Beyond Conventional: A Systematic Review of Non-Conventional Techniques for Radio-Cephalic Arteriovenous Fistula.

BACKGROUND: Radio-cephalic arteriovenous fistulas (RC-AVFs), the preferred vascular access for hemodialysis, have high failure rates. New techniques like the no-touch technique (NTT) and modified no-touch technique (MNTT) have shown promising results. Our objective is to highlight the effectiveness of nonconventional techniques, aiming to address the challenge of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) failure. METHODS: We searched Medline, Google Scholar, and Clinicaltrials.gov until April 2023, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Five relevant articles were found, all involving human studies on NTT or MNTT for RC-AVF creation. We focused on primary and secondary patency rates, fistula maturation rates, and complications. RESULTS: We reviewed 5 studies as follows: 2 were pilot studies, 2 were prospective studies, and one was retrospective study. Three used NTT, and 2 used MNTT. Among double-arm studies, 3 out of 4 showed a significantly improved primary patency with nonconventional techniques. However, one study found no significant difference between nonconventional and conventional methods (90.5% vs. 84.2%; P = 0.225). In a single-arm study, nonconventional technique (NTT) displayed 54% primary patency at 1 year. Secondary patency rates were in 3 studies. One demonstrated significant secondary patency with nonconventional methods compared to conventional (90% vs. 67.5%; P = 0.028), while another found no significant difference (90.5% vs. 84.2%; P = 0.803). In the single-arm study, the nonconventional technique (NTT) revealed 80% secondary patency at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Nonconventional techniques (NTT and MNTT) show promise in improving patency rates, hinting at their potential as alternatives to the conventional technique for RC-AVF creation. Further studies are crucial to confirm their effectiveness and evaluate long-term outcomes.

To evaluate the complication and patency rate of superficial femoral vein transposition in tertiary care center.

INTRODUCTION: When all access options in the upper extremity have been exhausted, an autologous access can be created in lower extremity. The purpose of this study is to report our experience with superficial femoral vein transposition (SFVT) results in terms of postoperative complication and patency rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the time period from January 1, 2019 to April 30, 2021, thirty-five cases of SFVT performed at our large tertiary care center Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT). All patients had exhausted upper arm veins or had central vein obstructions. Medical records of all patients were traced, patients were interviewed using a standard proforma and evaluated the current AVF function in the OPD clinic or by telephone calls. Data including demographics and postoperative complications were collected. RESULTS: Thirty-nine cases of SFVT performed at our institute. Three were immediately lost to follow up so they were excluded from the study. Mean patient age was 30 ± 13.4 years. Most of our patients were females (57%) and 15 males (43%) with an average age of 29.05 years. The most common underlying renal diseasewas unknown in 16 (45%).Thirty-five patients included in the analysis; out of which primary failure observed in 4 patients, three patients were expired before fistula maturation and 3 were expired before 6 months. The remaining 25 fistulas patency rates were estimated. No any patient died due to fistulas related complication; patients died due to their primary disease. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that with appropriate patient selection, SFVT have low infection rates and patency that is comparable with other access types.

Why do patients with limb ischaemia present late to a vascular surgeon? A prospective cohort study from the developing world.

OBJECTIVE: To look into the factors responsible for delay in presentation of Iimb ischemia patients to a vascular surgeon. Methods: The prospective cohort study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from October 01, 2016, to August 10, 2018. Patients coming with delayed presentation of both acute and chronic limb ischemia were included. All the patients were assessed by qualified vascular surgeons. SPSS 23 was used for data analysis. Results: Of the 55 patients, 33(60%) had acute and 22(40%) had chronic limb ischaemia. Mean age of acute cases was 44±23.72 years and it was 60±12.49 years for chronic cases. Overall, the commonest reason behind delay was non-referral by primary physician which was the case with 11(33.3%) patients in the acute group, and 13(59%) in the chronic group. The limb loss in the acute group was 20(60%) and 8(36%) in the chronic group.. Conclusion: Delayed presentation of patients with limb ischaemia is mainly due to non-referral. A robust campaign needs to be launched to reduce the rate of limb loss.

