Journal of Endovascular Therapy最新文献

Purpose: To date, no direct comparison has been made between the patency rates of drug-eluting stents (DESs) and interwoven stents (IWSs) in addressing hemodialysis access dysfunction. This study aims to directly compare the primary patency rates of DES and IWS in clinically significant vein-graft anastomotic stenosis of arteriovenous grafts (AVGs).

Material and methods: Between January 2015 and October 2022, we enrolled all hemodialysis patients with clinically significant vein-graft anastomotic stenosis of AVGs who presented at our institution. Patient demographics, AVG details, lesion characteristics, and primary patency data for each stent group were systemically recorded. Following this, a Kaplan-Meier analysis of the primary stent patency was performed, with statistical significance set at p<0.05.

Results: A total of 51 patients (19 men and 32 women; mean age=64 years; range=49-79 years) were enrolled. Among them, 16 were treated with DES and 35 were treated with IWS. Notably, the most common stent placement location in each group was the vein-graft anastomosis of the brachioaxillary grafts, and the primary patency rate was monitored over a follow-up period of 24 months. At 6, 12, and 24 months, the primary patency rates for DES vs IWS were 100% vs 62.7%, 91.7% vs 38.8%, and 62.9% vs 21.4%, respectively (p<0.001).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that DES may be a more effective treatment choice for clinically significant vein-graft anastomotic stenosis in AVGs for hemodialysis access than nondrug-coated IWS.

Clinical impact: Drug-eluting stents (DES) have been widely recognized for their efficacy in reducing reintervention rates in coronary and femoropopliteal pathologies. However, their application in managing failing hemodialysis access remains inadequately explored. This study highlights the promising potential of DES in addressing clinically significant vein-graft anastomotic stenosis in hemodialysis arteriovenous grafts (AVG). DES may represent a viable alternative for mitigating substantial immediate recoil stenosis following balloon angioplasty and for preventing early restenosis at the vein-graft anastomosis of AVG, offering a novel therapeutic avenue for future clinical practice.

Background: This report contributes to VASCUNET data on treating peripheral artery disease (PAD) in Serbia, addressing sex differences, revascularization types, procedure characteristics, and morbidity and mortality.

Methods: SerbVasc, part of the VASCUNET collaboration, includes vascular procedures from 27 Serbian hospitals. Data from 1681 PAD patients were analyzed, focusing on sex disparities, diabetes prevalence, previous procedures, infection and tissue loss, and morbidity and mortality rates.

Results: Males formed the majority, comprising 1169 (69.5%) of the patients. Men were significantly more often treated open surgically compared to women (77.6% vs 68.0%; p=0.000). Diabetes stood at 40.2% prevalence. Smoking history was noted in 61.9% of patients, predominantly males. Complication rates stood at 7.5%, with diabetic patients more prone to reinterventions and graft restenosis. The in-hospital mortality rate was 1.6%, with significant predictors of mortality including urgent procedures and recent myocardial infarction. The severity of the infection was correlated with diabetes (r=0.250, p=0.000) and previous amputations (r=0.186, p=0.000). Patients undergoing revascularization followed by minor amputations had a significantly lower incidence of major amputation (0.1% vs 2.9%, p=0.000).

Conclusions: SerbVasc data provides a comprehensive overview of PAD management, highlighting the significant impact of diabetes and smoking on disease progression and outcomes.

Clinical impact: This study highlights critical aspects of PAD management in developing countries, emphasizing sex differences, risk factors, and outcomes. Males predominated and are more likely to undergo open surgery. Diabetes and smoking significantly influenc disease progression, with diabetic patients experiencing higher rates of graft restenosis and reinterventions. Urgent procedures and recent myocardial infarctions are key predictors of in-hospital mortality. Combining revascularization with minor amputations reduced major amputation rates. These findings provide valuable data for tailoring treatment strategies, optimizing resource allocation, and improving outcomes for PAD patients, with implications extending beyond Serbia to similar healthcare systems.

Purpose: To summarize experience with and the efficacy of fenestrated/branched thoracic endovascular repair (F/B-TEVAR) using physician-modified stent-grafts (PMSGs) under 3D printing guidance in triple aortic arch branch reconstruction.

