Case report: Deep vein arterialization for limb salvage in a patient with subacute limb ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Successful revascularization of the lower extremity is key to avoiding amputation in patients with subacute limb ischemia. Percutaneous deep vein arterialization (DVA) is a novel endovascular technique which allows the shunting of blood through an arteriovenous fistula and native vein into the lower limb, typically employed in no-option chronic limb-threatening ischemia. METHOD: We present a case illustrating the unconventional use of DVA for limb salvage in a patient presenting with subacute limb ischemia refractive to surgical treatment, endovascular revascularization, and medical therapy. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: The arteriovenous anastomosis allowed for the reconstitution of arterial inflow to the patient's foot, thereby avoiding major limb amputation. CONCLUSION: The conventional knowledge that DVA neo-conduits require maturation limiting its role in the treatment of subacute limb ischemia is challenged. However, further research is needed to establish its role and effectiveness for subacute limb ischemia.

The Utility of Ultrasound Guidance to Improve the Safety of Closure of Antegrade Common Femoral Artery Access after Lower Limb Revascularization.

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of ultrasound (US)-guidance in reducing adverse event (AE) rates when using Angioseal device during antegrade lower limb angioplasty via common femoral artery access. From December 2016 to November 2022, 1,322 patients were identified, including 1,131 (85.6%) patients who underwent US-guided closure and 191 (14.4%) who underwent non-US-guided closure. Moderate AEs were encountered in 10 (5.2%) patients in the non-US-guided closure group compared to 38 (3.4%) patients in the US-guided closure group (P = .208). Severe AEs were encountered in 4 (2.1%) patients in the non-US-guided closure group compared to 3 (0.3%) patients in the US-guided closure group (P = .010). Overall AEs occurred in 14 (7.3%) patients in the non-US-guided closure group compared to 41 (3.6%) patients in the US-guided closure group (P = .029). Binary logistic regression showed that only non-US guidance was an independent risk factor for the occurrence of severe AEs (P = .008).

Utility of paclitaxel-coated balloons for the treatment of infrainguinal disease in the Asian population - 24-month outcome data from the BIOLUX P-III Global Registry 24-month Asian outcomes of BIOLUX P-III.

BACKGROUND: Results from the BIOLUX P-III registry have demonstrated favourable outcomes of Passeo-18 Lux™ (Biotronik®, Buelach, Switzerland) drug-coated balloon in treating obstructive infrainguinal peripheral artery disease, but it has not been established if Asians would benefit to the same extent as non-Asians. METHODS: A subgroup analysis was performed on the 24-month data comparing the Asian cohort (AC) to non-Asian cohort (NAC). RESULTS: AC included 49 patients with 77 lesions. AC was significantly younger (65.6 vs 70.3 years, p < 0.05), had more diabetes (87.8% vs 45.3%, p < 0.05), and was more likely to present with CLTI (73.5% vs 35.3%, p < 0.001) compared to NAC. They had significantly longer mean target lesions (115 vs 86.9 mm, p = 0.006), and received significantly higher paclitaxel doses (10.7 vs 7.2 mg, p = 0.0005). Device, technical and procedural successes were 125/125(100%), 95/97(97.5%) and 45/49(91.8%), respectively. There was no significant difference in target lesion revascularization rates between groups (10.5% vs 12%, p = 0.91). However, the AC had more major adverse events (30.2% vs 16.1%, p = 0.001), amputations (26.3% vs 6.2%, p < 0.05) and mortality (37.9% vs 10.6%, p < 0.05) at 24 months. CONCLUSION: Passeo-18 Lux™ use was efficacious in Asians, but was associated with higher adverse events, amputations and mortality rates, likely attributable to poorer patient comorbidities and more extensive PAD.

Technical Aspects of Percutaneous Deep Venous Arterialization Using Off-the-Shelf Devices.

PURPOSE: Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) represents the clinical end stage of lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Although conventional open and endovascular revascularization options are available, some CLTI patients do not respond to these treatments, generally due to small vessel occlusive disease, with only limited or no clinical improvement achieved. This article aims to provide insights related to pertinent venous anatomy of the leg and below the ankle and a technical review of percutaneous deep venous arterialization (pDVA) creation using commonly-available devices. TECHNIQUE: For patients with "no-option" CLTI, the risk of major amputation and mortality remains high. Although arterial revascularization remains the optimal treatment of CLTI, some patients with severely-diseased or gracile distal arteries have poor outcome. Deep venous arterialization (DVA), in a subset of patients with tibial anatomy amenable to DVA creation, represents the last-ditch attempt before these patients are deemed to have "no-hope" at limb salvage, and major amputation becomes necessary. Refinement in technique and advancement in device development have been shown to allow pDVA to be created with respectable outcomes for the "no-option" CLTI patient population. CONCLUSION: The pDVA has garnered increasing interest among endovascular specialists to further understand the anatomical and technical key points of this procedure, and it may yet prove to be a useful addition in the armamentarium in our battle against CLTI. CLINICAL IMPACT: Percutaneous deep venous arterialisation provides another option in the treatment of challenging "no-option" CLTI patients, and off-the-shelf devices will allow this procedure to be performed in centers where dedicated devices are not available.

Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Drug-coated Balloon Angioplasty versus Conventional Balloon Angioplasty for Treating Below-the-Knee Arteries in Critical Limb Ischemia: The SINGA-PACLI Trial.

Background There is a paucity of randomized trials demonstrating superior efficacy of drug-coated balloon angioplasty (DCBA) compared with conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for below-the-knee arterial disease in patients with -critical limb ischemia. Purpose To compare DCBA versus PTA for below-the-knee lesions in participants with critical limb ischemia through 12 months. Materials and Methods In this prospective, randomized, two-center, double-blind superiority study, participants with critical limb ischemia with rest pain or tissue loss with atherosclerotic disease in the native below-the-knee arteries were randomly assigned (in a one-to-one ratio) to DCBA or PTA after stratification for diabetes and renal failure between November 2013 and October 2017. The primary efficacy end point was angiographic primary patency at 6 months analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. Secondary end points through 12 months were composed of major adverse events including death and major amputations, wound healing, limb salvage, clinically driven target-lesion revascularization, and amputation-free survival. Primary and binary secondary end points, analyzed by using generalized-linear model and time-to-event analyses, were estimated with Kaplan-Meier survival curves and hazard ratios (Cox regression). Results Seventy participants (mean age, 61 years ± 10 [standard deviation]; 43 men) in the DCBA group and 68 (mean age, 64 years ± 10; 50 men) in the PTA group were evaluated. The percentage of patients with angiographic primary patency at 6 months was 43% (30 of 70) in the DCBA group and 38% (26 of 68) in the PTA group (P = .48). Through 12 months, the percentage of deaths was similar: 21% in the DCBA group and 16% in the PTA group (P = .43). Amputation-free survival rate assessed with Kaplan-Meier curves differed through 12 months: 59% (41 of 70) in the DCBA group compared with 78% (53 of 68) in the PTA group (P = .01). Conclusion In participants with critical limb ischemia, the drug-coated balloon angioplasty group and the conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty group had similar primary patency rates at 6 months after treatment of below-the-knee arteries. Amputation-free survival rates through 12 months were higher in the percutaneous transluminal angioplasty group. © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Percutaneous Management of Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer: Current Role and Evolving Principles in the Multidisciplinary Setting.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In this review, we will outline the role of percutaneous interventional radiological management of recurrent head and neck (H&N) cancer in the context of a multidisciplinary setting which consists of surgery, radiation therapy, as well as established and evolving systemic therapies that may impact current practice. RECENT FINDINGS: Management of recurrent H&N cancer is complex, with attention to the preservation of function and minimal treatment-related morbidity. The favored treatment modalities in local recurrence previously treated with radiotherapy are surgical resection, and if unresectable, for chemotherapy as definitive treatment, or as a prelude to resection if there is good tumor response. Unfortunately, some of these patients are too frail for major surgery or to withstand the toxicity of chemotherapy. There is a gap for effective local therapy without the morbidity of surgery, toxicity of re-irradiation, and systemic side effects of chemotherapy. Percutaneous interventions have the potential to bridge that gap as well as provide palliative symptomatic treatment for patients that have exhausted all treatment options. In the multidisciplinary setting involving the treatment of complex recurrent H&N cancer, percutaneous management now plays a viable and effective role with a foothold in this team-based approach.

Microwave ablation of the liver in a live porcine model: the impact of power, time and total energy on ablation zone size and shape.

Objective: To explore various microwave (MW) time/power combinations to achieve maximum single-probe system performance in a live pig liver model.Methods: Fifty-one microwave ablations performed in 12 female pigs using the following time/power combinations: 65 W for 10 min (65W 10MIN), ramped from 20 to 65 W (RAMPED), 95 W pulses with cooling periods (95W PULSED), 40 W for 16 min 15 s (LOW POWER), 1 min 95 W pulse then 8 min 65 W then a second 1 min 95 W pulse (BOOKEND 95W) and 65 W for 15 min (65W 15MIN). Temperatures 1.5 cm from the antenna were measured. Livers were excised, and ablations were measured and compared.Results: At fixed overall energy, LOW POWER produced ablation zones with the smallest volume compared to 65W 10MIN, RAMPED and 95W PULSED. At a fixed time of 10-min, BOOKEND 95W protocol achieved wider and larger ablation zones than 65W 10MIN (p = 0.038, p = 0.008) and 95W PULSED (p = 0.049, p = 0.004). The 65W 15MIN combination had significantly larger diameters (p = 0.026), larger lengths (p = 0.014) and larger volumes (p = 0.005) versus 65W 10MIN. Maximum temperatures were highest with BOOKEND 95W (62.9 °C) and 65 W 15 MIN (63.0 °C) and lowest with LOW POWER (45.9 °C), p = 0.009.Conclusions: Low power ablations, even if controlled for total energy delivery, create small ablation zones. High peak powers are associated with larger ablation zones and high margin temperatures if cooling pauses are avoided. Ramping and pulsing protocols with interleaved cooling appear to be of no benefit versus continuous 65 W for creating large ablation zones.

Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Revascularization of Chronic Juxtarenal Aortoiliac Occlusion.

Chronic juxtarenal aortoiliac occlusion (JRO) represents the most severe form of aortoiliac occlusive disease, classified under Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC II) as a TASC II D lesion with surgical treatment as the main recommendation. Although endovascular revascularization of other TASC II D lesions are routinely performed, JRO is often considered a contraindication for endovascular treatment due to the extensive nature, extending from the level of the renal arteries down to the iliac arteries. We hereby illustrate an intravascular ultrasound-guided re-entry based technique to facilitate endovascular reconstruction of a JRO. A 58-year-old man with JRO presented with an infected nonhealing forefoot ulcer. A transradial pigtail catheter was positioned at the level of the occlusion as an imaging catheter and landmark for re-entry. Subintimal wiring was performed through bilateral groin accesses to the level of the pigtail catheter. Intravascular-guided re-entry catheter was used to identify the true lumen guide firing of the needle catheter, allowing passage for a guidewire into the true lumen of the suprarenal aorta. The intimal fenestration was dilated using a 4-mm angioplasty balloon which allowed passage of the contralateral guidewire. Kissing stent grafts were deployed bilaterally, extending from the level of the infrarenal aorta down to the level of the distal external iliac arteries in overlapping fashion. Completion angiography showed brisk flow from the aorta through the stented portion into the femoral arteries. The patient underwent forefoot amputation 2 days later with successful wound healing and limb salvage at 6 months.

Managing Endovascular Workload during COVID-19 Outbreak-The Singapore Experience.

At the outset and during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, as valuable resources are channeled to combat the pandemic, challenges in timely delivery of non-COVID-19-related health care services such as endovascular service arise. As such, this article looks at a tertiary institution's experience in managing its endovascular workload-referenced to the American College of Surgeons' triage of vascular surgery patient acuity-based case classification.

Use of Multilayer Stent and Fenestrated Endograft in a Single Session to Treat Long-Segment Aorta.

A 72-year-old man with suprarenal aneurysm and 2 large penetrating ulcers (PAUs) in the descending aorta was referred for endovascular treatment. To avoid long-segment aortic coverage and the attendant risk of spinal ischemia, combination of 2 different stent technologies was used. A multilayer flow modulator was implanted in the thoracic aorta for the PAU, followed by implantation of a customized 4-vessel fenestrated stent graft for the suprarenal aneurysm. The patient remained well at 2 years with computed tomography evidence of exclusion of the suprarenal aneurysm and involution of the PAU.

Feasibility Study of "Snuffbox" Radial Access for Visceral Interventions.

"Snuffbox" radial access entails sheath insertion into the dorsal branch of the radial artery within the so-called anatomic snuffbox. The purpose of this report is to describe the technique and early experience in 50 visceral interventional procedures performed in 31 patients, which included liver embolotherapy, visceral arterial stent insertion, aneurysm embolization, and emergency embolization. In all cases, the procedures were successfully completed by using the snuffbox access, with a single case of asymptomatic pseudoaneurysm as the only access-related complication. Early experience showed that snuffbox radial access is technically feasible and represents a viable alternative to conventional radial access for visceral intervention procedures.

The efficacy of combination of induction chemotherapy and irreversible electroporation ablation for patients with locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a non-thermal focal therapy that utilizes high voltage electric pulses to permanently rupture the cellular membrane and induce cell death. In this multi-center study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of IRE in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). METHODS: From 2012 to 2015, we performed laparotomic and laparoscopic IRE in a total of 70 patients with stage III LAPC. Either gemcitabine-based or TS-1 (Tegafur, Gimeracil, and Oteracil) chemotherapy was applied for at least 3 months before the IRE. RESULTS: No IRE-related deaths occurred. A median follow-up of 28.1 months showed that six patients (8.6%) experienced local recurrence and 24 (34%) experienced distant progression. The overall median survival from the time of treatment was 22.6 months, and the progression-free survival (PFS) was 15.4 months. The overall survival in the patients who used gemcitabine-based reagents was 19.1 months and that of those who used TS-1 was 28.7 months. The PFS for these two groups were 13.2 months and 26.4 months; the difference is significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that IRE is safe and effective for the control of LAPC. We surmise that the addition of IRE to a chemotherapy regimen may provide a survival advantage.

