Definition and Perception of Autonomy in Vascular Surgery Training.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of data evaluating operative autonomy within vascular surgery. This study aims to determine where discrepancies exist in the definition of autonomy between trainees and attending faculty. METHODS: An Institutional Review Board-approved, anonymous survey was e-mailed to vascular trainees and attending faculty at all Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-approved vascular surgery training programs in the United States. Data were compared using chi-square statistical analysis. RESULTS: One-hundred forty-nine responses from vascular surgery trainees (n = 89) and faculty (n = 60) were obtained. The most highly ranked preoperative skill by trainees was Case Planning, at all post-graduate year-levels. Although a majority of trainees believe this skill is expected of them, only 36.1% of attendings responded that they expect all trainee levels to perform this task. Draping/positioning was ranked as the second most important intraoperative task for all post-graduate year-levels by attendings; however, only 32.8% of attendings expect trainees to perform this. Exposure of Critical Structures was ranked as the most important intraoperative task by both trainees and attendings at the Chief and Fellow level. However, responses by both trainees and attendings showed that this is expected <70% of the time. When asked about double-scrubbing independently of other tasks, most trainees assessed double-scrubbing as inherently important to autonomy at all levels of training and within all regions. Only 44.3% of attendings responded that they expect all trainees to double-scrub. Additionally, most trainees in all regions responded that they spend <25% of cases double-scrubbed. CONCLUSIONS: These responses show a discrepancy between the skills that both trainees and attendings deem important to autonomy versus what is being expected of trainees in reality.

Complications of Carotid Interventions for Symptomatic Lesions after Systemic Thrombolysis.

BACKGROUND: Series detailing complications after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and transfemoral carotid stenting (tfCAS) for patients presenting with neurologic symptoms that are treated with systemic thrombolysis (ST) are sparse. We sought to determine if treatment with ST was associated with a higher rate of post-carotid intervention complications. METHODS: A multispecialty, institutional, prospectively maintained database was queried for symptomatic patients treated with CEA or tfCAS from 2007 to 2019. The primary outcomes of interest were bleeding complications (access/wound complications, hematuria, intracranial hemorrhage) or need for reintervention, stroke, and death. We compared rates of these outcomes between patients who were and were not treated with ST. To adjust for preoperative patient factors and confounding variables, propensity scores for assignment to ST and non-ST were calculated. RESULTS: There were 1,139 patients included (949 [82%] CEA and 190 [17%] tfCAS. All treated lesions were symptomatic (550 [48%] stroke, 603 [52%] transient ischemic attack). Fifty-six patients (5%) were treated with ST. Fifteen of 56 patients also underwent catheter-based intervention for stroke. ST was administered 0 to 1 day preoperatively in 21 (38%) patients, 2 to 6 days preoperatively in 27 (48%) patients, and greater than 6 days preoperatively in 8 (14%) patients. ST patients were more likely to present with stroke (93% vs. 45%; P < 0.001) and have higher preoperative Rankin scores. Unadjusted rate of bleeding/return to operating room was 3% for ST group and 3% for non-ST group (P = 0.60). Unadjusted rate of stroke was 4% for ST group and 3% for the non-ST group (P = 0.91), while perioperative mortality was 5% for ST group and 1% for non-ST group (P = 0.009). After adjusting for patient factors, preoperative antiplatelet/anticoagulation, and operative factors, ST was not associated with an increased odds of perioperative bleeding/return to the operating room (odds ratio 0.37; 95% confidence interval: 0.02-1.63; P = 0.309) or stroke (odds ratio 0.62; 95% confidence interval: 0.16-2.40; P = 0.493). CONCLUSIONS: ST does not convey a higher risk of complications after CEA or tfCAS. After controlling for other factors, patients that received ST had similar rates of local complications and stroke when compared to non-ST patients. Early carotid intervention is safe in patients that have received ST, and delays should be avoided in symptomatic patients given the high risk of recurrent stroke.

Local Anesthesia for Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Allows for Accurate Graft Deployment with Durable Results.

BACKGROUND: Local anesthesia (LA) is sparsely used in endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) despite short-term benefit, likely secondary to concerns over patient movement preventing accurate endograft deployment. The objective of this study is to examine the association between anesthesia type and endoleak, sac regression, reintervention, and mortality. METHODS: The Vascular Quality Initiative database was queried for all EVAR cases from 2014 to 2022. Patients were included if they underwent percutaneous elective EVAR with anatomical criteria within instructions for use of commercially approved endografts. Multivariable logistic regression with propensity score weighting was used to determine the association between anesthesia type on the risk of any endoleak noted by intraoperative completion angiogram and sac regression. Multivariable survival analysis with propensity score weighting was used to determine the association between anesthesia type and endoleak at 1 year, long-term reintervention, and mortality. RESULTS: Thirteen thousand nine hundred thirty two EVARs met inclusion criteria: 1,075 (8%) LA and 12,857 (92%) general anesthesia (GA). On completion angiogram, LA was associated with fewer rates of any endoleaks overall (16% vs. 24%, P < 0.001). On multivariable analysis with propensity score weighting, LA was associated with similar adjusted odds of any endoleak on intraoperative completion angiogram (odds ratio [OR] 0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47-0.68) as well as combined type 1a and type 1b endoleaks (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.47-1.09). Follow-up computed tomography imaging at 1 year was available for 4,892 patients, 377 (8%) LA and 4,515 (92%) GA. At 1 year, LA was associated with similar rate of freedom from any endoleaks compared to GA (0.66 [95% CI 0.63-0.69] vs. 0.71 [95% CI 0.70-0.72], P = 0.663) and increased rates of sac regression (50% vs. 45%, P = 0.040). On multivariable analysis with propensity score weighting, LA and GA were associated with similar adjusted odds of sac regression (OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.97-1.55). LA and GA had similar rates of endoleak at 1 year (hazard ratio [HR] 0.14, 95% CI 0.63-1.07); however, LA was associated with decreased hazards of combined type 1a and 1b endoleaks at 1 year (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80-0.96). LA and GA had similar adjusted long-term reintervention rate (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.44-1.38) and long-term mortality (HR 1.100, 95% CI 079-1.25). CONCLUSIONS: LA is not associated with increased adjusted rates of any endoleak on completion angiogram or at 1-year follow-up compared to GA. LA is associated with decreased adjusted rates of type 1a and type 1b endoleak at 1 year, but similar rates of sac regression, long-term reintervention, and mortality. Concerns for accurate graft deployment should not preclude use of LA and LA should be increasingly considered when deciding on anesthetic type for standard elective EVAR.

