Francisco Cesar Carnevale

Quality of Life and Clinical Symptom Improvement Support Prostatic Artery Embolization for Patients with Acute Urinary Retention Caused by Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

PURPOSE To show that prostatic artery embolization (PAE) improves quality of life (QoL) and lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with acute urinary retention caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a single-center prospective study of PAE in 11 patients with BPH managed with indwelling urinary catheters. International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), ultrasound, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, QoL, and urodynamic tests were used to assess outcomes. Prostate size ranged from 30 to 90 g, and embolizations were performed with 300-500-μm Embosphere microspheres. RESULTS The rate of technical success (ie, bilateral PAE) was 75%, and the rate of clinical success (ie, catheter removal and symptom improvement) was 91% (10 of 11 patients). Postembolization syndrome manifested as mild pain in the perineum, retropubic area, and/or urethra. Ten of 11 patients urinated spontaneously after Foley catheter removal 4-25 days after PAE (mean, 12.1 d). No major complications were observed. Follow-up ranged from 19 to 48 months. In an asymptomatic patient, a discrete area of hypoperfusion suggesting small ischemia of the bladder was observed on 30-day MR imaging follow-up, but the bladder was normal on 90-day MR imaging. After 1 year, mean prostate volume reduction was greater than 30%, symptoms were mild (mean IPSS, 2.8 ± 2.1; P = .04), no erectile dysfunction was observed, and QoL improved significantly (mean, 0.4 ± 0.5; P = .001) using the paired t test. CONCLUSIONS Patients with severe symptoms and acute urinary retention caused by BPH can be treated safely by PAE, which improves clinical symptoms and QoL.

Percutaneous Endovascular Treatment of Chronic Iliac Artery Occlusion

AbstractPurpose: To evaluate the clinical and radiological long-term results of recanalization of chronic occluded iliac arteries with balloon angioplasty and stent placement. Methods: Sixty-nine occluded iliac arteries (mean length 8.1 cm; range 4–16 cm) in 67 patients were treated by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent placement. Evaluations included clinical assesment according to Fontaine stages, Doppler examinations with ankle–brachial index (ABI) and bilateral lower extremity arteriograms. Wallstent and Cragg vascular stents were inserted for iliac artery recanalization under local anesthesia. Follow-up lasted 1–83 months (mean 29.5 months). Results: Technical success rate was 97.1% (67 of 69). The mean ABI increased from 0.46 to 0.85 within 30 days after treatment and was 0.83 at the most recent follow-up. Mean hospitalization time was 2 days and major complications included arterial thrombosis (3%), arterial rupture (3%) and distal embolization (1%). During follow-up 6% stenosis and 9% thrombosis of the stents were observed. Clinical improvement occurred in 92% of patients. Primary and secondary patency rates were 75% and 95%, respectively. Conclusion: The long-term patency rates and clinical benefits suggest that percutaneous endovascular revascularization with metallic stents is a safe and effective treatment for patients with chronic iliac artery occlusion.

Prostatic Artery Embolization for Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Patients with Prostates > 90 g: A Prospective Single-Center Study

PURPOSE To describe the safety and efficacy of prostatic artery embolization (PAE) with spherical microparticles to treat lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia in patients with prostate volume > 90 g. MATERIALS AND METHODS This prospective, single-center, single-arm study was conducted in 35 patients with prostate volumes ranging from 90-252 g. Mean patient age was 64.8 years (range, 53-77 y). Magnetic resonance imaging, uroflowmetry, and the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) were used to assess clinical and functional outcomes. RESULTS Mean prostate size decreased significantly from 135.1 g before PAE to 91.9 g at 3 months of follow-up (P < .0001). Mean IPSS and quality-of-life index improved from 18.3 to 2.7 and 4.8 to 0.9 (P < .0001 for both), respectively. A significant negative correlation was observed between prostate-specific antigen at 24 hours after PAE and IPSS 3 months after PAE (P = .0057). CONCLUSIONS PAE is a safe and effective treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia in patients with prostate volume > 90 g. Excessively elevated prostate-specific antigen within 24 hours of PAE is associated with lower symptom burden in short-term follow-up.