Multiple Skip Incisions Versus Single Long Incision for Single-stage Basilic Transposition Arteriovenous Fistula: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Basilic vein transposition via single long incision is a renowned technique despite its known wound-related complications. Contrary to that, multiple skip incisions technique is thought to have relatively lower wound-related complications. But to the best of our knowledge, these 2 techniques have never been formally compared. Therefore, we conducted this study to compare both. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study. Patients who underwent basilic vein transposition arteriovenous fistula (AVF) from January 2011 till May 2016 at Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan were eligible for inclusion in the study. Study population was divided into 2 groups; one group comprising of patients who underwent fistula formation through single long incision and the other group had the procedure carried out via multiple skip incisions. Wound-related complications including wound infection and dehiscence, fistula maturation time, duration of surgery, and primary patency at a follow-up of 12 months were recorded. RESULTS: Both the groups were comparable regarding baseline variables. Incidence proportion of wound infection, hematoma, and dehiscence was higher in long incision group; however, it was statistically insignificant. Primary patency at 12 months in skip versus long incision group was 73.0% vs. 69.7% (P-value: 0.62). The mean maturation time for fistula was 42.8 ± 9.5 days and 44.3 ± 10.4 days in skip and long incision group, respectively (P-value:0.31). Duration of surgery was comparable in both. CONCLUSIONS: Although skip technique does not have significant benefit over long incision technique based on these results, but it is a valid alternative. Randomized control trial is required to better differentiate between these two.

Predictors for the development of post-thrombotic syndrome in patients with primary lower limb deep venous thrombosis: A case-control study.

Introduction Post-thrombotic syndrome is a common and debilitating sequelae of lower limb deep venous thrombosis. Very little awareness is present about the risk factors and about the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of this condition. Objective The objective of this study is to identify the predictors of post-thrombotic syndrome after lower limb deep venous thrombosis. Materials and methods A case-control study was conducted on all adult patients who were admitted with lower limb deep venous thrombosis at our institution from January 2005 to June 2012. These patients were scheduled for a research clinic visit, which included informed consent, data collection, and physical examination. Patients found to have post-thrombotic syndrome served as cases and those without post-thrombotic syndrome served as controls. Villalta scoring system was used to diagnose the post-thrombotic syndrome and then to assess the severity of the condition in both the groups. Cox regression risk factor analysis was performed to identify the predictors of post-thrombotic syndrome. Results Out of the 125 patients examined, 49 were found to have post-thrombotic syndrome. Risk factors found to be significant were body mass index of more than 35 kg/m2 ( n = 13, p = 0.003), history of immobilization ( n = 19, p = 0.003), one or more hypercoagable disorders ( n = 32, p = 0.02), iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis ( n = 18, p = 0.001), complete obstruction on ultrasound ( n = 26, p = 0.016), unstable range of international normalized ratio ( n = 23, p = 0.041) and non-compliance for the use of compressions stockings ( n = 14, p = 0.001). On multivariate analysis, one or more hypercoagable disorder, iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis, and non-compliance to the use of compression stockings were found to be independent risk factors for the development of post-thrombotic syndrome. Conclusion One or more hypercoagable disorders, iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis and non-compliance to the use of compression stockings were independent predictors of post-thrombotic syndrome after deep venous thrombosis. These findings will help prognosticate and prevent development of PTS in similar patient populations.

Functional outcomes after successful lower extremity arterial injuries repair.

The study was conducted to measure functional outcome of patients who had successful lower extremity arterial reconstruction after vascular injury at a tertiary care centre in Karachi over 5 years from January 2008 to December 2013. In this descriptive cohort study, the functional outcomes were assessed with lower extremity functional scale (LEFS). The mean age the 75 patients in the study was 32±11 years. Limb salvage was successful in 72(96%) cases. The most common injured artery was superficial femoral artery 30(40%) followed by popliteal artery 19(25%). The most common method of repair was end-to-end using either polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft 43(57%) or vein interposition grafting 19(25%). Two (2.66%) patients with delayed presentation had secondary amputation. One (1.33%) patient had graft infection. Acceptable good functional outcome was noted with a mean LEFS of 72±8.

Short-term Outcomes of Elective Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the presentations, aetiologies, and outcomes (survival and morbidity) of patients who underwent abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair at a tertiary care centre in a low middle-income country (LMIC). STUDY DESIGN: Case-series study. Place and Duration of the Study: Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from January 2000 till April 2022. METHODOLOGY: All patients who underwent elective open repair for AAA were identified using ICD coding 10. Patients' demographics, presentations, treatment options, and outcomes were recorded on a specially designed proforma. Outcomes were measured in terms of 30-day survival and perioperative complications. RESULTS: Forty-two patients were included in the study. Thirty-nine (92.9%) of them were males. The mean age was 63.8 + 12.6 years. Thirty-four (81%) patients had an infrarenal aortic aneurysm. The average aneurysm diameter was 8.0 + 2.73 cm. The in-hospital survival rate was 95.2% whereas 2 (4.8%) patients had in-hospital mortality. Acute kidney injury (AKI) was the most common complication, seen in 5 (11.9%) patients. Adverse outcomes were seen more in diabetic patients whereas increased incidence of AKI was noted in operations with supra-renal clamping (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Most patients presented with symptoms and large aneurysm size. Open AAA repair was performed safely with 4.8% in-hospital mortality and acceptable morbidity in the LMIC setting. KEY WORDS: Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, Low middle-income country.

