Endovascular Repair of Bilateral Internal Mammary Artery Aneurysms in a Patient with Marfan Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: True internal mammary artery aneurysms are rare but rupture has been described. CASE REPORT: A 39-year-old male patient with Marfan syndrome was diagnosed with large asymptomatic bilateral internal mammary artery aneurysms (IMAAs) on contrast-enhanced CT scan, without other arterial lesions. Both aneurysms were coil embolized, a stent graft was deployed in the left subclavian artery to cover a wide neck that precluded complete and safe embolization of the left IMAA. Reintervention on the right side was performed 5 years later due to recanalization. Eight years after the initial procedure, the patient presented with a type A aortic dissection that was successfully repaired. CONCLUSIONS: Although extremely rare, endovascular treatment should be considered to prevent rupture of internal mammary artery aneurysms.

Juxtarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Results of Open Surgery in an Academic Center.

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study is to report our experience with conventional surgery for juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (JRAs) by evaluating incidence of acute renal failure and perioperative mortality. Secondary objectives are to evaluate general morbidity and the need for permanent postoperative dialysis and to assess the influence on long-term survival of preoperative risk factors and deterioration of perioperative renal function. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 110 patients with JRA electively treated by open surgery between March 1992 and March 2018 was made. Data were obtained from clinical records, describing demographics, perioperative variables, and results. Acute kidney injury (AKI) was defined as 50% decrease in glomerular filtration rate or two-fold increase in serum creatinine. Multivariate analysis was performed by logistic regression to establish risk factors for renal failure. The influence of preoperative risk factors and deterioration of perioperative renal function on long-term survival was studied using Cox regression model. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in the analysis. RESULTS: 110 consecutive patients were treated with an average age of 71 years, 82.7% male; 81% hypertensive and 41% active smokers. 46.3% had stage III or higher preoperative chronic kidney disease. Median diameter of the aneurysm was 5.7 cm. Interruption of bilateral renal flow was required in 73 patients (66.4%) and unilateral in 37 (33.6%). The average renal clamping time was 34.5 min. AKI occurred in 9 patients (8.2%). Two patients (1.8%) required postoperative dialysis, one of them permanent. Median hospital stay was 7 days. Thirty-three patients (30%) had at least one complication. Postoperative mortality was 2.7% (3 patients), two of them developed AKI. Multivariate analysis established a longer operative time and need for renal revascularization as independent risk factors for AKI. In the survival analysis, age, cerebrovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and perioperative AKI were identified as risk factors for long-term mortality. CONCLUSIONS: JRA open surgical repair can be performed with low morbidity and mortality. Although transient acute renal dysfunction may be relatively frequent, the need for hemodialysis is low. Our study is a reference point to compare with endovascular repair.

[Endovascular management of chronic limb ischemia. Experience in 48 procedures]. / Manejo endovascular de la isquemia crítica distal: análisis de una serie contemporánea.

BACKGROUND: Chronic limb ischemia can lead to high rates of limb loss and mortality. Open surgery is the gold standard for treatment of distal disease. Endovascular surgery should have less complications with similar outcomes. AIM: To report a cohort of patients with distal arterial disease treated with endovascular surgery at our institution. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Review of angioplasty records of patients undergoing distal lower extremity endovascular procedures between 2016 and 2019. Demographics, comorbidities, form of presentation, type of intervention, perioperative complications, and length of stay were analyzed. The primary outcomes were wound healing, reinterventions and freedom from major amputation. Secondary outcomes were overall survival and amputation-free survival. RESULTS: Forty-eight limbs of 41 patients with a mean age 75 years (78% males) were treated. Ninety-three percent had hypertension, 88% diabetes, 30% chronic kidney disease. 73% presented with major wounds. Plain balloon and drug coated balloon angioplasties were carried out in 65 and 31% of procedures respectively, with no difference in results. In 46% of the cases, only chronic total occlusions were treated. Wound healing was achieved in 85% of procedures and 90% of patients were free from amputation at one year of follow up. Complications were observed in 18% of procedures, perioperative mortality was 2% and one-year survival was 76%. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular therapy achieves high rates of wound healing and freedom from amputation with low perioperative mortality and moderate complication rates.

