cause pelvic vein congestion. Although many theories are explaining the pathophysiologies of this condition, the underlying cause remains unknown. The clinical manifestations of PCS are various including chronic pelvic pain (CPP), voiding disturbances, or ureteral obstruction. Imaging modality, such as ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT scan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and venography, are needed to confirm and exclude the differential diagnosis. Currently, American venous forum guidelines recommended endovascular therapy which is percutaneous embolization as the first option therapy of PCS. Here, we reported a 35-year-old woman with PCS who underwent successful percutaneous embolization therapy.

Acute Limb Ischemia in COVID-19: A Systematic Review.

Numerous studies have reported cases of acute limb ischemia (ALI) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), along with a sharp increase of ALI incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to analyze the clinical features, treatment strategies, and outcomes in COVID-19 patients who developed ALI. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane to identify relevant articles. Variables of interest included ALI location, ALI and COVID-19 severity, concomitant thrombosis, comorbidities/risk factors, coagulation and inflammatory parameters, therapy, outcome, and cause of death. Data extraction and pooling were conducted by two reviewers. Fifty-six articles with a total of 191 subjects were included in the analysis; 78.5% of the subjects were male; mean age was 64.2 years; 94.2% of cases were ALI de novo; 41.1% of the subjects had ALI stage IIB; 82.7% of ALI occurred in the lower limb. The popliteal artery was the most commonly affected artery (48.2% of subjects); 38.1% of the subjects had severe COVID-19; 11.1% had asymptomatic COVID-19, and 15.9% were post-COVID-19; 50.7% of the subjects had hypertension; 12.0% of the subjects had concomitant thrombosis; 98.1% of the subjects had elevated D-dimer, and 83.3% of the subjects had elevated C-reactive protein; 61.9% of the subjects underwent surgical thromboembolectomy, 21.3% underwent conservative treatment, and 8.1% underwent amputation initially. The overall mortality rate and limb amputation rate were 39.3 and 22.4%, respectively; 67.6% of deaths were due to respiratory failure. Our study supports that COVID-19 is associated with hypercoagulability that may trigger the development of ALI, and that ALI is a possible predictor of poor outcome in COVID-19 patients.

Acute Limb Ischemia after Cardiovascular Surgery: A Deadly Duo Combination with High Mortality.

Acute limb ischemia (ALI) is a predictor of high morbidity and mortality. Previous studies showed that ALI developed after cardiac surgery may increase mortality. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical course and identify risk factors contributing to mortality in patients with ALI after cardiovascular surgery. This is a single-center retrospective cohort study. We analyzed data from 52 patients with ALI after cardiovascular surgery between 2016 and 2020. We evaluated the risk factors for 1-year mortality using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Most of the patients with ALI were male and the median age was 56 years (23-72 years). Most of the patients with ALI had coronary artery diseases. The 1-year mortality rate was 55.8% ( n = 29 patients). Multivariable analysis revealed that cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time ≥ 100 minutes (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.067, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.158-8.120) and postoperative acute kidney injury (HR: 2.927, 95% CI: 1.358-6.305) were significantly increasing the risk of mortality in patients with ALI after an operation. ALI after cardiovascular surgery was associated with high 1-year mortality in our study and long CPB time and postoperative acute kidney injury contributed to the mortality.

5-Year Follow-Up of Endovascular Management in a Patient with Chronic Concomitant DeBakey Type II and IIIa Aortic Dissection.

The incidence of chronic concomitant DeBakey Type II and IIIa aortic dissection is uncommon and complex. Since the mortality rate is very high, it requires a precise and holistic treatment plan. In some cases, when the patients refuse to undergo open surgery or the patients' condition is not suitable for open surgery, thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is the recommended therapeutic approach. In this case, a patient refused to undergo open surgery and chose TEVAR instead. The patient survived the procedure and lived for years. We present the case of a successful TEVAR procedure in a patient with chronic concomitant DeBakey Type II and IIIa aortic dissection in a 51-year-old man and the 5-year postoperative follow-up of the patient's condition.

Acute Embolic Occlusion of Renal Artery after the Bentall Procedure: the Role of Primary Renal Angioplasty.

