Surgical Management and Mechanical Circulatory Support in High-Risk Pulmonary Embolisms: Historical Context, Current Status, and Future Directions: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Acute pulmonary embolism is the third leading cause of cardiovascular death, with most pulmonary embolism-related mortality associated with acute right ventricular failure. Although there has recently been increased clinical attention to acute pulmonary embolism with the adoption of multidisciplinary pulmonary embolism response teams, mortality of patients with pulmonary embolism who present with hemodynamic compromise remains high when current guideline-directed therapy is followed. Because historical data and practice patterns affect current consensus treatment recommendations, surgical embolectomy has largely been relegated to patients who have contraindications to other treatments or when other treatment modalities fail. Despite a selection bias toward patients with greater illness, a growing body of literature describes the safety and efficacy of the surgical management of acute pulmonary embolism, especially in the hemodynamically compromised population. The purpose of this document is to describe modern techniques, strategies, and outcomes of surgical embolectomy and venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and to suggest strategies to better understand the role of surgery in the management of pulmonary embolisms.

Clinical, Functional, and Quality-of-Life Outcomes after Computer Assisted Vacuum Thrombectomy for Pulmonary Embolism: Interim Analysis of the STRIKE-PE Study.

PURPOSE: To report the first interim analysis of the STRIKE-PE study, evaluating the safety and effectiveness of computer assisted vaccum thrombectomy (CAVT) for the treatment of acute pulmonary embolism (PE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective, international, multicenter study will enroll 600 adult patients with acute PE of ≤14 days and a right ventricle (RV)-to-left ventricle (LV) ratio of ≥0.9 who receive first-line endovascular treatment with CAVT using the Indigo Aspiration System (Penumbra, Alameda, California). Primary endpoints are change in RV/LV ratio and incidence of composite major adverse events (MAEs) within 48 hours. Secondary endpoints include functional and quality-of-life (QoL) assessments. RESULTS: The first 150 consecutive patients were treated with 12F catheter CAVT. Mean age was 61.3 years, 54.7% were men, 94.7% presented with intermediate-risk PE, and 5.3% presented with high-risk PE. Median thrombectomy and procedure times were 33.5 minutes and 70.0 minutes, respectively, resulting in a mean reduction in systolic pulmonary artery pressure of 16.3% (P < .001). Mean RV/LV ratio decreased from 1.39 to 1.01 at 48 hours, a 25.7% reduction (P < .001). Four (2.7%) patients experienced a composite MAE within 48 hours. At 90-day follow-up, patients exhibited statistically significant improvements in the Borg dyspnea scale score and QoL measures, and the New York Heart Association class distribution returned to that reported before the index PE. CONCLUSIONS: Interim results from the STRIKE-PE study demonstrate a significant reduction in pulmonary artery pressure and RV/LV ratio, a median thrombectomy time of 33.5 minutes, a composite MAE rate of 2.7%, and significant improvements in 90-day functional and QoL outcomes.

Procedural outcomes associated with use of the AngioVac System for right heart thrombi: A safety report from RAPID registry data.

Background: Right heart thrombi can be a source of considerable morbidity and mortality, especially when associated with pulmonary embolism. Methods: To understand the safety and procedural efficacy associated with vacuum-assisted thrombectomy using the AngioVac System (AngioDynamics, Latham, NY, USA) to remove right heart thrombi, we conducted a subanalysis of the Registry of AngioVac Procedures in Detail (RAPID) multicenter registry representing 47 (20.1%) of 234 participants in the registry. Forty-two (89.4%) patients had thrombi located in the right atrium alone, three (6.4%) in the right ventricle alone, and two (4.3%) in both the right atrium and ventricle. Four (8.5%) patients had concomitant caval thrombi, three (6.4%) also had catheter-related thrombi, and one (2.1%) patient had both caval and catheter-related thrombi with their right heart thrombi. Results: Extracorporeal bypass time was less than 1 hour for 39 (83.0%) procedures. Seventy to 100% removal of thrombus was achieved in 59.6% of patients. Estimated blood loss was less than 250 cc for 43 procedures (91.6%). Mean hemoglobin decreased from 10.7 ± 2.2 g/dL preoperatively to 9.6 ± 1.6 g/dL postoperatively. Transfusions were administered for eight procedures (17.0%), with only one (2.1%) patient receiving more than 2 units of blood. Six patients (12.8%) experienced procedure-related adverse events, including three (6.4%) patients who experienced distal emboli and three (6.4%) patients who developed bleeding-related complications. All adverse events resolved prior to discharge. There was one death (2.1%) reported that was not procedure related. Conclusion: Vacuum-assisted thrombectomy can be performed safely in patients with right heart thrombi. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04414332.