Reassuring Intraoperative Parameters Do Not Obviate the Need for Infrainguinal Bypass Completion Angiograms.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if routine completion angiography for lower extremity bypasses using vein conduit results in lower rates of postoperative bypass occlusion. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: With the increasing availability of on-table angiography and significant advancements in endovascular techniques, some operators routinely perform completion angiograms. The effect of this surgical paradigm has yet to be rigorously compared to the more widespread selective use of completion imaging in the modern era. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included infrainguinal arterial bypass procedures utilizing vein conduit completed at a single hospital system from 2001 to 2018 and compared postoperative outcomes between bypasses that underwent routine completion angiography versus selective completion angiography. Notably, any bypasses that underwent completion angiography due to intraoperative concerns were excluded from this analysis. RESULTS: 666 bypasses that were performed in 589 patients met inclusion criteria. 126 (16.9%) bypasses were classified into the routine completion angiogram group compared to 540 (81.0%) into the selective completion angiogram group. Patients who underwent routine completion angiograms had a rate of intraoperative reintervention of 22.2%. The routine angiogram group had lower rates of reintervention (3.9% vs 10.0%, P = 0.03) and graft occlusion (2.3% vs 9.2%, P = 0.01) at 1-month postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Lower extremity bypasses using vein conduit that undergo routine completion angiography are associated with lower rates of graft occlusion at 30-days postoperatively. Completion angiography should thus be routinely performed in infrainguinal bypasses that utilize venous conduit.

Partial and complete explantation of aortic endografts in the modern era.

OBJECTIVE: Despite the progressive advancement of devices for endovascular aortic repair (EVAR), endografts continue to fail, requiring explant. We present a single-institutional experience of EVAR explants, characterizing modern failure modes, presentation, and outcomes for partial and complete EVAR explantation. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of all EVARs explanted at an urban quaternary center from 2001 to 2020, with one infected endograft excluded. Patient and graft characteristics, indications, and perioperative and long-term outcomes were analyzed. Partial versus complete explants were performed per surgeon discretion without a predefined protocol. This process was informed by patient risk factors; asymptomatic, symptomatic, or ruptured aneurysm presentation; and anatomical or intraoperative factors, including endoleak type. RESULTS: From 2001 to 2020, 52 explants met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. More than one-half (57.7%) were explants of EVAR devices placed at outside institutions, designated nonindex explants. Most patients were male (86.5%), the median age was 74 years (interquartile range, 70-78 years). More than one-half (61.5%) were performed in the second decade of the study period. The most commonly explanted grafts were Gore Excluder (n = 9 grafts), Cook Zenith (n = 8), Endologix AFX (n = 7), Medtronic Endurant (n = 5), and Medtronic Talent (n = 5). Most grafts (78.8%) were explanted for neck degeneration or sac expansion. Five were explanted for initial seal failure, five for symptomatic expansion, and seven for rupture. The median implant duration was 4.2 years, although ranging widely (interquartile range, 2.6-5.1 years), but similar between index and nonindex explants (4.2 years vs 4.1 years). Partial explantation was performed in 61.5%, with implant duration slightly lower, 3.2 years versus 4.4 years for complete explants. Partial explantation was more frequent in index explants (68.2% vs 56.7%). The median length of stay was 8 days. The median intensive care unit length of stay was 3 days, without significant differences in nonindex explants (4 days vs 3 days) and partial explants (4 days vs 3 days). Thirty-day mortality occurred in two nonindex explants (one partial and one complete explant). Thirty-day readmission was similar between partial and complete explants (9.7% vs 5.0%), without accounting for nonindex readmissions. Long-term survival was comparable between partial and complete explants in Cox regression (hazard ratio, 2.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.79-7.56; P = .12). CONCLUSIONS: Explants of EVAR devices have increased over time at our institution. Partial explant was performed in more than one-half of cases, per operating surgeon discretion, demonstrating higher blood loss, more frequent acute kidney injury, and longer intensive care unit stays, however with comparable short-term mortality and long-term survival.

Outcomes of symptomatic penetrating aortic ulcer and intramural hematoma in the endovascular era.

