The Usefulness of Patch Repair Using the Repermeabilized Umbilical Vein of the Round Ligament for Hepatobiliary Malignancies.

BACKGROUND: Patients with tumors invading major veins may require combined resection and reconstruction. However, venous reconstruction often demands complex hepatobiliary and vascular surgical procedures. In this study, we report a simple patch repair technique for venous reconstruction using the repermeabilized umbilical vein of the round ligament. METHODS: We reviewed the outcomes of eleven patients who underwent venous wedge resection and patch repair using the repermeabilized umbilical vein of the round ligament at our institution. RESULTS: Procurement of the round ligament and method of making a patch is simple. The duration of anastomosis was approximately 15 min. Eight patients (73%) underwent hepatic resection followed by hepatic vein reconstruction; two (18%) pancreaticoduodenectomy followed by inferior vena cava (IVC) reconstruction; one (9%) hepatic resection followed by IVC reconstruction. Although one reconstructed vein became narrowed, the other ten veins were patent after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Patch repair using the repermeabilized umbilical vein of the round ligament is a simple and useful technique.

Value of Round Ligament Artery Embolization in the Management of Postpartum Hemorrhage.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of embolization of the round ligament arteries in the management of postpartum hemorrhage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven women (mean age, 31 y) underwent round ligament artery because of persistent or recurrent hemorrhage after initial uterine or internal iliac artery embolization. RESULTS: A total of 16 round ligament arteries were embolized. The round ligament artery arose from the inferior epigastric artery in 11 cases (69%) and directly from the external iliac artery in 5 (31%). Embolization was performed with calibrated microspheres in 7 women (63%) and gelatin sponge pledgets in 4 (37%). Coils were used in addition to gelatin sponge pledgets in 3 patients. Hemostasis was achieved in 10 patients (91%), and 1 required additional conservative surgery. The mean hemoglobin level before embolization was 7.2 g/dL ± 1 and increased significantly on day 1 after embolization (10.3 g/dL ± 1.0; P < .05). No procedure-related complication was reported. The mean hospital stay was 5.6 days ± 2. Two patients had further pregnancies 13 and 14 months after embolization. CONCLUSIONS: Selective embolization of the round ligament artery is a safe and effective treatment for obstetric hemorrhage. It should be considered in cases of persistent or recurrent bleeding after initial uterine or internal iliac artery embolization.

Hip Vascularity: A Review of the Anatomy and Clinical Implications.

Throughout development, the vascular supply to the proximal femur and acetabulum undergoes a series of changes during which it is susceptible to injury. Before age 3 months, the ligamentum teres and lateral epiphyseal arteries are the dominant supply to the developing head. The dominant supply shifts to the lateral epiphyseal vessels by age 18 months. The distinct metaphyseal and epiphyseal circulations of the adult proximal femur form in adolescence when an increasingly rich metaphyseal circulation supplies the subphyseal region, terminating at the physeal plate. The acetabular blood supply derives from two independent systems, with the dominance of each changing throughout maturity. Most descriptions of the vascular contributions to the proximal femur and acetabulum have been gross anatomic and histologic studies. Advanced imaging studies (eg, CT angiography, perfusion MRI) have added to our understanding of the vascular anatomy of the proximal femur and acetabulum, its changes throughout development, and its clinical implications.