Validation of Task-Specific Rating Scale for Open Balloon Catheter Arterial Embolectomy: An Assessor-Blinded Quasi-Experimental Pilot Study.

Objective: To develop and validate a task-specific rating scale (TSRS) by comparing with the Global Rating Scale (GRS) for the evaluation of brachial artery embolectomy (BAE). Methods: Participants were divided into expert and novice groups who were oriented on the locally developed simulator model. The following day, an embolectomy procedure was performed independently by the participants and graded by two independent assessors using the GRS and TSRS. Validity was evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r), reliability by the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and agreement by Bland-Altman plots. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Thirty-two participants were enrolled in this study. The overall TSRS was found to be a valid assessment tool (r=0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.66, 0.91; p<0.001). Domain-specific analyses showed a moderate positive association between all domains (p<0.05), except for instrument handling (r=0.09; 95%CI: -0.27, 0.42; p=0.642). The ICC for overall scores showed excellent reliability for both instruments, GRS and TSRS, with values of 0.97 and 0.92, respectively. Conclusion: The TSRS was found to be a valid and reliable assessment tool for BAE; however, for some domains, such as instrument handling and time and motion, it has limited reliability.

Hypoglossal Nerve Paraganglioma Depicting as Glomus Tumor of Neck.

INTRODUCTION: Paraganglioma are infrequent neuroendocrine tumors that are most commonly found in the carotid body, ganglia of the vagus, jugular and tympanic nerve. Very rarely they can involve other cranial nerves outside the cranial cavity, we present one such case of hypoglossal nerve paraganglioma in neck. CASE REPORT: A 48 years old male presented with 1-month history of right sided stroke and aphasia. Ultrasonography of neck revealed a highly vascular mass on the right side of the neck. CT angiogram confirmed a highly vascular mass arising above the carotid bifurcation. With the working diagnosis of Glomus tumor, he underwent right sided neck exploration, however, intra-operatively tumor was found to be arising from the hypoglossal nerve instead. Surgery was abandoned on basis of the available literature, with only 6 reported cases in the past 54 years. Patient had no immediate post op complications and was sent for cyber knife treatment. After completion of 5 cycles of cyber knife there was a total of 45% reduction in the size of the paraganglioma with the resolution of the patient's symptoms after a follow up of 6 months. CONCLUSION: Hypoglossal nerve paraganglioma is an uncommon tumor of the neck and can be misdiagnosed with the other tumors in this region especially chemodectoma and glomus tumor. The diagnostic criteria and appropriate treatment modalities have not been established due to the rare presentation hence hypoglossal paraganliomas should be kept in mind when Highly vascular neck mass is encountered.

Deep hypothermic total circulatory arrest for internal carotid artery aneurysm extending into the cranium: experience from a developing country.

Cardiopulmonary bypass is commonplace for acquired and congenital cardiac procedures. It has also stretched to facilitate complicated non-cardiac operations. Carotid artery aneurysms are treated both with surgical repair without cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and, occasionally, by utilizing CPB perfusion techniques. We have successfully repaired an internal carotid artery aneurysm, extending into cranium in a 30-year-old woman, by establishing deep hypothermic circulatory arrest on cardiopulmonary bypass.

Predictors of Poor Quality of Life after Primary Lower Limb Deep Venous Thrombosis: A Perspective from a Developing Nation.

Objective: We aimed to determine predictors of poor long term quality of life, using the VEINES Quality of Life (QOL) questionnaire, in patients with lower limb deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Material and Methods: This study included adult patients with primary lower limb DVT between January 2007 and December 2017. Post thrombotic syndrome (PTS) was assessed using the Villalta score and Quality of Life (QoL) by the VEINES quality of life questionnaire. Results: Our study included 125 patients, 57 (45.6%) of whom were males. The patient population's median age was 41 years (IQR: 34-47 years). The median follow up was 450 days (IQR: 390-1020 days). PTS occurred in 49 (39.2%) patients. Independent predictors of poor quality of life post DVT were progression to PTS, complete occlusion of vein, proximal (Ileofemoral) DVT, poor control of INR, poor compliance with compression stockings, severity of PTS, ileofemoral DVT and poor control of therapeutic anticoagulation. Conclusion: Predictors who are independently associated with poor quality of life post DVT are PTS, inability to maintain therapeutic anticoagulation and ileofemoral DVT.