Common Femoral Artery Caliber Changes after Percutaneous versus Surgical Access in Endovascular Aneurysm Repair in the Asian Population.

BACKGROUND: Western studies showed vascular caliber changes post-endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). This study aims to evaluate for postoperative changes of the common femoral artery inner diameter (CFA ID) in the Asian population. METHODS: From January 2011 to June 2016, 202 patients who underwent EVAR were reviewed. CFA IDs were evaluated at 3 fixed levels on computed tomography (CT) aortograms. Preoperative and postoperative measurements were compared. Per-groin analysis was carried out after division into percutaneous access endovascular aneurysm repair (PEVAR) and surgical access endovascular aneurysm repair (SEVAR) groups. Independent sample t-test compared for differences in overall CFA ID changes between PEVAR and SEVAR groups. Paired sample t-test evaluated CFA ID changes in each group. P value < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty patients were included, with 200 groins subsequently analyzed. The PEVAR and SEVAR groups have no significant demographic differences, except in sheath size and duration of CT aortogram follow-up. No significant differences in overall CFA ID changes comparing PEVAR and SEVAR groups (-0.12 ± 1.05 mm, -0.10 ± 0.81 mm, P = 0.36). No significant overall CFA ID changes in both PEVAR (7.92 ± 1.23 mm, 7.80 ± 1.38 mm, P = 0.34) and SEVAR groups (7.47 ± 1.44 mm, 7.36 ± 1.64 mm, P = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences in CFA caliber changes comparing PEVAR and SEVAR. No significant CFA caliber changes in either group.

Diabetic Foot Limb Salvage-A Series of 809 Attempts and Predictors for Endovascular Limb Salvage Failure.

BACKGROUND: To review patient characteristics and outcomes of in-patient diabetic foot limb salvage and identify risk factors predicting for endovascular limb salvage failure. METHODS: Retrospective study of limb salvage attempts in 809 patients between August 2013 and July 2015. RESULTS: Sixty-eight percent of our study population were male with mean age at 65 years and 73% presented with Rutherford grade 6 critical limb ischemia, with the remaining 27% Rutherford grade 5. Eighty-one percent had toe pressures of less than 50 mm Hg, 64% had infrainguinal trans-Atlantic inter-society consensus (TASC II) C or D lesions while 78% had infrapopliteal TASC II C or D lesions. Seven hundred seventy-seven patients (96%) underwent endovascular-first approach limb salvage, with 95% requiring infrapopliteal angioplasty, with 84% of them requiring 2-vessel or 3-vessel revascularization. Thirty-two patients (4%) underwent surgical bypass limb salvage, with 63% performed as salvage procedures for failed angioplasties. The mean in-patient stay was 12.3 days within the endovascular group and 31.1 days within the bypass group (P < 0.01). One-year limb salvage was successful in 88% of endovascular group, as compared with 72% in bypass group (P = 0.01). Overall 1-year survival was 93% within the endovascular group and 88% within the bypass group (P = 0.27). The mean in-patient cost was SGD$5,518 within the endovascular group and SGD$15,141 within the bypass group (P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that independent predictors for failure of endovascular limb salvage include end-stage renal failure (ESRF) (odds ratio [OR] 2.04, P = 0.01), toe pressures <50 mm Hg (OR 2.15, P = 0.01), infrainguinal TASC II patterns C or D (OR 1.99, P = 0.03), and indirect angiosome revascularization (OR 2.03, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Within our study population of Asian ethnicity, most in-patient diabetic foot peripheral arterial disease presented with Rutherford grade 6 disease, with mostly TASC II C or D lesions and required infrapopliteal revascularization. As most patients had multiple comorbidities and were poor surgical candidates, the majority underwent endovascular-first approach revascularization. Independent predictors of endovascular limb salvage failure include ESRF, toe pressures <50 mm Hg, infrainguinal TASC II patterns C or D, and indirect angiosome revascularization.

Sheath-in-Sheath Technique for Exteriorization of Body Floss Wire.

In this technique, we describe the insertion of a second sheath into the primary sheath containing a guidewire that is meant to be exteriorized. The second sheath serves to open the valve of the primary sheath and creates a water-tight chamber for the guidewire to enter. The second sheath is then removed, exposing the successfully exteriorized guidewire. This technique is an useful adjunct to conventional guidewire exteriorization techniques during body floss procedures.

Accentuation of Insufficient Landing Zone Using High-volume Three-dimensional Coils during Iliac Aneurysm Stent Grafting for Hypogastric Artery Preservation.

We describe the technique using high-volume three-dimensional coils to "augment" an insufficient stent-graft landing zone. This was performed to preserve hypogastric artery perfusion in the case of common iliac artery aneurysm which resides next to the internal iliac artery.