Materials and methods: From February 2018 to April 2022, 14 cases of aortic arch aneurysms and 30 cases of aortic arch dissection (22 acute aortic arch dissection and 8 long-term aortic arch dissection)were treated by F/B-TEVAR in our department, including 34 males and 10 females, with an average age of 59.84 ± 11.72 years. Three aortic arch branches were affected in all patients. A 3D-printed model was made according to computed tomography angiography images and used to guide the fabrication of PMSGs. All patients were followed up.

Results: A total of 132 branches were successfully reconstructed with no case of conversion to open surgery. The average operation time was 4.97 ± 1.40 hours, including a mean 44.05 ± 7.72 minutes for stent-graft customization, the mean postoperative hospitalization duration was 9.91 ± 4.47 days, the average intraoperative blood loss was 480.91 mL (100-2810 mL), and the mean postoperative intensive care unit monitoring duration was 1.02 days (0-5 days). No deaths occurred within 30 days of surgery. Postoperative neurological complications occurred in 1 case (2.3%), and retrograde type A dissection occurred in 1 case (2.3%).

Conclusion: Compared with conventional surgery, triple aortic arch branch reconstruction under the guidance of 3D printing is a minimally invasive treatment method with the advantages of accurate positioning, rapid postoperative recovery, few complications, and reliable short- to mid-term effects.

Clinical impact: At present the PMSG usually depend on imaging data and software calculation. With the guidance of 3D printing technology, image data could be transformed into 3D model, which has improved the accuracy of the positioning of the fenestrations. The diameter reduction technique and the internal mini cuff technique have made a complement to the slimed-down fenestration selection process and the low rate of endoleak. As reproducible study, our results may provide reference for TEVAR in different cases.

Purpose: Post-EVAR (endovascular aneurysm repair) aneurysm sac growth can be seen as therapy failure as it is a risk factor for post-EVAR aneurysm rupture. This study sought to identify preoperative patient predictors for developing post-EVAR aneurysm sac growth.

Material and methods: A systematic review was conducted to select potential predictive preoperative factors for post-EVAR sac growth (including a total of 34.886 patients), which were evaluated by a retrospective single-center analysis of patients undergoing EVAR between 2009 and 2019 (N=247) with pre-EVAR computed tomography scans and at least 1 year follow-up. The primary study outcome was post-EVAR abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) sac enlargement (≥5 mm diameter increase). Multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed.

Results: Potential correlative factors for post-EVAR sac growth included in the cohort analysis were age, sex, anticoagulants, antiplatelets, renal insufficiency, anemia, low thrombocyte count, pulmonary comorbidities, aneurysm diameter, neck diameter, neck angle, neck length, configuration of intraluminal thrombus, common iliac artery diameter, the number of patent lumbar arteries, and a patent inferior mesenteric artery. Multivariate analysis showed that infrarenal neck angulation (hazard ratio, 1.014; confidence interval (CI), 1.001-1.026; p=0.034) and the number of patent lumbar arteries (hazard ratio, 1.340; CI, 1.131-1.588; p<0.001) were associated with post-EVAR growth. Difference in estimated freedom from post-EVAR sac growth for patients with ≥4 patent lumbar arteries versus <4 patent lumbar arteries became clear after 2 years: 88.5% versus 100%, respectively (p<0.001). Of note, 31% of the patients (n=51) with ≥4 patent lumbar arteries (n=167) developed post-EVAR sac growth. In our cohort, the median maximum AAA diameter was 57 mm (interquartile range [IQR] = 54-62) and the median postoperative follow-up time was 54 months (IQR = 34-79). In all, 23% (n=57) of the patients suffered from post-EVAR growth. The median time for post-EVAR growth was 37 months (IQR = 24-63). In 46 of the 57 post-EVAR growth cases (81%), an endoleak was observed; 2.4% (n=6) of the patients suffered from post-EVAR rupture. The total mortality in the cohort was 24% (n=60); 4% (n=10) was AAA related.

Conclusions: This study showed that having 4 or more patent lumbar arteries is an important predictive factor for postoperative sac growth in patients undergoing EVAR.

Clinical impact: This study strongly suggests that having 4 or more patent lumbar arteries should be included in preoperative counseling for EVAR, in conjunction to the instructions for use (IFU).

Introduction: En bloc kidney transplantation (EBKT) is a technique used to transplant pediatric kidneys to adult recipients, but can lead to certain complications seldom found in single-kidney transplantation. We report a case of renal artery embolization after EBKT due to intractable unilateral hydronephrosis and highlight the technical details and challenges of the procedure.