BACKGROUND: Although endovascular technology has resulted in a paradigm shift in treatment, medical management remains the standard of care for penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU) and intramural hematoma (IMH). This study aimed to detail the short- and long-term outcomes of symptomatic PAU/IMH. METHODS: Institutional data on symptomatic PAU/IMH were gathered (2005-2020). The primary outcome was the composite of recurrent symptoms, radiographic progression, intervention, rupture, and death from related or unknown cause. Factors associated with the primary outcome were determined using a Fine-Gray model with death from an unrelated cause as a competing risk. RESULTS: A total of 83 symptomatic patients treated with medical management aside from ruptures and type A dissections: 21 isolated PAU, 30 isolated IMH, and 32 IMH and PAU. Adverse outcomes included symptom recurrence in 14 (16.9%), radiographic progression to dissection or saccular aneurysm in 17 (20.5%), surgery in 20 (24.1%) (17 thoracic endovascular aortic repair, 1 endovascular aortic repair, 1 frozen elephant trunk, and 1 open repair), and rupture in 4 (4.8%). Twenty-seven patients (32.5%) died during follow-up: 6 from IMH treatment complications, 8 from an unknown cause, and 13 from other causes. The 30-day, 1-year, and 5-year cumulative incidences of the primary outcome was 26.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 16.9%-37.0%), 44.9% (95% CI, 32.8%-56.2%), and 57.5% (95% CI, 42.4%-69.9%), respectively. IMH with PAU was associated with a significantly higher risk of the primary outcome compared with isolated IMH (subdistribution hazard ratio, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.09-4.50; P = .027) and isolated PAU (subdistribution hazard ratio, 3.58; 95% CI, 1.44-8.88; P = .006). CONCLUSIONS: Complications from symptomatic PAU and IMH are frequent, with intervention, recurrent symptoms, radiographic progression, rupture, or death affecting 25% of patients at 30 days after diagnosis and almost one-half of patients 1 year after diagnosis. Given the high rate of adverse events in this population, investigation into a more aggressive interventional strategy may warranted, especially in patients with a combined IMH and PAU.

Variability of antiplatelet response in patients with peripheral artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: Antiplatelet therapy has been a pillar of management for peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, a significant subset of patients with PAD will be resistant to certain antiplatelet medications and, therefore, have an increased risk of graft and/or stent thrombosis unknown to the surgeon. At present, no point-of-care testing to identity which patients will experience benefit from these medications has been incorporated into the treatment guidelines. Thromboelastography with platelet mapping affords an opportunity to evaluate real-time coagulation dynamics and platelet function. In the present prospective, observational study, we aimed to delineate the variation in response to antiplatelet therapy in patients with PAD undergoing revascularization. METHODS: All patients who were undergoing named vessel revascularization during December 2020 through April 2022 were prospectively enrolled. Platelet mapping assays were performed in three clinical phases: preoperative, postoperative inpatient, and postoperative outpatient. The distribution of platelet reactivity within patients receiving mono- vs dual antiplatelet therapy was assessed, and a between-group inferential analysis was performed. The effect of comorbidities and intervention subtype on platelet inhibition was also analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 521 platelet mapping samples from 143 individual patients were analyzed using thromboelastography with platelet mapping. We found wide variability in the distribution of platelet inhibition, with a range of 0 to 100 and an interquartile range of 37.6. Although platelet inhibition with clopidogrel 75 mg was higher on average (44.8 ± 30.2) than that with aspirin 81 mg (24.6 ± 23.7) or aspirin 325 mg (27.1 ± 26.4; P = .001), clopidogrel at 75 mg demonstrated the highest variability in response. CONCLUSIONS: These data have demonstrated significant variability in the response to both mono- and dual antiplatelet therapy in PAD patients undergoing lower extremity revascularization. Future research on the effect of this variability in response on the clinical outcomes could provide invaluable understanding of the perioperative thrombotic risk.

Factors associated with successful median arcuate ligament release in an international, multi-institutional cohort.

OBJECTIVE: Prior research on median arcuate ligament syndrome has been limited to institutional case series, making the optimal approach to median arcuate ligament release (MALR) and resulting outcomes unclear. In the present study, we compared the outcomes of different approaches to MALR and determined the predictors of long-term treatment failure. METHODS: The Vascular Low Frequency Disease Consortium is an international, multi-institutional research consortium. Data on open, laparoscopic, and robotic MALR performed from 2000 to 2020 were gathered. The primary outcome was treatment failure, defined as no improvement in median arcuate ligament syndrome symptoms after MALR or symptom recurrence between MALR and the last clinical follow-up. RESULTS: For 516 patients treated at 24 institutions, open, laparoscopic, and robotic MALR had been performed in 227 (44.0%), 235 (45.5%), and 54 (10.5%) patients, respectively. Perioperative complications (ileus, cardiac, and wound complications; readmissions; unplanned procedures) occurred in 19.2% (open, 30.0%; laparoscopic, 8.9%; robotic, 18.5%; P < .001). The median follow-up was 1.59 years (interquartile range, 0.38-4.35 years). For the 488 patients with follow-up data available, 287 (58.8%) had had full relief, 119 (24.4%) had had partial relief, and 82 (16.8%) had derived no benefit from MALR. The 1- and 3-year freedom from treatment failure for the overall cohort was 63.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 59.0%-68.3%) and 51.9% (95% CI, 46.1%-57.3%), respectively. The factors associated with an increased hazard of treatment failure on multivariable analysis included robotic MALR (hazard ratio [HR], 1.73; 95% CI, 1.16-2.59; P = .007), a history of gastroparesis (HR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.09-3.09; P = .023), abdominal cancer (HR, 10.3; 95% CI, 3.06-34.6; P < .001), dysphagia and/or odynophagia (HR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.27-4.69; P = .008), no relief from a celiac plexus block (HR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.00-4.72; P = .049), and an increasing number of preoperative pain locations (HR, 1.12 per location; 95% CI, 1.00-1.25; P = .042). The factors associated with a lower hazard included increasing age (HR, 0.99 per increasing year; 95% CI, 0.98-1.0; P = .012) and an increasing number of preoperative diagnostic gastrointestinal studies (HR, 0.84 per study; 95% CI, 0.74-0.96; P = .012) Open and laparoscopic MALR resulted in similar long-term freedom from treatment failure. No radiographic parameters were associated with differences in treatment failure. CONCLUSIONS: No difference was found in long-term failure after open vs laparoscopic MALR; however, open release was associated with higher perioperative morbidity. These results support the use of a preoperative celiac plexus block to aid in patient selection. Operative candidates for MALR should be counseled regarding the factors associated with treatment failure and the relatively high overall rate of treatment failure.