Endovascular Removal of Thrombus and Right Heart Masses Using the AngioVac System: Results of 234 Patients from the Prospective, Multicenter Registry of AngioVac Procedures in Detail (RAPID).

PURPOSE: To assess device and procedural safety and technical success associated with the use of the AngioVac System to remove vascular thrombi and cardiac masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Registry of AngioVac Procedures in Detail (RAPID) study prospectively collected data for 234 patients receiving treatment with AngioVac at 21 sites between March 2016 and August 2019: 84 (35.9%) with caval thromboemboli (CTEs), 113 (48.3%) with right heart masses (RHMs), 20 (8.5%) with catheter-related thrombi (CRTs), and 4 (1.7%) with pulmonary emboli (PEs). Thirteen patients had a combination of procedures during the same admission. RESULTS: Using the AngioVac system, 70%-100% thrombus or mass removal was achieved in 73.6% of patients with CTEs, 58.5% of patients with RHMs, 60% of patients with CRTs, and 57.1% of patients with PEs. Extracorporeal bypass time was < 1 hour for 176 (75.2%) procedures. Estimated blood loss was < 250 mL for 179 procedures (76.5%). Mean hemoglobin decreased from 10.4 g/dL ± 2.9 preoperatively to 9.4 g/dL ± 2.6 postoperatively. Transfusions were administered in 59 procedures (25.2%) with 47 transfusions (78.2%) being ≤ 2 U. There were 36 procedure-related complications, including 1 death. CONCLUSIONS: The RAPID registry data demonstrate that the AngioVac System can be safely and effectively used to remove vascular thrombi and cardiac masses across a broad range of patient populations. The limited use of the device to remove pulmonary emboli in the present series precludes recommending the use of the AngioVac device for this indication.

AngioVac Aspiration Thrombectomy of Right Atrial Thrombus is Safe and Effective in Cancer Patients.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that endovascular aspiration thrombectomy of right atrial thrombus (RAT) using the AngioVac device is as safe and effective in patients with cancer as those without cancer. BACKGROUND: RAT is a uniquely challenging clinical presentation of venous thromboembolism due to its low incidence and historically high-risk of mortality due to thrombus propagation into the pulmonary arteries. There is a lack of consensus regarding management, particularly in high-risk cancer patients. Endovascular aspiration thrombectomy utilizing the AngioVac device is effective in removal of right atrial thrombus and may be a safer option for patients with cancer in whom avoidance of higher-risk intervention is preferred. METHODS: This was an institutional review board-approved retrospective single-center case control study of patients with RAT who underwent AngioVac aspiration thrombectomy between August 2013 and July 2020. Analysis of patient demographics and clinical characteristics, thrombus-related factors, and operative details was performed. Primary endpoints included survival, safety, and technical success. RESULTS: A total of 44 patients met inclusion criteria, 20 of whom with active malignancy. The oncology group had a significantly higher Charlson comorbidity index (P = 0.01). Comparative outcomes between the oncology and non-oncology group showed no difference in survival (P = 0.8) or technical success (OR 3, 95% CI 0.83-10.9). There were 9 complications, including 6 minor, 1 moderate, 1 severe, and 1 death. CONCLUSIONS: AngioVac aspiration thrombectomy of RAT is as safe and effective in patients with cancer as those without cancer.

Minimally Invasive Repair of Ascending Aortic Pseudoaneurysms: An Alternative to Open Surgical Repair in High-Risk Patients.

Development of a pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta is an uncommon complication of aortic surgery. Several nonsurgical techniques are available for treatment of ascending aortic pseudoaneurysms (AAPs). This report outlines a single-center retrospective experience with 14 nonsurgical procedures for treatment of AAPs in 10 patients. Modified stent grafts, septal defect occlusion devices, coil embolics, and liquid embolics were deployed by transthoracic and endovascular approaches. Complete stasis of the AAP was achieved in 7 of 10 patients (70%). Mean postprocedural recoveries occurred within 3.5 days. Nonsurgical techniques for repair of AAPs offer a comparatively safe and effective alternative to open surgical repair.

