Early survival benefit of a low-profile endograft in blunt traumatic aortic injury.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of a low-profile thoracic endograft (19-23 French) in subjects with blunt traumatic aortic injury. METHODS: A prospective, multicenter study assessed the RelayPro thoracic endograft for the treatment of traumatic aortic injury. Fifty patients were enrolled at 16 centers in the United States between 2017 and 2021. The primary endpoint was 30-day all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The cohort was mostly male (74%), with a mean age of 42.4 ± 17.2 years, and treated for traumatic injuries (4% Grade 1, 8% Grade 2, 76% Grade 3, and 12% Grade 4) due to motor vehicle collision (80%). The proximal landing zone was proximal to the left subclavian artery in 42%, and access was primarily percutaneous (80%). Most (71%) were treated with a non-bare stent endograft. Technical success was 98% (one early type Ia endoleak). All-cause 30-day mortality was 2% (compared with an expected rate of 8%), with an exact two-sided 95% confidence interval [CI] of 0.1%, 10.6% below the performance goal upper limit of 25%. Kaplan-Meier analysis estimated freedom from all-cause mortality to be 98% at 30 days through 4 years (95% CI, 86.6%-99.7%). Kaplan-Meier estimated freedom from major adverse events, all-cause mortality, paralysis, and stroke, was 98.0% at 30 days and 95.8% from 6 months to 4 years (95% CI, 84.3%-98.9%). There were no strokes and one case of paraplegia (2%) during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: RelayPro was safe and effective and may provide an early survival benefit in the treatment of blunt traumatic aortic injury.

Identifying Risk Factors for Poor Outcomes Following Popliteal Vascular Injuries.

BACKGROUND: Popliteal artery injuries (PAIs) may have amputation rates as high as 20%. This study focuses on identifying risk factors associated with major amputations following PAIs in a large single-center cohort. Additionally, we assess the impact of repairing or ligating concomitant popliteal vein injuries. METHODS: A retrospective chart review encompassing 2011 to 2023 was conducted at a large urban level 1 trauma center. Patients with PAIs were included. Demographics and clinical data were analyzed, and univariate and multivariate evaluations identified significant risk factors for amputation. In patients with concomitant popliteal vein injuries, we compared outcomes between those who underwent popliteal vein repair and ligation. RESULTS: One hundred eighty eight patients with PAIs were identified; 10 underwent index amputation and were excluded. Univariate analysis followed by multivariate analysis revealed that obesity (P = 0.0132) and neurologic deficits on arrival (P = 0.0096) were associated with amputation. In the subgroup with popliteal vein injuries (N = 93), there was no significant difference in amputation rates between those who had vein repair (P = 0.21) and those who underwent ligation (P = 0.84) on logistic regression analysis. Likewise, popliteal vein ligation did not impact duration of fasciotomy closure (P = 0.20) or skin graft area (P = 0.48) based on linear regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that major amputations following PAIs are more likely in obese patients with neurologic deficits. It also suggests that venous ligation in cases of concomitant popliteal vein injuries does not significantly impact early limb salvage rate. Further research is needed to determine the optimal approach for managing concomitant popliteal vein injuries.

Vein diameter, obesity, and rates of recanalization after mechanochemical ablation.

OBJECTIVE: A large vein diameter is associated with higher recanalization rates after endovenous thermal ablation procedures of the great saphenous vein (GSV) and small saphenous vein (SSV). However, relatively few studies have explored the relationship between vein diameter and recanalization rates after mechanochemical ablation (MOCA). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of patients with chronic venous insufficiency who underwent MOCA of the GSV or SSV from 2017 to 2021 at a single hospital. Patients with no follow-up ultrasound examination were excluded. Patients were classified as having a large (≥1 cm) or small (<1 cm) treated vein. The primary outcomes were 2-year recanalization and reintervention of the treated segment. RESULTS: A total of 186 MOCA procedures during the study period were analyzed. There was no differences in age, gender, history of venous thromboembolic events, use of anticoagulation, obesity, or length of treated segment between the cohorts. Patients with large veins were less likely to have stasis ulcers compared with those with small veins (3.2% vs 21.5%; P < .05 on Fisher exact test). Patients with large veins had a higher incidence of postoperative local complications (24.2% vs 7.2%, P < .05 on χ2 test). A survival analysis with Cox proportional hazards showed no significant difference in recanalization rates with larger vein diameters. However, obesity was found to correlate significantly with recanalization. CONCLUSIONS: A large vein diameter was not associated with higher recanalization rates after MOCA of the GSVs and SSVs. However, obesity was found to correlate with recanalization rates.