Preoperative Anemia Is Associated With Postoperative Renal Failure After Elective Open Aortic Repair.

INTRODUCTION: Preoperative anemia has been consistently shown to be a risk factor for acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery. However, this association has not been examined in the open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (OAR) population and is the subject of this analysis. METHODS: Targeted Vascular Module from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was queried for patients undergoing OAR from 2013 to 2019. Anemia was defined according to World Health Organization Guidelines: Hematocrit<36% for women or <39% for men. Primary endpoint was 30-day AKI. Anemia's effect on AKI was determined using inverse probability weighted logistic regression. RESULTS: There were 2275 OAR; mean age was 70.9 ± 8.2 y; 24.0% were women. Anemia was present in 498 (26.3%) patients; 165 (7.6%) had a hematocrit<33% and 8 (0.35%) had a hematocrit<24%. Differences in patient factor were nonsignificant after weighting. Any degree of postoperative AKI was more common in the anemia group (11.2% vs 5.1%; unweighted P < 0.001), as was AKI requiring hemodialysis (7.7% vs 3.2%; unweighted P < 0.001). In the weighted multivariable analysis, anemia was independently associated with postoperative AKI (odds ratio 1.51; 95% confidence interval: 1.01-2.26; P = 0.042) while controlling for age and operative factors. Patients with postoperative AKI were significantly more likely to die postoperatively than those without (26.1% vs 1.9%; <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative anemia was independently associated with post-OAR AKI after propensity weighting and controlling for operative factors. AKI is a major source of morbidity and mortality in these patients, and, if time permits, preoperative correction of anemia or its underlying cause should be considered in high-risk patients.

Celiac Artery Coverage During TEVAR for Dissection and Acute Aortic Injury is Not Associated with Worse Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Studies have previously identified increased morbidity and mortality with celiac artery coverage during thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for aneurysmal disease. This study aimed to delineate the risks associated with celiac artery coverage in all patients undergoing TEVAR for dissection, trauma, or aneurysmal disease. METHODS: Using the Vascular Quality Initiative database, we identified all patients undergoing TEVAR from 2012 to 2020 and categorized them based on the underlying pathology (aneurysm, dissection, or acute/trauma). Patients were excluded if their endograft was deployed distal to aortic zone 6 or if they had any preoperative/operative celiac revascularization procedure. Univariate, regression, and Kaplan-Meier analysis were performed for all 3 groups, focusing on postoperative complications and survival. RESULTS: There were 8,265 patients who underwent TEVAR over the 8-year study period with 142 (1.7%) having celiac artery coverage during their index procedure. Of those patients, the celiac artery was covered during TEVAR in 1.2% of patients with dissection, 1.3% with aneurysm, and 0.7% with trauma. On unadjusted analysis, celiac artery coverage in TEVAR for aneurysmal disease was associated with increased in-hospital mortality (16% vs. 5%, P < 0.001), 30-day mortality (33% vs. 23%, P = 0.029), any postoperative complication (excluding death) (42% vs. 25%, P < 0.001), and postoperative bowel complication (3% vs. 0.7%, P = 0.003). There were no differences in outcomes for patients treated with celiac coverage versus those without celiac coverage during TEVAR for dissection or trauma on univariate analysis. After risk adjustment, celiac artery coverage remained predictive of worse postoperative outcomes in patients with aneurysmal disease: in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] = 3.6, confidence interval [CI] 1.8-6.9), 30-day death (OR = 1.6, CI 1.0-2.4), any postoperative complication (OR 2.2, CI 1.4-3.5), and bowel-specific postoperative complication (3.3, CI 1.0-10.8). There were no differences in patient outcomes for those treated with celiac coverage versus those without celiac coverage during TEVAR for dissection or trauma on multivariate analysis. Kaplan-Meier curves show a significant difference in overall survival based on pathology, specifically lower survival rates for patients with celiac coverage treated for aneurysmal disease. Cox regression analysis showed that celiac artery coverage for aneurysmal disease was associated with significantly increased hazard ratio affecting overall survival (hazard ratio = 2.6, P < 0.001), but there was no impact on survival in patients who underwent TEVAR with celiac coverage for dissection or trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Celiac artery coverage for patients with aneurysmal disease was correlated with a significant increase in postoperative morbidity, mortality, and lowers overall survival. However, for patients with dissection or acute/traumatic aortic pathology, celiac artery coverage does not portend worse outcomes.