Femoral Vein Transposition Arteriovenous Fistula is a Feasible Option in "Selected" Patients as Hemodialysis Access.

Introduction: Lower extremity hemodialysis access is offered to the patients who have severe central venous stenosis. Femoral vein transposition arteriovenous fistula (FV tAVF) is an alternative to lower leg arteriovenous prosthetic grafts. Its safety and patency is under observation. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective review of patients who had FV tAVF between January 2011 and March 2016. Preoperative clinical findings, intraoperative findings, postoperative complications, and patency of the AVF were noted and analyzed. Results: There were 7 patients who underwent FV tAVF during this study period. Most patients were female (6 : 1), with mean age of 45.2 years (range, 33-55 years). All patients were hypertensive. Mean body mass index was 26.1 kg/m2. Patient had on average previous 6 dialysis accesses. Most patients had preoperative venograms (6/7). Mean interval between initiation of dialysis and creation of the arteriovenous fistula was 1.08 years. All procedures were done under general anesthesia. Four patients required extension of FV with either the small segment of polytetrafluorethylene or vein graft. Two patients had early postoperative complications. One patient developed hematoma, whereas other had wound dehiscence. All the accesses were utilized for dialysis after a mean interval of 6 weeks. All patients had a patent fistula on average follow-up of 2 years. Conclusion: Appropriate patient selection for FV tAVF can provide good patency with low incidence of complications. This can be considered for good risk individuals undergoing their first lower extremity access.

Distal Revascularization and Interval Ligation as a Useful Option for Steal Syndrome.

Distal revascularization and interval ligation (DRIL) is considered a useful option to relieve haemodialysis access-related steal syndrome. The results of this procedure are not known in the local setup. This is a case series of patients who underwent DRIL between January 2005 and December 2015. A total of ten patients (9 females) were included in the study. All the patients presented with grade 3 steal syndrome. Seven patients had rest pain while three had tissue loss. Polytetrafluoroethylene was used in all patients as the brachio-brachial bypass graft. All patients had smooth recovery except one patient who had postoperative brachio-brachial graft thrombosis and required thrombectomy. In all the cases, access was preserved. Steal symptoms resolved completely in all patients except for two, who had partial relief of rest pain and neurological symptoms. DRIL is a safe and effective procedure for resolution of steal syndrome and in preserving access at the same time.

Rare Presentation of an Ulnar Artery Aneurysm in a Six-Month-Old Baby: Case Discussion.

Ulnar artery aneurysm cases have been rarely reported in the literature previously. A number of these cases occur in the adult population and are mostly occupational associated. In children, however, this condition is much less. Only 10 cases in children have been reported in the literature to the best of our knowledge, and the minimum age was 1 year. The etiology is mainly post-traumatic. We present a case for discussion of an ulnar artery aneurysm in a 6-month-old baby with the habit of hitting his hand against a table and the floor.

Comparison of Upper Limb Translocated Femoral Vein and Prosthetic Arteriovenous Bridge Grafts.

Introduction Native veins are an ideal option for dialysis in a patient with chronic kidney disease (CKD) as compared to a prosthetic graft. Femoral vein (FV) translocation to the upper arm is also an alternative to a prosthetic graft as reported in the literature when all options of using the native veins of the arms are exhausted. Thus, we aimed to compare the patency of the upper limb translocated FV arteriovenous fistula (AVF) with a prosthetic arteriovenous bridge graft (AVBG). Methods It is a retrospective cohort study that was conducted in the Department of Vascular Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital. It included adult patients who underwent either upper arm translocation of FV or prosthetic AVBG using the consecutive purposive sampling technique. There were a total of 10 patients who underwent FV translocation AVF and 20 patients who had AVBG in the upper arms. Results A total of 30 patients were included in the study. Of these 30 patients, 10 underwent FV translocation AVF and the remaining 20 had AVBG. There was a significant difference in the mean operating time of the two surgeries. The mean operating time in FV translocation was 223 (± 41.5) minutes and in those with AVBG, the mean operating time was 100 (±26.5) (p= <0.001). There was no significant difference in the total length of hospital stay in both procedures performed. The primary patency rate for FV translocation was 90% and 95% in AVBG (p=1.00). Ten percent of FV translocation had a primary failure rate compared with that of AVBG, which was 5% (p=1.00). The mean follow-up period was 61 weeks in the FV translocation group and 64 weeks in the AVG group. Conclusion There was no significant difference in both groups in terms of patency, length of hospital stay, and fewer complications were observed in the FV translocation group as compared with the AVBG group.

