Bruce J. Brener

The risk of stroke in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis undergoing cardiac surgery: A follow-up study

During a 7-year period, 4047 patients underwent a battery of noninvasive carotid tests before cardiac surgery. Two thirds of the patients with abnormal studies underwent carotid angiography. One hundred fifty-three patients (3.8%) had significant carotid disease, narrowing the luminal diameter by greater than 50%. The incidence of transient ischemic attack or cerebrovascular accident following cardiac surgery was 1.9% in those patients with no carotid disease and 9.2% in those patients with carotid lesions. The incidence of transient ischemic attack or cerebrovascular accident in 32 patients with inoperable (occluded) carotid vessels was 15.6% and in 121 patients with operable (stenotic) lesions was 7.4%. In the group of patients with stenosis, 57 patients underwent carotid operation with an 8.8% incidence of neurologic deficit. During the last 1 1/2 years, no patient with asymptomatic carotid stenosis underwent simultaneous carotid and coronary surgery. Four of 64 patients with combined lesions but no carotid surgery (6.3%) had a neurologic deficit, one of which was severe and permanent. The highest incidence of neurologic dysfunction occurred in patients with unilateral occlusions and contralateral stenosis. Four of 12 patients in this group had a deficit (three of seven patients underwent operation; one of five did not), one of which was permanent. The operative mortality rate after cardiac surgery was three times higher in patients with carotid disease than in those patients with normal carotid arteries. Combined carotid and coronary surgery is currently reserved for patients with neurologic symptoms and severe cardiac disease.

Stenting of proximal venous obstructions to maintain hemodialysis access.

PURPOSE The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of stenting central venous obstructions in patients dependent on hemodialysis to preserve or restore central venous patency and allow for continued hemodialysis from the affected side. METHODS Twenty-five self-expanding (17) and balloon-expandable (8) stainless steel stents were deployed in 19 patients with end-stage renal disease and central venous stenosis or occlusion. Nineteen lesions were treated: 11 subclavian and eight innominate. Twenty-two stents were initially implanted. RESULTS Stent deployment was successful in all cases and immediately remedied the underlying cause of venous hypertension. Follow-up at up to 17 months revealed three deaths from unrelated causes, one occlusion at 3.25 months, and three restenoses at 16 days, 2.5 and 5 months, respectively, with successful implantation of three additional stents for a primary central patency rate of 68% (+/- 14%) and secondary central patency rate of 93% (+/- 7%). CONCLUSIONS Stenting of subclavian and innominate venous stenoses and occlusions effectively corrected the underlying lesions responsible for disturbed hemodynamics and, in most cases, prolonged available hemodialysis access from the affected side. Stents seem to be valuable adjuncts in the management of failing hemodialysis access due to central venous stenosis or occlusion.

Concern about safety of carotid angioplasty.

Stroke risk reduction for the large majority of patients with high-grade carotid stenosis is presently best accomplished by carotid endarterectomy. When properly applied according to clearly identified standards and guidelines, this treatment is effective, safe, and durable.1 2 The results of recent large randomized trials demonstrate conclusively not only the effectiveness of surgical therapy for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients in reducing stroke incidence but also the importance of careful studies in providing definitive information.3 4 With this background of hard-won experience, we view with concern the application of catheter-based angioplasty techniques to carotid artery bifurcation and internal carotid artery disease. Reports of such techniques can be found in small published series characterized by lack of complete descriptive information and absent …

Migration of a Greenfield filter to the pulmonary artery: A case report

A case of Greenfield filter migration to the left pulmonary artery is presented and the pertinent literature reviewed. Technical points are made regarding the prevention and the management of proximal filter migration.

Inadequacy of diagnosis related group (DRG) reimbursements for limb salvage lower extremity arterial reconstructions

Prospective cost and reimbursement data were collected from 10 centers in various parts of the United States on 566 patients undergoing lower extremity arterial reconstructions for limb salvage and nonlimb salvage indications. Information for each patient was available on indication and type of procedure, length of stay, the type of hospital insurance, and hospital costs/charges. Diagnosis related group payments from each center were used to determine net gain or loss for each patient. Patients were classified as having claudication or critical ischemia (limb salvage). Reimbursements matched costs/charges for the claudication group; overall mean loss in this group was only

Ultrasound-guided pseudoaneurysm compression: efficacy after coronary stenting and angioplasty.

915 per patient. However, all centers had important losses in the limb salvage group. Reimbursements averaged 60% of costs/charges, with a mean loss of

Prophylactic Antibiotics Prior to Bacteremia Decrease Endovascular Graft Infection in Dogs

8158 per patient and an overall loss for all 10 centers of

Defining the role of subtotal colectomy in the treatment of carcinoma of the colon.