Case: An 18-year-old female with MELAS syndrome underwent EBKT from a 10-month-old male baby. Two months later, the patient developed unilateral hydronephrosis and recurrent urinary tract infections, which was intractable to conventional therapy. Therefore, we underwent embolization of the problematic transplanted left kidney. Owing to the complicated anatomy and multiple angulations, multiple microcatheters, wires and support catheters were needed to select the renal arteries. Repeated procedures were required due to remnant flow from small branches and accessory renal arteries that were not easily visualized by conventional angiography, which were eventually detected by adjunctive use of 3-dimensional rotational angiography.

Conclusions: Selective renal artery embolization after EBKT is challenging due to the short renal artery length and multiple angulations, yet it can still be performed safely and effectively by use of meticulous catheter-wire interactions and adjunctive intraoperative imaging techniques to delineate the precise anatomy of the target arteries.

Clinical impact: Selective renal artery embolization, which is less invasive than nephrectomy, can be considered if the culprit kidney must inevitably be sacrificed in en bloc kidney transplantation.

Purpose: To report a unique entity and its management that occurred at our facility: combined spontaneous isolated renal and celiac arterial dissection (SIRCAD) with resultant renal and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Case report: A 50-year-old man with no past medical history presented with a 4 day history of nausea, intermittent stabbing epigastric pain, right flank pain, and uncontrolled hypertension. After full physical examination and imaging studies, the diagnosis of SIRCAD was established and confirmed. Selective right renal artery catheterization revealed dissection limited to the main trunk, and after careful selective hand-injection and successful cannulation of the distal renal artery branches through the true lumen assisted by intravascular ultrasound, a balloon expandable covered stent (6 mm in diameter and 60 mm in length) was deployed in the main renal artery. The same steps were performed for management of the celiac artery dissection. The patient was treated with clopidogrel 75 mg for 6 weeks and lifetime aspirin. A week after the procedure, his symptoms completely resolved.

Conclusion: The pathology of SIRCAD in the absence of other vascular dissections is extremely rare, which speaks for the necessity of reporting this case and highlights the great role of evolving imaging modalities in the diagnosis and management of such cases.

Clinical impact: Symptomatic combined spontaneous isolated renal and celiac arterial dissection (SIRCAD) remain rare despite the increased frequency of reports on asymptomatic dissections. The etiology of SIRCAD is not precisely defined. Moreover, treatment of SIRCAD remains controversial with only a few cases of percutaneous interventional treatment are reported in the literature.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and internally validate nomograms for predicting restenosis after endovascular treatment of lower extremity arterial diseases.

Materials and methods: A total of 181 hospitalized patients with lower extremity arterial disease diagnosed for the first time between 2018 and 2019 were retrospectively collected. Patients were randomly divided into a primary cohort (n=127) and a validation cohort (n=54) at a ratio of 7:3. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to optimize the feature selection of the prediction model. Combined with the best characteristics of LASSO regression, the prediction model was established by multivariate Cox regression analysis. The predictive models' identification, calibration, and clinical practicability were evaluated by the C index, calibration curve, and decision curve. The prognosis of patients with different grades was compared by survival analysis. Internal validation of the model used data from the validation cohort.

Results: The predictive factors included in the nomogram were lesion site, use of antiplatelet drugs, application of drug coating technology, calibration, coronary heart disease, and international normalized ratio (INR). The prediction model demonstrated good calibration ability, and the C index was 0.762 (95% confidence interval: 0.691-0.823). The C index of the validation cohort was 0.864 (95% confidence interval: 0.801-0.927), which also showed good calibration ability. The decision curve shows that when the threshold probability of the prediction model is more significant than 2.5%, the patients benefit significantly from our prediction model, and the maximum net benefit rate is 30.9%. Patients were graded according to the nomogram. Survival analysis found that there was a significant difference in the postoperative primary patency rate between patients of different classifications (log-rank p<0.001) in both the primary cohort and the validation cohort.

Conclusion: We developed a nomogram to predict the risk of target vessel restenosis after endovascular treatment by considering information on lesion site, postoperative antiplatelet drugs, calcification, coronary heart disease, drug coating technology, and INR.

Clinical impact: Clinicians can grade patients after endovascular procedure according to the scores of the nomograms and apply intervention measures of different intensities for people at different risk levels. During the follow-up process, an individualized follow-up plan can be further formulated according to the risk classification. Identifying and analyzing risk factors is essential for making appropriate clinical decisions to prevent restenosis.