High resolution, 3-dimensional Ferumoxytol-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance venography in central venous occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Although cardiovascular magnetic resonance venography (CMRV) is generally regarded as the technique of choice for imaging the central veins, conventional CMRV is not ideal. Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) are less suited to steady state venous imaging than to first pass arterial imaging and they may be contraindicated in patients with renal impairment where evaluation of venous anatomy is frequently required. We aim to evaluate the diagnostic performance of 3-dimensional (3D) ferumoxytol-enhanced CMRV (FE-CMRV) for suspected central venous occlusion in patients with renal failure and to assess its clinical impact on patient management. METHODS: In this IRB-approved and HIPAA-compliant study, 52 consecutive adult patients (47 years, IQR 32-61; 29 male) with renal impairment and suspected venous occlusion underwent FE-CMRV, following infusion of ferumoxytol. Breath-held, high resolution, 3D steady state FE-CMRV was performed through the chest, abdomen and pelvis. Two blinded reviewers independently scored twenty-one named venous segments for quality and patency. Correlative catheter venography in 14 patients was used as the reference standard for diagnostic accuracy. Retrospective chart review was conducted to determine clinical impact of FE-CMRV. Interobserver agreement was determined using Gwet's AC1 statistic. RESULTS: All patients underwent technically successful FE-CMRV without any adverse events. 99.5% (1033/1038) of venous segments were of diagnostic quality (score ≥ 2/4) with very good interobserver agreement (AC1 = 0.91). Interobserver agreement for venous occlusion was also very good (AC1 = 0.93). The overall accuracy of FE-CMRV compared to catheter venography was perfect (100.0%). No additional imaging was required prior to a clinical management decision in any of the 52 patients. Twenty-four successful and uncomplicated venous interventions were carried out following pre-procedural vascular mapping with FE-CMRV. CONCLUSIONS: 3D FE-CMRV is a practical, accurate and robust technique for high-resolution mapping of central thoracic, abdominal and pelvic veins and can be used to inform image-guided therapy. It may play a pivotal role in the care of patients in whom conventional contrast agents may be contraindicated or ineffective.

Back-table Modified Aortic Endograft Deployed via "Innominate Bounce" Technique for Management of a Zone 0 Ascending Aortic Pseudoaneurysm.

Ascending aortic pseudoaneurysms pose a difficult therapeutic dilemma. Surgical repair carries high morbidity and mortality risk and may be challenging in patients with unfavorable anatomy or prior aortic surgery. Endovascular repair is difficult due to short landing zones, need for precise delivery, and the lack of adequately sized commercially available devices. This report describes a case of back-table modification of a thoracic aortic stent graft successfully deployed using an "innominate bounce" technique.

Ferumoxytol-enhanced MR Angiography for Vascular Access Mapping before Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients with Renal Impairment: A Step Toward Patient-specific Care.

Purpose To assess the technical feasibility of the use of ferumoxytol-enhanced (FE) magnetic resonance (MR) angiography for vascular mapping before transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients with renal impairment. Materials and Methods This was an institutional review board-approved and HIPAA-compliant study. FE MR angiography was performed at 3.0 T or 1.5 T. Unenhanced computed tomographic (CT) images were used to overlay vascular calcification on FE MR angiographic images as composite fused three-dimensional data. Image quality of the subclavian and aortoiliofemoral arterial tree and confidence in the assessment of calcification were evaluated by using a four-point scale (4 = excellent vascular definition or strong confidence). Signal intensity nonuniformity as reflected by the heterogeneity index (ratio between the mean standard deviation of luminal signal intensity and the mean luminal signal intensity), signal-to-noise ratio, and consistency of luminal diameter measurements were quantified. Findings at FE MR angiography were compared with pelvic angiograms. Results Twenty-six patients underwent FE MR angiography without adverse events. A total of 286 named vascular segments were scored. The image quality score was 4 for 99% (283 of 286) of the segments (κ = 0.9). There was moderate to strong confidence in the ability to assess vascular calcific morphology in all studies with complementary unenhanced CT. The steady-state luminal heterogeneity index was low, and signal-to-noise ratio was high. Interobserver luminal measurements were reliable (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.98; 95% confidence interval: 0.98, 0.99). FE MR angiographic findings were consistent with correlative pelvic angiograms in all 16 patients for whom the latter were available. Conclusion In patients with renal impairment undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, FE MR angiography is technically feasible and offers reliable vascular mapping without exposure to iodine- or gadolinium-based contrast agents. Thus, the total cumulative dose of iodine-based contrast material is minimized and the risk of acute nephropathy is reduced. © RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Percutaneous Transthoracic Treatment of Ascending Aortic and Root Pseudoaneurysms: Procedural Aspects and Guidance with the Use of Multimodality Imaging.

Open repair of ascending aortic pseudoaneurysms (AAPs) is currently the standard of care, but it is associated with high morbidity and mortality. A single-center retrospective experience of 4 patients after cardiac surgery undergoing 5 percutaneous transthoracic embolization procedures is presented. In 3 of the 4 patients, the primary outcome of complete thrombosis was achieved after the first procedure, with a mean follow-up time of 11.5 months. In all 5 procedures, the patients tolerated the procedure well without associated acute complications. Percutaneous transthoracic embolization of AAPs offers an alternate minimally invasive treatment pathway for prohibitive-risk candidates.