3,653,918. An effort to remedy this inequity is progressing via a dialogue between representatives of the Society for Vascular Surgery, the North American Chapter of the International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery, and the federal government.

Treatment of acute vascular occlusions with intra-arterial urokinase

PURPOSE Ultrasound-guided compression of femoral pseudoaneurysms has often obviated the need for open operative repair. Increasing use of percutaneous interventional cardiac procedures has created pseudoaneurysms with a large-caliber arterial defect, often in patients who are placed immediately on anticoagulation therapy. This report describes the prospectively collected information from our vascular laboratory regarding ultrasound-guided compression of these pseudoaneurysms after cardiac procedures, both interventional and diagnostic. METHODS Since March 1994 prospective data collection for patients who have undergone pseudoaneurysm compression in our vascular laboratory has recorded information including cardiac procedure, size of catheter or sheath, coagulation parameters, pseudoaneurysm size and location, and time to compression. Forty-one patients underwent attempted ultrasound-guided pseudoaneurysm compression after cardiac procedures: 19 after cardiac catheterization alone, seven after angioplasty, one after atherectomy, two after insertion and subsequent removal of an intraaortic balloon pump, and 12 after coronary stenting. RESULTS Compression was successful overall in 88% of the patients (36 of 41). Successful compression of the pseudoaneurysm was seen in 95% after catheterization alone, 100% after angioplasty, 100% after atherectomy, and 100% after intraaortic balloon pumping, as compared with 67% after stenting (eight of 12 vs 28 of 29; p = 0.02). A sheath size of 9F or greater was a significant factor in predicting unsuccessful compression (three of eight vs two of 33; p = 0.04). Abnormal coagulation parameters were present in 20 of the 41 patients and was not significantly different in patients who were successfully or unsuccessfully treated (four of five vs 16 of 36; p = 0.40). CONCLUSIONS Pseudoaneurysms after cardiac procedures and interventions can often be successfully compressed with an ultrasound-guided technique. The presence of abnormal coagulation parameters was not identified as a risk factor for compression failure and should not dissuade attempted compression. Stent placement was more likely to result in unsuccessful compression, and this appeared to be a result of the larger size of the arterial defect. Even in this setting, compression achieved obliteration of the pseudoaneurysm in more than half of the patients.

Chondrosarcoma of the aorta : A rare source of bowel and lower extremity emboli

Endovascular placement of vascular stent grafts in the aorta and peripheral vessels has become a prominent tool in the armamentaria of the vascular surgeon. Despite, several reports of stent graft infection, no current guidelines exist regarding the administration of antibiotics prior to episodes of potential bacterial seeding. We sought to clarify the role of prophylactic antibiotics in preventing stent graft infection after the parenteral administration of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) at various intervals following device placement. A stent graft device was constructed from a 4 mm thin-walled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft attached to the outside of a balloon expandable 394-Palmaz stent (Johnson and Johnson Interventional Systems, Warren, NJ). It was then inserted into the common iliac artery through an 1 IF peal-away sheath placed in the femoral artery. Sixty grafts were placed into 30 dogs. There were 5 groups of equal number (groups A-E). In group A, six dogs received intravenous injection of 3 cc X 104 CFU (colony forming units), biotype 31375 5. aureus, 1 day after stent graft implantation. An identically treated group B received antibiotic prophylaxis (1 gm cefazolin 30 minutes prior to bacterial challenge). Group C received bacterial injection 7 days after graft implantation with no antibiotic prophylaxis. Group D received bacterial injection 7 days after graft implantation with antibiotic prophylaxis. A control group E received no antibiotics and was not infected. All infected animals were sacrificed 7 days following bacterial challenge and the stent graft complex cultured. One half of the control group was sacrificed at 7 days and the other half at 14 days. The overall stent graft patency was 90%. Four of the six graft occlusions occurred in group A. Eleven of 12 (92%) dogs cultured S. aureus (biotype 31375) from the explanted stent graft complex. Two localized perforations occurred at the site of the infected complex. In group B, C, and D, no explanted graft complex cultured S. aureus. One graft occluded in group C and D. No stent graft in the control (group E) cultured S. aureus. A stent graft infection model can be consistently produced. In the canine model, the stent graft is more susceptible to infection in the early postoperative period and becomes less susceptible to bacterial seeding at one week after implantation. The authors recommend the use of prophylactic antibiotics in the prevention of endovascular graft infections in the early postoperative period during times when bacterial seeding may occur. They postulate that pseudointima formation during graft incorporation into the vessel wall may be responsible for the resistance to infection.