André Nevelsteen

Autogenous reconstruction with the lower extremity deep veins: an alternative treatment of prosthetic infection after reconstructive surgery for aortoiliac disease

PURPOSE This report evaluates the efficiency of use of the lower extremity deep vein as arterial conduits in the autogenous repair of prosthetic infection after reconstructive aortoiliac surgery. METHODS We reviewed our records for the period 1990 to 1994 of all patients with prosthetic infection after reconstruction for aortoiliac disease, and we selected for this study all those patients who underwent autograft repair with the lower extremity deep veins. RESULTS Included were 15 patients: 12 had previously undergone direct aorto(ilio)femoral reconstruction, and three had an extraanatomic prosthetic graft. Thirteen patients were admitted with primary graft infection, and two were admitted with secondary graft-enteric erosion. Treatment consisted of prosthetic excision and aorto(ilio)femoral reconstruction with the superficial femoral vein. In situ reconstruction was performed in 12 cases. The operative mortality rate was 7%. There were no early graft occlusions. One patient underwent an above-knee amputation because of concomitant femoropopliteal occlusion in the presence of a patent deep venous aortofemoral graft. Early postoperative limb swelling was common and was controlled with bed rest, elastic stockings, or intermittent pneumatic compression. The mean follow-up of this series was 17 months (range 4 to 33 months). Two patients died of unrelated causes. One graft occluded after 16 months. There were no reinfections, and all but one patient resumed normal daily activities. Disability from removal of the deep veins was minimal: only one patient continues to wear elastic stockings for limb swelling and shows signs of venous hypertension more than 2 years after surgery. CONCLUSION Harvesting of the lower extremity deep veins is well tolerated. Autogenous reconstruction with these veins provides good potential for salvage of life and limbs in case of prosthetic infection. A longer period of follow-up is required to study the long-term behavior of these grafts and to allow definite comparison with more conventional approaches.

Aortofemoral dacron reconstruction for aorto-iliac occlusive disease: A 25-year survey

The authors present a consecutive series of 869 patients, who received an aorto(bi)femoral Dacron graft for occlusive disease between 1963 and 1988. The operative indications were grade 1 disease (n = 371), grade 2 disease (n = 408) or grade 3 disease (n = 90). The operative mortality was 4.5% and remained stable over the years of the study. The median survival was 8.2 years and 25% of the patients survived for more than 15 years. Late patency decreased to 74% and 70% after 10 and 15 years, respectively. Fifty-six patients underwent a major amputation in the long run. The amputation rate increased to 3, 8.6 and 12.1%, respectively for grade 1, grade 2 and grade 3 disease. Satisfactory functional results were obtained by 51% and 40% of the patients after 10 and 15 years, respectively. By means of secondary and tertiary operations this increased to 70% and 61%. Long term functional results were primarily dependent on smoking habits postoperatively, the date of operation and the presence of concomitant femoro-popliteal occlusive disease.

Heparin-bonded ePTFE grafts compared with vein grafts in femoropopliteal and femorocrural bypasses: 1- and 2-year results.

OBJECTIVE Many patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease who require a lower-limb bypass have no available autologous saphenous vein (ASV) for the procedure and thus require a prosthetic graft. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafts are commonly used, but results with these prostheses have varied, especially when the distal anastomosis is below the knee. However, there is increasing evidence that ePTFE grafts to which heparin has been bound with use of covalent endpoint linkage provide better results. This nonrandomized study compared the performance of these grafts with that of ASV conduits in the largest clinical series of heparin-bonded ePTFE graft implantations reported so far. METHODS The records of 350 patients who underwent a lower-limb bypass procedure that used either a heparin-bonded ePTFE graft (n = 240) or an ASV graft (n = 110) were reviewed, and preoperative, operative, and follow-up data were recorded. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to calculate primary patency and limb salvage rates in the two graft groups; results were compared by using log-rank testing. RESULTS The primary patency rates at 1 year for the heparin-bonded ePTFE grafts were 92% for above-knee femoropopliteal (AK FP) bypasses, 92% for below-knee femoropopliteal (BK FP) bypasses, and 79% for femorocrural (FC) applications. The corresponding 2-year rates were 83%, 83%, and 69%, respectively. In the ASV group, the 1-year primary patency rates for AK FP, BK FP, and FC bypasses were 91%, 72%, and 69%, respectively; the 2-year rates were 80%, 72%, and 64%, respectively. There were no significant differences in patency when AK FP, BK FP, or FC procedures were considered separately. Two-year limb salvage rates in the heparin-bonded ePTFE graft group were 92%, 98%, and 87%, respectively, for AK FP, BK FP, and FC bypasses; in the ASV group, the rates were 100%, 91%, and 96%, respectively. Two infections occurred in patients given a heparin-bonded ePTFE graft. CONCLUSION In this large retrospective study, heparin-bonded ePTFE grafts had 1- and 2-year primary patency results that were not significantly different from those for ASV grafts. Results in BK FP and FC applications were especially promising. Randomized studies comparing the use of heparin-bonded ePTFE and ASV grafts in the treatment of peripheral arterial disease are needed to substantiate our results.