Acute renal occlusion is an uncommon emergency problem in daily practice. The diagnosis is often missed or delayed not only because of its rarity but also nonspecific of clinical presentation. Sudden and complete termination of arterial blood supply to the kidney may lead to renal infarction and a complete loss of renal function. Although the need of early revascularization is uniformly recommended, but the methods has not been established. We presented a case of acute thromboembolic renal artery occlusion in patient who had a history of Bentall's surgery. Renal infarction and artery occlusion were clearly visualized by computed tomography angiogram (CTA). The patient was successfully treated with angioplasty and stenting of main renal artery with complete disappearance of symptoms and recovery of his renal function.

Ischemic Complications Following Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair with and Without Revascularization of Left Subclavian Artery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair has been widely performed to treat various thoracic aortic pathologies. However, stent-graft placement in the thoracic aorta may result in left subclavian artery coverage, potentially leading to ischemic complications. The role of the left subclavian artery revascularization procedure to prevent ischemic complications remains controversial. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify ischemic outcomes in patients who underwent thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair with or without left subclavian artery revascularization. METHODS: A systematic search through electronic databases, including PubMed, Ovid Medline, and Cochrane, was conducted to identify relevant studies. The outcome parameters were left arm ischemia, stroke, and spinal cord ischemia. Risk ratio (RR) and Confidence Interval (CI) of 95% were measured and reported. RESULTS: A total of 11,386 patients were identified from 22 studies. Patients who underwent left subclavian artery revascularization had lower risk of left arm ischemia (RR 0.25, 95% CI 0.09-0.68; P = 0.0006; I2 = 71%), lower risk of stroke (RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.30-0.88; P = 0.02; I2 = 70%), and lower risk of spinal cord ischemia (odds ratio OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.55-0.95; P = 0.02; I2 = 0%) between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Revascularization procedure in patients with left subclavian artery coverage during thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair is associated with a lower risk of left arm ischemia, stroke, and spinal cord ischemia. Left subclavian artery revascularization should be performed in anatomically high-risk patients. High-quality studies are needed to validate the outcomes.

Looping wire technique to facilitate true lumen wiring during TEVAR in type B aortic dissection with aneurysmal degeneration: A case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Wiring true lumen during Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR) is sometimes difficult in complicated Type B Aortic Dissection (TBAD). CASE PRESENTATION: We treated a TBAD patient with large false lumen, compressed true lumen and multiple entries. After repeated wire misdirection to false lumen, we tried a new technique in which the wire in the false lumen was looped after entrance to true lumen and pushed distally. The looped wire was then used as guide to advance a second wire to the ascending aorta. TEVAR could then be completed with good result. DISCUSSION: Wiring the true lumen might be one of the most challenging steps during TEVAR in complicated TBAD. Several methods have been used to overcome the problems, but the cost and availability might be a problem in some countries. The looping wire technique may serve as an alternative method of guiding the process of wiring the true lumen during complicated TEVAR. CONCLUSION: Looping wire technique can be used as an alternative method to facilitate true lumen wiring during TEVAR.

Late presentation of middle aortic syndrome complicated with severe aortic regurgitation; the role of endovascular intervention as a bridging for Bentall surgery.

Middle aortic syndrome presents with segment narrowing of the descending thoracic and abdominal aorta. A common manifestation is uncontrolled hypertension, which can lead to severe aortic regurgitation in the long term. We have presented the case of a 31-year-old woman with worsening heart failure symptoms and longstanding uncontrolled hypertension. Echocardiography revealed severe aortic regurgitation. Aortic computed tomography showed severe stenosis of the aorta at the diaphragm level. Stent graft implantation was performed, followed by Bentall surgery 1 year later. Endovascular stent graft implantation of the descending aorta can be used safely as a bridging surgery for the Bentall procedure to reduce the patient's blood pressure and relieve heart failure symptoms.