Identifying Sex Dimorphism in Peripheral Artery Disease with Platelet Mapping.

BACKGROUND: Clinical outcomes in women with peripheral artery disease (PAD) after revascularization procedures are worse compared to men, yet there is little in the existing literature as why this may be the case. Platelet Mapping is an emerging point-of-care viscoelastic technology that measures the comprehensive properties of a blood clot, including fibrin-platelet interactions. This prospective observational study aimed to characterize the clinical and Platelet Mapping profiles of female and male patients undergoing lower extremity revascularization, and to correlate Platelet Mapping distribution to thrombotic potential. METHODS: All patients with a diagnosis of PAD undergoing named vessel open or endovascular revascularization to re-establish inflow, outflow, or both, during December 2020 and January 2022 were prospectively included. Patients were followed clinically for thrombosis for up to 1 year. Platelet Mapping assays were performed in 3 clinical phases: preoperative, postoperative inpatient, and postoperative outpatient. Inferential analysis between female and male patient was performed. The quartile distribution of Platelet Mapping metrics associated with thrombosis was used to infer to thrombotic potential. RESULTS: One hundred seven patients were enrolled, of which 37 (34.6%) were female. Female patients had significantly lower rates of uncontrolled diabetes (2.7% vs. 18.6%), hypertension requiring combination therapy (37.8% vs. 58.6%), chronic kidney disease (27.0% vs. 51.4%), coronary artery disease (29.7% vs. 57.1%), and myocardial infarction (16.2% vs. 35.7%) (all P < 0.05). Platelet reactivity was significantly higher in female patients with greater platelet aggregation (75.9 ± 23.3 vs. 63.5 ± 28.8) and lower platelet inhibition (23.8 ± 23.4 vs. 36.8 ± 28.9) (all P < 0.01). This trend was consistent over time when stratified by the postoperative inpatient and postoperative outpatient clinical phases. There was no statistically discernible difference in the use of antiplatelet therapy between groups, yet female patients continued to exhibit greater platelet reactivity when analyzed by the type of pharmacologic regimen (platelet aggregation on mono-antiplatelet therapy: 80.6 ± 21.0 in women versus 69.4 ± 25.0 in men; platelet aggregation on dual antiplatelet therapy: 67.9 ± 23.8 in women versus 44.8 ± 31.8 in men) (all P < 0.01). Twenty-one patients experienced postoperative graft/stent thrombosis within the study period. In relation to the overall study population, patients with thrombosis had Platelet Mapping metrics above the 50th percentile of overall platelet aggregation distribution. CONCLUSIONS: There is a growing appreciation for the differences in etiology, disease progression, and outcomes of cardiovascular conditions as they relate to sex. In this cohort, traditional cardiovascular risk factors were in lower prevalence in female patients. Platelet reactivity was found to be higher across clinical phases and antiplatelet regimens. High platelet reactivity was also associated with an increased incidence of thrombosis after lower extremity revascularization. These hypothesis-generating findings provide the basis for further exploration of sex-specific coagulation profiling in PAD patients.

Routine Completion Angiography for Infrainguinal Bypasses Using Prosthetic Conduit: No Effect on Postoperative Patency.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated increased postoperative patency with the use of routine completion angiography for bypass using venous conduit. Compared to vein conduits, however, prosthetic conduits are less plagued by technical issues such as unlysed valves or arteriovenous fistulae. The effect of routine completion angiography on bypass patency in prosthetic bypasses has yet to be compared to the more traditional selective use of completion imaging. METHODS: A retrospective review of all infrainguinal bypass procedures using prosthetic conduit completed at a single hospital system from 2001 to 2018 was performed. Demographics, comorbidities, intraoperative reintervention rates, and 30-day rates of graft thrombosis were analyzed. Statistical analysis included t-tests, chi-square tests, and cox regression. RESULTS: Four hundred and ninety-eight bypasses that were performed in 426 patients met inclusion criteria. Fifty-six (11.2%) bypasses were classified into the routine completion angiogram group compared to 442 (88.8%) into the no completion angiogram group. Patients who underwent routine completion angiograms had a rate of intraoperative reintervention of 21.4%. When comparing bypasses that underwent routine completion angiography versus no completion angiography, there were no significant differences in rates of reintervention (3.5% vs. 4.5%, P = 0.74) or graft occlusion (3.5% vs. 4.7%, P = 0.69) at 30-days postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Almost one-quarter of lower extremity bypasses using prosthetic conduit that undergo routine completion angiography undergo postangiogram bypass revision; however, this is not associated with an increased graft patency at 30 days postoperatively.

Prognostication of Asymptomatic Penetrating Aortic Ulcers: A Modern Approach.