Stenting of innominate vein compression syndrome.

We report the case of a 60-year-old woman who sought medical attention for left cervical and supraclavicular pain and swelling. Previous computed tomography, intravascular ultrasound, and venography studies were reviewed, confirming extrinsic compression of the left innominate vein by the left common carotid artery against the left clavicle head. Stenting of the lesion was performed, with good mid-term symptom relief and patency. It is, to the best of our knowledge, the first case study in the literature to report endovascular treatment of this syndrome.

Antegrade hypogastric revascularization during endovascular aortoiliac aneurysm repair: an alternative to bilateral embolization.

Anatomy has been the major challenge to overcome to increase safe and durable applicability of endografting for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Bilateral iliac aneurysm preventing an appropriate distal landing zone for the endograft is a common condition and can be managed by (a) increasing the diameter of the endograft, with limitations in available sizes, (b) bilateral hypogastric embolization, accepting an increased morbidity, (c) the use of a branched device, increasing the cost and currently with limited availability, (d) combined surgical hypogastric revascularization by the retroperitoneal approach, or (e) retrograde revascularization from the ipsilateral external iliac artery using an endograft. We describe the use of widely available devices to obtain stable antegrade revascularization of one hypogastric artery during aortic endografting. We report the case of a 68-year-old man, at high risk for an open procedure, who presented with bilateral iliac aneurysm and minor aortic ectasia; no iliac landing zone was available. A regular bifurcated graft was deployed and extended into one of the external iliac arteries, preceded by ipsilateral hypogastric embolization. Through an upper extremity approach, an endograft was deployed from the remaining bifurcated graft branch into the other hypogastric artery, followed by ipsilateral external iliac occlusion. Finally a femorofemoral crossover bypass was performed. The patient recovered event free, and patency of the endograft and absence of endoleak were demonstrated on computed tomography. Minor unilateral buttock claudication resolved in 6 weeks and sexual function was preserved. This technique is a reasonable alternative to consider in the endovascular treatment of patients with bilateral iliac aneurysm, allowing preservation of pelvic perfusion, limiting cost, and using available devices.

Endovascular Management of a Ruptured Iliac Aneurysm With an Inferior Vena Cava Fistula.

Aortocaval fistula is uncommon and often associated with a ruptured iliac or abdominal aortic aneurysm. It has a high mortality secondary to the aneurysmal rupture but also to a high output heart failure. Open surgery has been the standard; however, endovascular management has emerged with lower mortality. We present a patient with a ruptured iliac aneurysm and an inferior vena cava fistula successfully treated with an endograft with embolization of the right hypogastric artery. The patient arrested on induction and was resuscitated with aortic balloon inflation. Endovascular therapy can be safely used in the management of iliac/aortocaval fistula.

Manejo endovascular de la isquemia crítica distal: análisis de una serie contemporánea

Background: Chronic limb ischemia can lead to high rates of limb loss and mortality. Open surgery is the gold standard for treatment of distal disease. Endovascular surgery should have less complications with similar outcomes. Aim: To report a cohort of patients with distal arterial disease treated with endovascular surgery at our institution. Material and Methods: Review of angioplasty records of patients undergoing distal lower extremity endovascular procedures between 2016 and 2019. Demographics, comorbidities, form of presentation, type of intervention, perioperative complications, and length of stay were analyzed. The primary outcomes were wound healing, reinterventions and freedom from major amputation. Secondary outcomes were overall survival and amputation-free survival. Results: Forty-eight limbs of 41 patients with a mean age 75 years (78% males) were treated. Ninety-three percent had hypertension, 88% diabetes, 30% chronic kidney disease. 73% presented with major wounds. Plain balloon and drug coated balloon angioplasties were carried out in 65 and 31% of procedures respectively, with no difference in results. In 46% of the cases, only chronic total occlusions were treated. Wound healing was achieved in 85% of procedures and 90% of patients were free from amputation at one year of follow up. Complications were observed in 18% of procedures, perioperative mortality was 2% and one-year survival was 76%. Conclusions: Endovascular therapy achieves high rates of wound healing and freedom from amputation with low perioperative mortality and moderate complication rates.