Operative Techniques to Prevent Dialysis Access-associated Steal Syndrome in High-risk Patients Undergoing Surgery for Hemodialysis Access: A Systematic Review.

Up to 10% of patients suffer from various degrees of dialysis access-associated steal syndrome (DASS) after surgery for hemodialysis access. This systematic review was conducted to find out optimal intra-operative techniques to prevent DASS in high-risk patients. This systematic review is registered with PROSPERO (2017:CRD42017060804). It was conducted at Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. All types of studies conducted on intra-operative techniques to prevent DASS in high-risk population (Age > 60 years, female gender, diabetes mellitus, peripheral arterial disease and previous DASS) undergoing access creation from January 1990 till April 2019 were included in the systematic review. Thorough search was conducted on Pubmed, Google Scholar and Cochrane databases to identify relevant articles. Included studies reviewed for success of various techniques to prevent dialysis access steal syndrome are summarized. Out of 125 studies in the initial search, six met the inclusion criteria. Five were retrospective case series while one was a case report. The largest study sample size was 32. All but one study had arterio-venous access creation on an arm. "Proximalization of arterial inflow" was described in three and "prophylactic distal revascularization and interval ligation (DRIL) procedure" in two studies to prevent DASS. Only one patient out of these studies developed DASS at an overall follow-up of 7-42 months. Proximalization of inflow has been reported as the most common procedure performed to prevent DASS followed by extension technique and DRIL procedure. All three procedures have satisfactory outcome with no clear superiority of one over the other.

Acute limb ischemia due to ergotism.

Acute ischemia of an extremity potentially threatens limb loss and occasionally the life of the patient. We are reporting two cases of extremity ischemia secondary to ergot poisoning. The first patient was a 60 years old woman, who presented with a 15 days history of ischemia of the left arm with gangrene of the fingers and pain in the resting right hand for one day. Right brachial artery catheterization showed severe spasm of the artery which was resolved by passage of the inflated balloon catheter. She underwent amputation for gangrene of the left hand. The second patient presented with bilateral symmetrical ischemia of the lower extremities which improved upon withdrawal of the ergot containing medicine. She responded to nifedipine.

Cerebral embolism: distal subclavian disease as a rare etiology.

Subclavian artery occlusive disease is usually secondary to persistent compression caused by thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) and rarely due to focal atherosclerosis. Emboli from diseased vessel can flow retrograde to the vertebral or carotid arteries to produce ischemic infarct with or without neurological deficit. We are reporting two cases of distal subclavian artery disease presenting with cerebral embolization, an unusual manifestation. Such surgically correctable lesions producing cerebral emboli and stroke needs consideration while evaluating patients with unusual presentation to prevent further occurrence of stroke.

An analysis of surgical shunts for the management of portal hypertension at Aga Khan University Hospital.

BACKGROUND: The objective of our study was to analyze the outcome of surgical shunts for the management of variceal bleeding associated with portal hypertension. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis carried out at The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi of medical records from Jan 1991--Dec 2001. The main outcome measures included morbidity and mortality associated with the surgical procedure, and the long term outcome in terms of recurrent bleeding. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients underwent a shunt procedure during the study period. The mean age was 35+/-13.75 years, with 22 (73%) males and 8 (27%) females. The indication for surgery was recurrent bleeding in 23 (77%) patients, and active bleeding refractory to endoscopic therapy in 7 (23%) patients. According to Child-Pugh classification, 19 (63%) patients were classified as Childs' A, 7 (23%) as Childs' B, and 4 (13%) as Childs' C. The surgical procedure included distal splenorenal shunt in 25 (83%), central splenorenal shunt in 3 (10%), and portocaval shunt in 2 (7%) cases. Five patients expired within 30 days of surgical intervention with mortality rate of 16%. Three of these patients were Childs' C, as compared to one each in Childs' A and B, the difference being statistically significant. Similarly, the frequency of encephalopathy and recurrent bleeding was also significantly higher in patients with Childs' class C. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical shunts may be considered as a reasonable alternative for long term control of recurrent variceal bleeding in patients with good hepatic reserve.