Transient Ischemic Rectitis as a Potential Complication after Prostatic Artery Embolization: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Prostatic artery embolization (PAE) is an alternative treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Complications are primarily related to non-target embolization. We report a case of ischemic rectitis in a 76-year-old man with significant lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia, probably related to nontarget embolization. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an 85.5-g prostate and urodynamic studies confirmed Inferior vesical obstruction. PAE was performed bilaterally. During the first 3 days of follow-up, a small amount of blood mixed in the stool was observed. Colonoscopy identified rectal ulcers at day 4, which had then disappeared by day 16 post PAE without treatment. PAE is a safe, effective procedure with a low complication rate, but interventionalists should be aware of the risk of rectal nontarget embolization.

Prostatic Artery Embolization for Enlarged Prostates Due to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. How I Do It

Prostatic artery embolization (PAE) has emerged as an alternative to surgical treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Patient selection and refined technique are essential for good results. Urodynamic evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging are very important and technical limitations are related to elderly patients with tortuous and atherosclerotic vessels, anatomical variations, difficulty visualizing and catheterizing small diameter arteries feeding the prostate, and the potential risk of bladder and rectum ischemia. The use of small-diameter hydrophilic microcatheters is mandatory. Patients can be treated safely by PAE with low rates of side effects, reducing prostate volume with clinical symptoms and quality of life improvement without urinary incontinence, ejaculatory disorders, or erectile dysfunction. A multidisciplinary approach with urologists and interventional radiologists is essential to achieve better results.

Hepatic venous reconstruction in pediatric living‐related donor liver transplantation – Experience of a single center

Abstract:  In pediatric patients submitted to living related liver transplantation, hepatic venous reconstruction is critical because of the diameter of the hepatic veins and the potential risk of twisting of the graft over the line of the anastomosis. The aim of the present study is to present our experience in hepatic venous reconstruction performed in pediatric living related donor liver transplantation. Fifty‐four consecutive transplants were performed and two methods were utilized for the reconstruction of the hepatic vein: direct anastomosis of the orifice of the donor left or left and middle hepatic veins and the common orifice of the recipient left and middle hepatic veins (group 1–26 cases), and wide triangular anastomosis after creating a wide triangular orifice in the recipient inferior vena cava at the confluence of all the hepatic veins with an additional longitudinal incision in the inferior angle of the orifice (group 2–28 cases). In group 1, eight patients were excluded because of graft problems in the early postoperative period and five among the remaining 18 patients (27.7%) presented stricture at the site of the hepatic vein anastomosis. All these patients had to be submitted to two or three sessions of balloon dilatations of the anastomoses and in four of them a metal stent had to be placed. The liver histopathological changes were completely reversed by the placement of the stent. Among the 28 patients of the group 2, none of them presented hepatic vein stenosis (p = 0.01). The results of the present series lead to the conclusion that hepatic venous reconstruction in pediatric living donor liver transplantation must be preferentially performed by using a wide triangulation on the recipient inferior vena cava, including the orifices of the three hepatic veins. In cases of stenosis, the endovascular dilatation is the treatment of choice followed by stent placement in cases of recurrence.

The “PErFecTED Technique”: Proximal Embolization First, Then Embolize Distal for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

AbstractProstatic artery embolization requires a refined technique to achieve good imaging and clinical success. The PErFecTED (Proximal Embolization First, Then Embolize Distal) technique has produced greater prostate ischemia and infarction than previously described methods with clinical improvement of lower urinary symptoms and lower recurrence rates. The microcatheter should cross any collateral branch to the bladder, rectum, corpus cavernosum, gonad, or penis and be placed distally into the prostatic artery before its branching to the central gland and peripheral zone. This technique allows better distribution of embolic material in the intraprostatic arteries and reduces risk of spasm or thrombus. Because benign prostatic hyperplasia develops primarily in the periurethral region of the prostate, the urethral group of arteries should be embolized first. Subsequent distal investigation and embolization completes occlusion and stasis of blood flow to the prostatic parenchyma. Since we added the second step to the PErFecTED technique, we have observed infarcts in all patients submitted to prostatic artery embolization.