Limb Occlusion after Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms with Supported Endografts

PURPOSE To assess the time period of onset, etiology, and outcomes of limb occlusion after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms with supported endografts. MATERIALS AND METHODS From 1998 to 2007, 288 patients underwent endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) to exclude an infrarenal aortic aneurysm. In the majority of patients, a Zenith stent-graft (n = 187) or Excluder stent-graft (n = 71) was implanted. Nine patients presented with limb occlusion during follow-up. All occluded stent-grafts were modular (n = 8) or aortomonoiliac (n = 1) Zenith endoprostheses. One additional patient who was previously treated with a Zenith aortomonoiliac stent-graft was referred to our institution for further treatment of stent-graft thrombosis. RESULTS The initial clinical presentations were acute ischemia (n = 5), buttock claudication (n = 3), and incidental findings on follow-up imaging (n = 2). Occlusion occurred within the first month after EVAR (n = 5), between the first and second month after EVAR (n = 2), 10 months after EVAR (n = 1), and 4-5 years after EVAR (n = 2). Underlying causes of occlusion were kinking of the stent-graft (n = 5), small-diameter endograft limb with extension to the external iliac artery (n = 3), and migration and dislocation of an endograft limb (n = 2). Treatment consisted of catheter-directed thrombolysis and stent placement (n = 3), surgical thrombectomy or bypass operation (n = 5), and expectant management (n = 2). Outcome of all revascularization procedures showed immediate clinical success in all patients and no late recurrent limb ischemia at a mean follow-up of 38.9 months. CONCLUSIONS Limb occlusion of aortic stent-grafts mostly occurs shortly after EVAR and can be related to underlying kinking of the metallic skeleton, extension of the stent-graft into the external iliac artery, or migration and dislocation of an endograft limb. Satisfactory and durable clinical outcomes can be obtained after appropriate revascularization.

Long-term results after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair using the Cook Zenith endograft

OBJECTIVE This study assessed the long-term outcome of patients with abdominal aortic and aortoiliac aneurysms treated with the Cook Zenith endovascular graft (Cook Inc, Bloomington, Ind). METHODS Between September 1998 and October 2003, 143 patients underwent elective endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) using the Cook Zenith endograft. Data from these patients were reviewed from a prospective database in October 2008. Primary outcome measures were overall survival, intervention-free survival, and freedom from aneurysm rupture. Secondary outcome measures were early and late postoperative complications, including endoleaks. RESULTS Mean follow-up was 66.4 months (range, 1.9-121.0 months). Overall survival was 72.1% at the 5-year follow-up and 50.9% at the 8-year follow-up. Intervention-free survival was 77.1% at 5 years and 63.8% at 8 years. There were no reintervention-related deaths. Six patients had a late aneurysm rupture, which was fatal in three. Freedom from aneurysm rupture was 98.1% at 5 years and 91.0% at 8 years. Late complications occurred throughout the follow-up period, with a tendency for aneurysm rupture and surgical conversion to occur at a later stage in the follow-up period. Aneurysm sac enlargement during follow-up was associated with late aneurysm rupture and with the need for reintervention. CONCLUSION Elective EVAR using the Cook Zenith endograft provides excellent results through a mean follow-up of >5 years. There is a low aneurysm-related mortality and an acceptable rate of postoperative complications and reinterventions. The occurrence of late complications throughout the follow-up period stresses the need for continued postoperative surveillance in EVAR patients.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the subclavian artery: early and late results

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of 23 subclavian arteries was attempted in 22 patients. Dilatation was successful in 3 of 4 right subclavian artery stenoses and 18 of 19 left subclavian artery stenoses. The primary clinical indication was posterior fossa ischemia in 11 patients, upper limb ischemia in 14 and both symptoms in 6. In 2 patients, dilatation of an asymptomatic high-degree left subclavian artery stenosis was performed before coronary artery bypass surgery using the internal mammary artery. Eighteen patients on follow-up over 6–60 months (mean 25 months) are free of symptoms with equivalent systolic blood pressures in both arms. Three patients showed relapse of the stenosis after 8, 12, and 15 months; one was successfully treated with a second dilatation. Complications consisted of an occlusion at the left axillary artery puncture site and a distal embolus to a finger artery. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty appears safe and efficient therapy for subclavian artery stenoses with excellent short- and long-term results.

Experience with cryopreserved arterial allografts in the treatment of prosthetic graft infections.