BACKGROUND: Literature detailing the natural history of asymptomatic penetrating aortic ulcers (PAUs) is sparse and lacks long-term follow-up. This study sought to determine the rate of asymptomatic PAU growth over time and adverse events from asymptomatic PAU. METHODS: A cohort of patients with asymptomatic PAU from 2005 to 2020 was followed. One ulcer was followed per patient. Primary end points were change in size over time and the composite of symptoms, radiographic progression, rupture, and intervention; cumulative incidence function estimated the incidence of the composite outcome. Ulcer size and rate of change were modeled using a linear mixed-effects model. Patient and anatomic factors were evaluated as potential predictors of the outcomes. RESULTS: There were 273 patients identified. The mean age was 75.5±9.6 years; 66.4% were male. The majority of ulcers were in the descending thoracic aorta (53.9%), followed by abdominal aorta (41.4%) and aortic arch (4.8%). Fusiform aneurysmal disease was present in 21.6% of patients at a separate location; 2.6% had an associated intramural hematoma; 23.6% had at least 1 other PAU. Symptoms developed in 1 patient who ruptured; 8 patients (2.9%) underwent an intervention for PAU (1 for rupture, 2 for radiographic progression, 5 for size/growth) at a median of 3.1 years (interquartile range, 1.0-6.5) after diagnosis. Five- and 10-year cumulative incidence of the primary outcome, adjusted for competing risk of death, was 3.6% (95% CI, 1.6%-6.9%) and 6.5% (95% CI, 3.1%-11.4%), respectively. For 191 patients with multiple computed tomography scans (760 total computed tomographies) with a median radiographic follow-up of 3.50 years (interquartile range, 1.20-6.63 years), mean initial ulcer width, ulcer depth, and total diameter were 13.6 mm, 8.5 mm, and 31.4 mm, respectively. A small but statistically significant change over time was observed for ulcer width (0.23 mm/y) and total diameter (0.24 mm/y); ulcer depth did not significantly change over time. Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, initial ulcer width >20 mm, thrombosed PAU, and associated saccular aneurysm were associated with larger changes in ulcer size over time; however, the magnitude of difference was small, ranging from 0.4 to 1.9 mm/y. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic PAU displayed minimal growth and infrequent complications including rupture. Asymptomatic PAU may be conservatively managed with serial imaging and risk factor modification.

Morbidity and mortality associated with open repair of visceral aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) recently published clinical practice guidelines on the management of visceral aneurysms. However, studies investigating the perioperative outcomes of open repair of visceral aneurysms have been limited to single-center experiences with variable results that span multiple decades. In the present study, we sought to detail the morbidity and mortality associated with open repair of visceral aneurysms using a national database in the contemporary era. METHODS: National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data from 2013 to 2019 were queried for patients who had undergone open repair of visceral aneurysms, which had been classified as mesenteric, renal, or splenic using Current Procedural Terminology and International Classification of Diseases codes. The primary endpoint was the composite of major complications (cardiovascular, pulmonary, progressive renal failure, deep wound infection, return to operating room, sepsis) and 30-day mortality. Logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of the primary endpoint for nonruptured aneurysm cases. RESULTS: Of the 304 aneurysms, 263 were nonruptured (137 mesenteric, 66 renal, 60 splenic) and 41 were ruptured (24 mesenteric, 1 renal, 16 splenic) and had undergone open repair. For those with nonruptured aneurysms, their mean age was 59.4 ± 14.7 years and 48.3% were women. For those with nonruptured aneurysms, the 30-day mortality was 1.9% and the major complication rate was 12.9%. A return to the operating room (5.3%) and prolonged ventilator support (3.8%) were especially common. As expected, rupture was associated with significantly greater mortality (22.0%; P < .001) and major complications (34.1%; P = .001). The use of postoperative transfusion was common in the elective group but was significantly greater in the ruptured group (24.3% vs 80.5%; P < .001). The predictors of the primary outcome for nonruptured aneurysms included male sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-6.7; P = .011), anticoagulation (not discontinued before surgery) or bleeding disorder (OR, 4.52; 95% CI, 1.37-14.7; P = .012), and albumin <3.0 g/dL (OR, 4.66; 95% CI, 1.17-18.6; P = .029). Neither age nor aneurysm location were significant risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Open repair of visceral aneurysms was associated with acceptable morbidity and mortality, although these risks are significantly greater once ruptured. Male sex, bleeding risk, and low albumin were all risk factors for adverse events and should be considered for operative planning and postoperative care.

Impact of anticoagulation/antiplatelet therapy on femoropopliteal bypass graft outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Anticoagulant and antiplatelet (AC/AP) medications have been reported to improve bypass graft patency, however, the optimal AC/AP strategy remains unclear in the heterogenous peripheral artery disease population. METHODS: A multi-institutional retrospective review utilizing the Research Patient Data Registry database from 1995 to 2020 was performed for all patients who underwent femoropopliteal bypass procedures. Electronic medical records were used to obtain demographic information, comorbidities, smoking status, operative details (bypass target), postoperative AC/AP medications, postoperative complications, and long-term outcomes and were reviewed for the cohort. Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine independent risk factors for major adverse limb events (MALE) after bypass. MALE was defined as reintervention for patency or major amputation of index limb (above- or below-knee amputation). RESULTS: A total of 1421 patients underwent femoropopliteal bypass between 1995 and 2020 throughout five institutions included in this study. Complete data were available for 1292 of the 1421 patients (90.9%). The indications for bypass included intermittent claudication (21.4%), rest pain (30.3%), tissue loss (33.5%), and nonatherosclerotic disease (14.8%). Distal bypass targets comprised above-knee (38.6%) and below-knee (61.4%) popliteal arteries. Patients were divided into six groups based on postoperative AC/AP use including none (n = 57 [4.4%]), monoantiplatelet therapy (n = 587 [45.4%]), dual AP therapy (n = 214 [16.6%]), AC alone (n = 73 [5.7%]), AC + monoantiplatelet therapy (n = 319 [24.7%]), and AC + dual AP therapy (n = 42 [3.3%]). Postoperative bleeding complications were low for both hematoma (3.7%) and pseudoaneurysm (0.7%). There was no difference in bleeding complications across AC/AP groups (hematoma, P = .61; pseudoaneurysm, P = .31). After adjusting for patient factors, below-knee bypass target (hazard ratio [HR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.52; P = .019) and bypass for tissue loss (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.04-1.88; P = .028) were independent predictors for MALE. Great saphenous vein conduit trended toward protection for MALE, compared with prosthetic grafts (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.70-1.01; P = .06). No AC/AP regimen was associated with of MALE, even stratifying by above-knee and below-knee bypass cohorts. The median follow-up period was 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients undergoing femoropopliteal bypass grafting, no combination of AC or AP medications was associated with improved graft patency; however, a below-knee target and tissue loss were associated with adverse limb events. AC and AP regimen may be individualized after bypass with regard to other concomitant medical comorbidities.