Four hundred thirty consecutive pediatric living donor liver transplants: Variables associated with posttransplant patient and graft survival

The availability of living donors allows transplant teams to indicate living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) early in the course of liver disease before the occurrence of life‐threatening complications. Late referral to transplant centers is still a problem and can compromise the success of the procedure. The aim of this study was to examine the perioperative factors associated with patient and graft survival for 430 consecutive pediatric LDLT procedures at Sirio‐Libanes Hospital/A. C. Camargo Hospital (São Paulo, Brazil) between October 1995 and April 2011. The studied pretransplant variables included the following: recipient age and body weight, Pediatric End‐Stage Liver Disease score, z score for height/age, bilirubin, albumin, international normalized ratio, hemoglobin, sodium, presence of ascites, and previous surgery. The analyzed technical aspects included the graft‐to‐recipient weight ratio and the use of vascular grafts for portal vein reconstruction. In addition, the occurrence of hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT), portal vein thrombosis (PVT), and biliary complications was also analyzed. The liver grafts included 348 left lateral segments, 5 monosegments, 51 left lobes, and 9 right lobes. In a univariate analysis, an age < 12 months, a low body weight (≤10 kg), malnutrition, hyperbilirubinemia, and HAT were associated with decreased patient and graft survival after LDLT. In a multivariate analysis, a body weight ≤ 10 kg and HAT were significantly associated with decreased patient and graft survival. The use of vascular grafts significantly increased the occurrence of PVT. In conclusion, a low body weight (≤10 kg) and the occurrence of HAT independently determined worse patient and graft survival in this large cohort of pediatric LDLT patients. Liver Transpl, 2012.

Midterm Follow-Up After Prostate Embolization in Two Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common benign neoplasm in men [1, 2]. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is still the ‘‘gold standard’’ surgical treatment for prostates. Due to the relative morbidity of TURP, minimally invasive techniques have been developed as alternatives for treatment for BPH, such as transurethral microwave thermotherapy and other laser ablations, but surgery (accomplished by transurethral or open means) constitutes the traditional treatment for BPH. Taking into account the patients’ comorbidities, surgical intervention in this age group may be considered high risk [3]. We report the radiological and clinical midterm follow-up of PAE in two patients with acute urinary retention due to BPH. Two patients with acute urinary retention due to BPH were selected for the study. Both patients were been previously described in this same journal in 2010 [4]. Prostatic artery embolization was performed under local anesthesia in both patients. One underwent bilateral embolization and the other had a unilateral embolization procedure. After PAE procedure, ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used for evaluation of effectiveness at 1, 3, 6, and 18 months. International prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life score (QUOL), and international index of erectile function score (IIEF) were evaluated until the last 24 month follow-up.

MRI Findings After Prostatic Artery Embolization for Treatment of Benign Hyperplasia

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to assess and describe the MRI findings after prostatic artery embolization for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively evaluated 17 patients who underwent prostatic artery embolization as part of different prospective studies to evaluate this alternative treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Clinical results were evaluated by assessment of urinary catheterization and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). Serial MRI examinations were performed, and the prostatic central gland and peripheral zone were evaluated for signal intensity changes and the presence and characteristics of infarcted areas. Statistical analysis was performed with ANOVA for repeated measures and Student t test. RESULTS All patients had clinical success, as defined by the removal of indwelling urinary catheter or decreased IPSS after embolization. Infarcts were seen in 70.6% of the subjects, exclusively in the central gland, were almost always characterized by hyperintensity on T1-weighted images and predominant hypointensity on T2-weighted images, and became smaller (mean reduction, p < 0.001) and isointense to the remaining of the central gland over time. Volume reduction of the prostate after embolization was significant (averaging 32.0% after 12-18 months; p < 0.001) only in patients with infarcts. No statistically significant association was seen between the development of infarcts and IPSS. CONCLUSION MRI can be used for assessing the development of infarcts and volume reduction in the prostate after embolization. Further studies are needed to correlate these findings to clinical outcome.