The authors present a retrospective study on 30 patients with prosthetic graft infection. Included are 25 patients with aortic graft infection, three with infection of a femorodistal bypass and two with infected axillofemoral grafts. There were 23 isolated primary prosthetic graft infections and seven aorto-enteric fistulas. Treatment consisted of graft excision and replacement with cryopreserved arterial homografts, harvested from brain-death multi-organ donors. The in situ technique was used in 27 cases. Eight patients died postoperatively and two deaths were from allograft related complications. The operative mortality rate was 11% for isolated aortic graft sepsis and the early limb salvage rate was 100%. Persistent or recurrent infection was noted in two cases. The mean follow-up of the series was 24.5 months and occlusive complications occurred in five patients (23%), which resulted in two major amputations. Serial CT scans showed abnormalities in six of the 22 survivors, all of them related to the aortic segment of the allograft. It is concluded that in situ reconstruction with cryopreserved arterial allografts represents an acceptable alternative, especially in the treatment of isolated aortic graft sepsis. Continued follow-up towards late deterioration and/or occlusive complications remains mandatory.

Nine Years' Experience with the Björk-Shiley Prosthetic Valve: Early and Late Results of 932 Valve Replacements

Between November, 1970, and December, 1977, 932 consecutive patients received the standard Björk-Shiley prosthesis. Operative mortality was 4.6% for aortic valve replacement (AVR; N = 364), 5.1% for mitral valve replacement (MVR; N = 313); 11.3% for multiple valve replacement (N = 194), and 13.7% for valve replacement combined with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG; N = 51). Factors influencing hospital mortality included type of valve replacement, age at operation, whether the valve replacement was done as an emergency, and year of implantation. Complete follow-up (mean, 3.7 years) was achieved in 95% of the survivors. Actuarial survival was 82% for AVR patients at 8 years, 83% for MVR patients at 7 years, 72% for multiple valve replacement patients at 7 years, and 76% for those who had valve replacement with CABG at 3 years. No significant difference in late survival was found between patients with mitral insufficiency alone (p greater than 0.2) or aortic insufficiency alone (p greater than 0.9) and those with stenotic lesions only. Thromboembolic complications occurred at an incidence of 1.17% per patient-year, and Dicumarol-induced hemorrhages occurred at an incidence of 2.11% per patient-year. Twelve out of 13 patients survived operation for prosthetic valve thrombosis, indicating that this complication is not as catastrophic as many believe. The incidence of reoperation in anticoagulated patients was 0.63% per patient-year. All of these results are compared with data from the recent literature.

Endovascular stent-grafts for superficial femoral artery disease: results of 1-year follow-up.

PURPOSE To document a preliminary study to assess the deployment and outcomes of endoluminal stent grafting in the superficial femoral artery (SFA) with use of a prototype device. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty patients with lifestyle-limiting intermittent claudication were selected for treatment with a balloon-mounted expansive polytetrafluoroethylene graft. All patients had angiographically proven SFA disease (median length, 17 cm) with normal arterial inflow and at least two calf vessels patent to the ankle. Follow-up was by means of ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI), duplex ultrasound, and angiography. RESULTS Fourteen patients were successfully treated. Six patients were excluded: five by the study protocol and one because the procedure was a technical failure. ABPI rose from 0.6 before treatment to 1.0. The treated limbs became asymptomatic. Twelve-month primary, primary assisted, and secondary patency rates of treated patients were 29%, 50%, and 64%. CONCLUSION Endovascular stent grafting of SFA lesions is technically feasible, but the patency rates obtained with this design are inferior to those obtained with conventional surgical bypass.

Internal Iliac Artery Coil Embolization in the Prevention of Potential Type 2 Endoleak after Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortoiliac and Iliac Artery Aneurysms: Effect of Total Occlusion versus Residual Flow

PURPOSE To evaluate whether the presence of type 2 endoleak after internal iliac artery (IIA) coil embolization in patients with residual antegrade flow through the coils is more frequent than in patients who presented with total occlusion of the IIA after embolization. MATERIALS AND METHODS Records were reviewed of 45 patients who underwent unilateral (n = 37) or bilateral (n = 8) IIA coil embolization between 1998 and 2004 for endovascular repair of aortoiliac aneurysms (n = 32), iliac artery aneurysms (n = 12), pseudoaneurysm (n = 1), or distal type 1 endoleak after placement of an aortoiliac stent-graft (n = 8). A total of 53 IIAs were embolized by means of coils and/or microcoils. Computed tomography (CT) was used for follow-up in 40 patients, angiography was used in three, and color Doppler ultrasonography was used in three. RESULTS At the end of the embolization procedure, 23 IIAs were occluded and 30 IIAs demonstrated residual antegrade flow through the coils. Control CT demonstrated two type 2 endoleaks after endovascular stent-graft placement resulting from retrograde blood flow into the left IIA main branch via a patent iliolumbar artery. One of these two patients showed residual antegrade flow through the coils at the end of the IIA embolization procedure, and the other patient underwent complete coil embolization of the ostia of the anterior and posterior division but not of the main trunk of an aneurysmal IIA. CONCLUSION IIA coil embolization with residual antegrade flow through the coils causes no greater incidence of type 2 endoleak after aortoiliac or iliac stent-graft placement. However, care must be taken in case of a proximal postostial origin of the iliolumbar artery on the IIA, which may cause type 2 endoleak if not embolized.