A systematic review of thromboelastography utilization in vascular and endovascular surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Thromboelastography (TEG) is diagnostic modality that analyzes real-time blood coagulation parameters. Clinically, TEG primarily allows for directed blood component resuscitation among patients with acute blood loss and coagulopathy. The utilization of TEG has been widely adopted in among other surgical specialties; however, its use in vascular surgery is less prominent. We aimed to provide an up-to-date review of TEG utilization in vascular and endovascular surgery. METHODS: Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a literature review with the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms "TEG and arterial events", "TEG and vascular surgery", "TEG and vascular", "TEG and endovascular surgery", "TEG and endovascular", "TEG and peripheral artery disease", "TEG and prediction of arterial events", "TEG and prediction of complications ", "TEG and prediction of thrombosis", "TEG and prediction of amputation", and "TEG and amputation" was performed in Cochrane and PubMed databases to identify all peer-reviewed studies of TEG utilization in vascular surgery, written between 2000 and 2021 in the English language. The free-text and MeSH subheadings search terms included diagnosis, complications, physiopathology, surgery, mortality, and therapy to further restrict the articles. Studies were excluded if they were not in humans or pertaining to vascular or endovascular surgery. Additionally, case reports and studies with limited information regarding TEG utilization were excluded. Each study was independently reviewed by two researchers to assess for eligibility. RESULTS: Of the 262 studies identified through the MeSH strategy, 15 studies met inclusion criteria and were reviewed and summarized. Literature on TEG utilization in vascular surgery spanned cerebrovascular disease (n = 3), peripheral arterial disease (n = 3), arteriovenous malformations (n = 1), venous thromboembolic events (n = 7), and perioperative bleeding and transfusion (n = 1). In cerebrovascular disease, TEG may predict the presence and stability of carotid plaques, analyze platelet function before carotid stenting, and compare efficacy of antiplatelet therapy after stent deployment. In peripheral arterial disease, TEG has been used to predict disease severity and analyze the impact of contrast on coagulation parameters. In venous disease, TEG may predict hypercoagulability and thromboembolic events among various patient populations. Finally, TEG can be utilized in the postoperative setting to predict hemorrhage and transfusion requirements. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review provides an up-to-date summarization of TEG utilization in multiple facets of vascular and endovascular surgery.

Risk factors and consequences of graft infection after femoropopliteal bypass: A 25-year experience.

OBJECTIVE: In this multi-institutional series, we aimed to determine the incidence, risk factors, and long-term outcomes of graft infection in patients post-femoropopliteal bypass. METHODS: A multi-institutional database was retrospectively queried for all femoropopliteal bypass procedures from 1995 through 2020. Cumulative incidence function estimated the long-term rate of bypass graft infection (BGI), and the Fine-Gray model was used to determine independent risk factors for BGI to account for death as a competing risk. RESULTS: Over the 25-year period, 1315 femoral popliteal bypasses were identified with a median follow-up of 2.89 years (interquartile range, 0.75-6.55 years). BGI was diagnosed in 34 patients (2.6%). BGI occurred between 9 days and 11.2 years postoperatively, with a median of 109 days. Estimated 1- and 5-year incidence of BGI was 2.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4%-3.1%) and 2.8% (95% CI, 1.9%-3.9%), respectively. Medical comorbidities, indications for bypass, and popliteal bypass targets (above- vs below-knee) were similar between patients with BGI and all patients (P = not significant for each). Patients with BGI were more frequently complicated by postoperative hematoma (14.7% vs 3.7%), superficial wound infection (38.2% vs 19.2%), lymphocele/lymphorrhea (8.8% vs 2.1%), and 30-day readmission rates (47.1% vs 21.3%) (P < .05 for each). Most commonly isolated pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus (n = 19; 55.9%) and polymicrobial cultures (n = 5; 14.7%). Reoperation for BGI involved incision and drainage (n = 7; 20.6%), graft excision without reconstruction (n = 12; 35.3%), graft excision with in-line reconstruction (n = 11; 32.4%), and graft excision with extra-anatomic reconstruction (n = 2; 5.9%). Nine patients with BGI (26.5%) ultimately required major amputation. Prosthetic bypass (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR], 3.73; 95% CI, 1.64-8.51; P = .002), postoperative hematoma (SHR, 3.44; 95% CI, 1.23-9.61; P = .018), and 30-day readmission (SHR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.27-5.44; P = .010) were independently associated with BGI. One-year amputation-free survival was 50% (95% CI, 31.9%-65.7%) after BGI. CONCLUSIONS: BGI is a rare complication of femoral-popliteal bypass with significant morbidity. Graft infection is associated with the use of prosthetic grafts, postoperative hematoma, and unplanned hospital readmission. Mitigation of these risk factors may decrease the risk of this dreaded complication.