Cyanoacrylate Embolization versus Endovenous Laser Ablation in Treating Saphenous Vein Insufficiency: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Cyanoacrylate embolization (CAE) is a novel non-thermal non-tumescent venous ablation technique that has shown promising results in treating saphenous vein insufficiency. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety profile of CAE in comparison to endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) in treating saphenous vein insufficiency. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis in accordance with the PRISMA Statement. A systematic search was performed through online databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane to find relevant studies. Manual searching was also performed from the references of the selected studies. Specific keywords that we used were "(cyanoacrylate) AND (laser OR laser ablation OR laser therapy) AND (vein OR venous OR saphenous vein OR venous insufficiency OR varicose vein)". Outcomes of interest were efficacy, safety, and intervention time. Efficacy was determined by venous closure rate 1 year post-intervention and Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS) 1 year post-intervention. Safety was determined by rates of periprocedural pain, skin pigmentation, nerve damage, phlebitis, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and ecchymosis. Data extraction and quality assessment of included studies were performed by 2 reviewers, and statistical analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4.0 software. RESULTS: Five relevant articles (2 randomized-controlled trials and 3 cohort studies) were selected for this study, consisting a total of 1432 venous ablation procedures (710 CAE and 722 EVLA). From the efficacy point of view, venous closure rates and VCSS did not differ significantly between CAE group and EVLA group. From the safety point of view, pooled data showed that CAE group was associated with less periprocedural pain score (P < 0.001), lower skin pigmentation rates (0.60% vs. 4.46%; P = 0.008), and lower nerve damage rates (0% vs. 3.94%; P = 0.007). Rates of phlebitis, deep vein thrombosis, and ecchymosis did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. In addition, intervention time was significantly faster in CAE group compared to EVLA group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Cyanoacrylate embolization yields similar efficacy compared to EVLA. However, CAE is associated with less periprocedural pain, lower occurrence rates of skin pigmentation and nerve damage, and faster intervention time.

Descending Aorta Diameters as Predictor of Late Adverse Outcomes in Patients with Uncomplicated Type B Aortic Dissection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: A subset of patients with uncomplicated type B aortic dissection (uTBAD) has been shown to possess higher risk of experiencing late adverse outcomes. Therefore, we conducted an analysis to investigate the role of descending aorta diameters, including total descending aorta diameter and false lumen diameter, as predictor of late adverse outcomes in patients with uTBAD. METHODS: A systematic search was performed through Pubmed, ClinicalKey, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library to identify relevant studies. Our primary outcome was the composite late adverse events following their first episode of hospitalization. All meta-analyses were performed using Review Manager version 5.4. RESULTS: A total of 2,339 (male 68.8%) patients from a total of 15 cohorts were included in our analysis. During follow-up period, there were 655 (27.3%) and 149 (6.3%) cases of late adverse events and mortality, respectively. Patients with higher initial descending aorta diameter were at higher risk of developing late adverse events (RR 2.99 [2.60, 3.44]; P < 0.001) and mortality (RR 3.15 [2.34, 4.25]; P <0.001) throughout follow-up period. Maximum false lumen diameter at the initial presentation seemed to significantly be associated with late adverse events (RR 1.87 [1.46, 2.39]; P <0.001) but not with mortality (RR 2.55 [0.81-8.00; P = 0.11). CONCLUSION: Descending aorta diameters, particularly maximum initial descending aorta diameter, is a good and helpful predictor of late adverse outcomes in patients with uTBAD.

Two Wire System and Modified Olive Tip to Facilitate Implantation of Fenestrated TEVAR in Patient with Proximal Descending Aortic Pathology: First Two Cases.

INTRODUCTION: Although Fenestrated TEVAR (F-TEVAR) has been considered to be a more physiologic approach to treat proximal descending aortic pathology, its application is still limited due to availability, cost and technical difficulties. We introduce a new design of fenestrated stent graft with a new delivery system and successfully performed first in human implantation in two patients, one with an aortic aneurysm and one with an acute aortic dissection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The design of these two wires fenestrated stent graft include creation of an additional lumen at the side of the olive tip during manufacture, from which an additional wire can be introduced for a side branch passing into the fenestration, running inside the stent graft and exit the delivery sheath through additional hub. The two wires will facilitate delivery and deployment of the stent graft. One patient with descending aortic aneurysm and another with Stanford B aortic dissection is included in this first in human study. RESULTS: The aneurysm and dissection were completely excluded immediately after the TEVAR. Six month follow up CT showed good position of the stent graft and patent LSA in both patients. In the patient with aortic dissection, expansion of the true lumen and partial thrombosis of the false lumen was seen. CONCLUSIONS: This is a report of a two wire system in 2 patients with distal aortic arch pathology demonstrating a good technical and clinical success using pre-cannulated fenestrations through a modified nose cone olive. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4, report of two cases.