Inferior Vena Cava Filters: When to Place and When to Remove.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common and feared result of deep vein thrombosis. While anticoagulation is the mainstay of management, interruption of flow of thrombus from leg veins to the pulmonary circulation is frequently desired either in lieu of or in addition to anticoagulation. Inferior vena cava filters have become frequently used to prevent PE despite a paucity of evidence for efficacy and increasing concerns about the long-term complications of indwelling filters.

Removal of Caval and Right Atrial Thrombi and Masses Using the AngioVac Device: Initial Operative Experience.

PURPOSE: To describe initial single-center experience with a thrombectomy device in managing right atrial and caval thrombi, tumors, and vegetations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of AngioVac thrombectomy performed in 16 patients (mean age 53 y ± 13; 8 men, 8 women) between August 2013 and August 2015 was performed. Indications included right atrial mass/thrombus (6/16; 37.5%) and iliocaval thrombus (10/16; 62.5%). Procedural success was defined as aspiration of > 70% volume of atrial mass/thrombus or restoration of antegrade caval flow. RESULTS: Procedural success was achieved in 4/6 (67%) right atrial masses/thrombi and 10/10 (100%) caval thrombi. All patients (8/8; 100%) with caval thrombus presenting with swelling/edema had improvement or resolution of symptoms. There were no procedural or periprocedural mortalities; complications included one major (6.3%; intraprocedural pulmonary embolus) and one minor (6.3%; access site hematoma not requiring transfusion) complication. Of 16 patients, 14 (87.5%) survived to discharge at a mean of 10 days ± 8 (range, 1-23 d), and 12 patients (75%) were alive at last known follow-up at a mean of 385 days ± 267 (range, 63-730 d). At a mean of 194 days ± 177 (range, 41-372 d), 4/16 (25%) patients were dead; no death was related to AngioVac thrombectomy. At a mean of 66 days ± 21 (range, 49-90 d) after intervention, 3/14 (21.4%) cases with procedural success had local recurrence of mass/thrombus. CONCLUSIONS: AngioVac thrombectomy can be performed with high procedural success with clinical benefit in patients with right atrial and caval masses/thrombi.

Early Experience with AngioVac Aspiration in the Pulmonary Arteries.

Five consecutive cases in which the AngioVac aspiration cannula was used for the management of pulmonary embolism (PE) were retrospectively reviewed. Four cases (80%) presented with massive PE, and two (40%) were technically successful (reduction in Miller index ≥ 5). Four patients (80%) died at a mean of 7.3 days after the procedure, including one death related to right ventricular free wall perforation. Although the AngioVac aspiration cannula has shown clinical promise in a variety of clinical applications, early experience in the pulmonary arteries has shown limited success, and further study and careful patient selection are required.

High-field MR imaging in pediatric congenital heart disease: initial results.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive assessment of pediatric congenital heart disease (CHD) at any field strength mandates evaluation of both vascular and dynamic cardiac anatomy for which diagnostic quality contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CEMRA) and cardiac cine are crucial. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether high-resolution (HR) CEMRA and steady-state free precession (SSFP) cine can be performed reliably at 3.0 T in children with CHD and to compare the image quality to similar techniques performed at 1.5 T. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with a median age of 5 months and average weight 9.0 ± 7.8 kg with suspected or known CHD were evaluated at 3.0 T. SSFP cine (n = 86 series) and HR-CEMRA (n = 414 named vascular segments) were performed and images were scored for image quality and artifacts. The findings were compared to those of 28 patients with CHD of similar weight who were evaluated at 1.5 T. RESULTS: Overall image quality on HR-CEMRA was rated as excellent or good in 96% (397/414) of vascular segments at 3.0 T (k = 0.49) and in 94% (349/371) of vascular segments at 1.5 T (k = 0.36). Overall image quality of SSFP was rated excellent or good in 91% (78/86) of cine series at 3.0 T (k = 0.55) and in 81% (87/108) at 1.5 T (k = 0.47). Off-resonance artifact was common at both field strengths, varied over the cardiac cycle and was more prevalent at 3.0 T. At 3.0 T, off-resonance dark band artifact on SSFP cine was absent in 3% (3/86), mild in 69% (59/86), moderate in 27% (23/86) and severe in 1% (1/86) of images; at 1.5 T, dark band artifact was absent in 16% (17/108), mild in 69% (75/108), moderate in 12% (13/108) and severe in 3% (3/108) of cine images. The signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of both SSFP cine and HR-CEMRA images were significantly higher at 3.0 T than at 1.5 T (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of high-resolution contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography and SSFP cine were higher at 3.0 T than at 1.5 T. Artifacts on SSFP cine were cardiac phase specific and more prevalent at 3.0 T such that frequency-tuning was required in one-third of exams. In neonates, high spatial resolution CEMRA was highly reliable in defining extracardiac vascular anatomy.