Outcomes of Femoropopliteal Bypass for Lifestyle-Limiting Claudication in the Endovascular Era.

INTRODUCTION: Outcomes after femoropopliteal bypass for intermittent claudication (IC) remain unclear in the endovascular era. METHODS: A multi-institutional database was retrospectively queried for all femoropopliteal bypass procedures performed between 1995 and 2020. Demographics, operative details, and outcomes were documented. A statistical analysis included Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards ratios (HR). RESULTS: A total of 282 patients underwent femoropopliteal bypass surgery for IC. Median age was 68 y (interquartile range, 61-73 y). Bypass conduits included great saphenous vein (GSV) (48.2%), prosthetic grafts (48.9%), and non-GSV autogenous grafts (2.8%). Distal bypass target was above-knee in 62.1% and below-knee in 37.9% of patients. The most common postoperative complications were wound infections (14.2%) followed by unplanned 30-d hospital readmissions (12.4%). Mortality rates were low at 0.4% (30 d) and 3.2% (1 y). Five-year primary patency rates trended highest for claudicants undergoing above-knee bypass with GSV conduit (log-rank P = 0.065). Five-year amputation-free survival rates were highest using GSV conduit regardless of distal bypass target (log-rank P = 0.017). On a multivariable analysis, age (HR 1.02 [1.00-1.04], P = 0.023) and active smoking (HR 1.48 [1.06-2.06], P = 0.021) were identified as risk factors for diminished primary graft patency. Risk factors for amputation-free survival included age (HR 1.03 [1.01-1.05], P < 0.001) and GSV conduit type (HR 0.65 [0.46-0.90], P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Femoropopliteal bypass among claudicants is associated with high rates of wound infection and hospital readmission. Active smoking portends worse outcomes in this population. These data may inform clinical decision-making regarding surgical intervention for claudication in the endovascular era.

Pregnancy and Preeclampsia Are Associated With Acute Adverse Peripheral Arterial Events.

OBJECTIVE: Acute peripheral arterial events, such as aortic dissection, carotid artery dissection, vertebral artery dissection, and ruptured renoviseral aneurysms, have been reported during pregnancy in case series, but there is a paucity of population-based data. This study sought to establish pregnancy and preeclampsia as risk factors for acute peripheral arterial events. Approach and Results: All women who gave birth between 1998 and 2020 within a multicenter health care system were identified. Births that occurred in women <18 or >50 years of age were excluded. Primary outcome was any acute peripheral arterial event that was symptomatic or required intervention. Cox regression model was used to evaluate the association between vascular events and pregnancy as a time-varying covariate. The pregnancy exposure period was from the estimated date of conception to 3 months postpartum. There were 277 697 pregnancies (81.3% deliveries, 17.0% abortions, and 1.7% ectopics) among 176 635 women with 1.68 million patient-years of total follow-up (median, 7.9 years; interquartile range, 2.4-16.2). Preeclampsia complicated 5.3% of pregnancies; 67 790 of 225 763 (30.0%) deliveries were delivered by cesarean. Ninety-six acute arterial events occurred during follow-up, of which 24 occurred during pregnancy, including the postpartum period. Pregnancy (hazard ratio, 1.85 [95% CI, 1.01-3.38]; P=0.046) and preeclampsia (hazard ratio, 10.9 [95% CI, 5.24-22.7]; P<0.001) were significant independent predictors of acute arterial events. CONCLUSIONS: While taking into account limitations from estimating conception and outcome dates, pregnancy, especially when complicated by preeclampsia, is associated with an increased risk of acute peripheral arterial events.

Rates of Conversion from Dry to Wet Gangrene Following Lower Extremity Revascularization.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data regarding the conversion rate from dry gangrene to wet gangrene after lower extremity revascularization. This study aimed to determine the rate of conversion from dry to wet gangrene within 30 days post-procedure in patients who underwent endovascular or open revascularization for critical limb ischemia. Secondary aims included determining the time to conversion and associated risk factors with conversion. METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective review was performed utilizing the MGH/Brigham Healthcare System's Research Patient Data Registry (RPDR). All adult patients who had lower extremity dry gangrene that underwent a revascularization procedure (endo, open, hybrid) from April 2002 to March 2020 were included. Patients who had no lower extremity gangrene, a concurrent amputation with the revascularization procedure, or wet gangrene on initial presentation were excluded. Univariate analysis was performed using the Fisher's exact test and Wilcoxon rank-sum test. RESULTS: There were 1,518 patients identified who underwent revascularization; 194 (12.8%) patients met inclusion criteria and served as our study cohort. There were 15 (7.7%) conversions from dry to wet gangrene within 30 days post-procedure. The mean time to conversion was 13.5 ± 8.6 days. Univariate analysis did not identify any associated risk factors for conversion. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of dry to wet gangrene conversion post revascularization is 7.7% within 30 days. The mean time of conversion is 13.5 ± 8.6 days.