Cigarette smoking increases aortic dilatation without affecting matrix metalloproteinase-9 and -12 expression in a modified mouse model of aneurysm formation.

OBJECTIVE: The development of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is presumed to result from multiple genetic and environmental factors, with exposure to tobacco smoke the single largest known factor predisposing to aneurysm growth. We have attempted to adapt the elastase-perfused animal model to determine whether tobacco exposure can lower the threshold of aortic injury necessary for AAA development. METHODS: Adult C57BL/6 mice underwent transient perfusion of the infrarenal aorta with an active solution of elastase: high-dose (HDE, 0.19 U/mL, n=9), standard-dose (SDE, 0.16 U/mL, n=21) or low-dose (LDE, 0.07 U/mL, n=24). Control animals (n=24) were treated with heat inactivated elastase (HIE). Twenty LDE perfused mice were exposed to cigarette smoke (LDE-S) beginning 2 weeks before perfusion and continuing until aortic harvest. Aortic diameter (AD) was measured preperfusion, postperfusion, and at harvest on day 14. AAA was defined as %DeltaAD>or=100% between preperfusion and harvest. Aortas from each group (except HDE) were analyzed for matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and MMP-12 expression by real-time polymerase chain reaction normalized to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. RESULTS: All SDE mice developed large AAA by %DeltaAD (189.3%+/-16.9%, mean+/-standard error of the mean), but control mice had only a small dilatation (69.7%+/-3.7%, P<.01). Higher doses of elastase did not produce larger aneurysms in HDE mice. In contrast, only 63% of LDE mice showed aneurysmal dilatation, and these were significantly smaller (104.3%+/-4.2%, P<.01). When exposed to cigarette smoke, LDE animals developed significantly larger aneurysms (%DeltaAD, 134.5%+/-7.9%, P=.0021). There was no difference in normalized aortic MMP-9 and MMP-12 expression between elastase doses or between smoke-exposed and unexposed animals. Histologic analysis revealed that smoking increased the extent of aortic elastin degradation when compared with LDE-S animals. CONCLUSION: Aneurysm development in the elastase model is dependent on the quantity of active elastase infused. Exposure of animals to tobacco smoke after a relatively minor aortic elastase injury produces increases in elastin degradation and aneurysm size without affecting MMP-9 or MMP-12 expression. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration in an animal model that smoking can act as a synergistic factor in AAA development. Further understanding of the relationship between smoking and AAA in this model may help unveil the pathophysiologic pathways involved between cigarette smoke and AAAs.

Pharmacological targets in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

The natural history of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is of progressive aortic wall degeneration occurring over the course of many years, ultimately, culminating in loss of structural integrity and fatal aortic rupture. Although surgical exclusion of an aneurysm can effectively prevent aortic rupture in large aneurysms, small aneurysms are generally completely asymptomatic and are very unlikely to rupture. Further, AAA can be easily diagnosed with noninvasive testing; thus, small aneurysms present an excellent opportunity for disease-modifying pharmacological intervention. Research over the past two decades has defined many of the mechanisms which result in aortic matrix degeneration in both human tissue and particularly within animal models. This has resulted in the identification of several potential targets for pharmacological intervention. Drugs directed at inhibition of the inflammatory process and matrix degrading enzymes have been successful in multiple animal models, and early evidence now suggests that disease modification with some of these agents may be successful in slowing AAA growth in humans as well. The future of AAA therapy, however, may belong to agents which can induce aneurysm regression and to delivery methods which specifically target affected arterial tissue.