Frequency of nonthromboembolic imaging abnormalities in pregnant women referred for computed tomography pulmonary arteriography.

PURPOSE: The study sought to determine the frequency of nonthromboembolic imaging abnormalities in pregnant women referred for computed tomography pulmonary arteriography (CTPA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: CTPA studies on 100 consecutive pregnant women performed over a 5-year period were reviewed independently by 2 radiologists, with conflicts resolved by consensus. Age range was 18-43 years (mean 28 years). The presence or absence of pulmonary embolism and of nonthromboembolic imaging abnormalities was recorded. These were graded as A if the abnormalities were thought to provide potential alternative explanations for acute symptoms, B if findings were incidental that required clinical or radiologic follow-up, and C if the findings did not require further action. RESULTS: Pulmonary embolism was seen in 5 women. In 2 of these additional findings of consolidation and infarction were seen. Ninety-five women did not have pulmonary embolism. Eleven women (12%) had grade A abnormalities; 6 cases of consolidation, 2 cases of lobar collapse, and 3 cases of heart failure with pleural effusions. One woman had a grade B abnormality due to the presence of pulmonary nodules. Ten women had incidental grade C abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary embolism occurs in 5% of pregnant women referred for CTPA. In pregnant women without embolism on CTPA, potential alternative causes for patient symptoms are seen on CT in 12% of cases.

Inferior vena cava filter retrieval: effectiveness and complications of routine and advanced techniques.

PURPOSE: To investigate the success and safety of routine versus advanced inferior vena cava (IVC) filter retrieval techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent IVC filter placement and/or a retrieval attempt over a 10-year period. Retrieval technique(s), preretrieval computed tomography, preretrieval venography, and clinical/imaging follow-up for 30 days after retrieval were analyzed. Mean filter dwell time was 134 days (range, 0-2,475 d). RESULTS: Filter retrieval was attempted 231 times in 217 patients (39% female, 61% male; mean age, 50.7 y), with success rates of 73.2% (169 of 231) and 94.7% (54 of 57) for routine and advanced filter retrieval techniques, respectively. The overall filter retrieval complication rate was 1.7% (four of 231); complications in four patients (with multiple complications in some cases) included IVC dissection, IVC intussusception, IVC thrombus/stenosis, filter fracture with embedded strut, IVC injury with hemorrhage, and vascular injury from complicated venous access. The rate of complications associated with filter retrievals that required advanced technique was significantly higher than seen with routine technique (5.3% vs 0.4%; P < .05). Longer dwell time, more transverse tilt, and presence of an embedded hook were associated with significantly increased rates of failed retrieval via routine technique (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: IVC filters can be retrieved with a high overall success rate (98.2%) and a low complication rate (1.7%) by using advanced techniques when the routine approach has failed; however, the use of advanced techniques is associated with a significantly higher complication rate.

Evaluation of ChatGPT-Generated Educational Patient Pamphlets for Common Interventional Radiology Procedures.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of educational patient pamphlets created by ChatGPT, a large language model, for common interventional radiology (IR) procedures. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Twenty frequently performed IR procedures were selected, and five users were tasked to independently request ChatGPT to generate educational patient pamphlets for each procedure using identical commands. Subsequently, two independent radiologists assessed the content, quality, and accuracy of the pamphlets. The review focused on identifying potential errors, inaccuracies, the consistency of pamphlets. RESULTS: In a thorough analysis of the education pamphlets, we identified shortcomings in 30% (30/100) of pamphlets, with a total of 34 specific inaccuracies, including missing information about sedation for the procedure (10/34), inaccuracies related to specific procedural-related complications (8/34). A key-word co-occurrence network showed consistent themes within each group of pamphlets, while a line-by-line comparison at the level of users and across different procedures showed statistically significant inconsistencies (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: ChatGPT-generated education pamphlets demonstrated potential clinical relevance and fairly consistent terminology; however, the pamphlets were not entirely accurate and exhibited some shortcomings and inter-user structural variabilities. To ensure patient safety, future improvements and refinements in large language models are warranted, while maintaining human supervision and expert validation.