Hans Jørgen Buchardt Hansen

Four years' results of a prospective, randomized clinical trial comparing polytetrafluoroethylene and modified human umbilical vein for below-knee femoropopliteal bypass

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (Gore-Tex) and human umbilical vein (Biograft) arterial grafts were compared for below-knee femoropopliteal bypass grafting in a prospective randomized clinical trial. One hundred five patients (105 limbs) entered the trial. Seventy-six percent suffered from rest pain, ulceration, or gangrene. The median postoperative ankle-arm blood pressure index was 0.36. Twenty-three limbs had three patent tibial arteries, 46 limbs had two tibial arteries, 31 limbs had one patent artery, and five limbs had isolated popliteal segments. Thirty-four percent were repeat operations. Fifty-five patients were allocated to receive PTFE grafts and 50 to receive human umbilical vein grafts. The two groups were comparable as to preoperative risk factors and operative and postoperative treatment. During the first 4 years (maximum 1609 days) 40 PTFE grafts and 24 umbilical veins occluded. At 1 year the PTFE patency rate was 53% and at 4 years was 22%. For umbilical vein the corresponding figures were 74% and 42% (p = 0.005, Gehan test). During follow-up the incidence of PTFE failure was on the average 2.1 times higher than that of umbilical vein failure (95% confidence limits 1.2 to 3.4).

Doppler examination of the periorbital arteries adds valuable hemodynamic information in carotid artery disease

The periorbital flow direction and internal carotid artery (ICA) angiogram were compared to the ICA pressure gradient across the stenosis and the distal ICA pressure in 51 patients subjected to carotid endarterectomy. All 17 patients with inverted periorbital flow had stenoses exceeding 50%. The remaining 16 patients with the same degree of stenosis had antegrade flow, which was also observed in all patients with less than 50% stenosis. In 16 of 17 patients with inverted periorbital flow, the mean pressure gradient exceeded 10 mmHg, whereas 33 of 34 patients with antegrade flow had gradients of 12 mmHg or less. For diagnostic purpose, the periorbital Doppler test is inferior to direct Doppler examination or angiography. However, as an adjunct to direct techniques, patients can be classified into 3 groups: Patients with less than 50% stenosis, Patients with 50% stenosis or more and good collaterals and, Patients with 50% stenosis or more and insufficient collaterals.

Doppler waveform analysis in evaluation of occlusive arterial disease in the lower limb: Comparison with distal blood pressure measurement and arteriography

Three Doppler waveform parameters were related to ankle/brachial systolic pressure (A/B) index and angiography in 75 patients with lower limb arterial occlusive disease (AOD). Doppler signals were obtained from ankle arteries, and following spectral analysis pulse rise time (PRT), systolic width (SW) and pulsatility index (PI) were calculated. All three waveform parameters were significantly correlated with A/B index, and a 20% reduction could be predicted with an accuracy of 93 to 80% (corrected for chance, kappa, 81 to 52%). A significant correlation was also found between the three Doppler parameters and the angiographic assessment, i.e. the non-diseased, single- and multisegmentally diseased limbs, however, the accuracy in diagnosing angiographic stenoses was not as good as when pressure measurement was used for reference. Thirteen of the patients had high ankle pressures despite significant angiographic stenoses, and generally the Doppler examination was normal in these cases. Considering the waveform parameters individually, PRT and SW demonstrated almost identical results when compared to pressure measurement as well as angiography, whereas PI seemed clearly inferior. It is concluded that simple Doppler waveform parameters may accurately predict the haemodynamic significance of proximal AOD.

Neuro-histological reactions following tooth extractions

The neuro-histological reactions after tooth extraction were investigated in the extraction alveolus, the mandibular nerve and the trigeminal ganglion. In the ganglion, nerve cell bodies showing signs of retrograde reaction (chromatolysis and nuclear displacement) were seen 12 h after extraction. Maximal number of reacting cells were registered in the first postoperative week. Three weeks after extraction the number of reacting cells were at a normal low level. In the mandibular nerve no signs of axon degeneration could be demonstrated. In the alveolus, initial traumatic axon degeneration was followed by regeneration 2 days after extraction. Within the first postoperative week the alveolus was filled with connective tissue, in which many long thin axons were seen. Cancellous bone then filled the alveolus; the axons were thereby gathered - concentrated - into fascicles in the central part, with a direction towards the limbus. However, this was only passed by very few axons. Four months after extraction signs of axon degeneration were seen, and 2 months later the myelin sheaths also displayed degenerative signs. Ten months after extraction a minor area of connective tissue with a content of few axons and vessels was found at the bottom of the former alveolus. The histological appearance was of a small traumatic neuroma.

Carotid endarterectomy in patients with occlusion of the contralateral carotid artery. Perioperative risk and late results.

Recent reports on the outcome of carotid endarterectomy in patients with contralateral occlusion have been conflicting. Therefore, we reviewed 51 cases identified, among 675 consecutive carotid endarterectomies. A perioperative mortality of 2% and a permanent morbidity rate of 16% was observed. Compared with a complication rate of about 5% previously reported from this institution, this clearly indicates contralateral carotid occlusion as a major risk factor in carotid surgery. Though not statistically significant, patients with severely reduced cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) had suffered more severe strokes when compared to patients with only minor reduction in CPP. In addition, the internal carotid artery blood flow following endarterectomy was significantly higher in the low pressure group (P less than 0.02). No patients were lost during follow-up, for a mean of 34 months. The cumulative five-year survival rate was 74%, not significantly different from the expected survival of an age and sex matched population. During the period of follow-up 16 patients experienced new neurologic symptoms, in six (2 strokes and 4 TIAs) referable to the hemisphere ipsilateral to operation and in 10 (2 strokes and 8 TIAs) referable to the contralateral hemisphere. The five-year stroke rate was 16%. This together with the observed survival rate indicated a better-than-expected course in this group of patients with severe cerebrovascular atherosclerosis.

Quantitative Doppler ultrasound evaluation of occlusive arterial disease in the lower limb

Forty consecutive patients with lower limb arterial disease were evaluated using a multi-gated pulsed Doppler system. Doppler signals were sampled at 4 sites in each limb, and following spectral analysis, the pulse rise time (PRT) was measured. The value obtained at the location giving the longest duration of PRT was used for comparison with ankle/brachial pressure index (A/B index) and angiography. A highly significant correlation was found between PRT and A/B index (r = -0.75, P less than 0.001). Based on receiver operating characteristic curves an overall diagnostic accuracy of 90% in diagnosing a pressure reduction greater than 20% was obtained. The diagnostic accuracy in detecting an angiographic stenosis greater than 50% was almost identical. Based on combined quantitative and qualitative analysis of Doppler signals sampled at the common femoral and popliteal artery, the aorto-iliac segments and the femoro-popliteal segments were evaluated separately. Comparison with arteriography revealed overall accuracies of 96% in the aorto-iliac segments and 87% in the femoro-popliteal segments. It is concluded that simple quantitatively measurable parameters in the Doppler spectrum may accurately predict and localize hemodynamically significant arterial lesions of the lower extremities.

“Femoro-distal Bypass—a Worthwhile Procedure?”

Infrapopliteal vascular reconstruction was undertaken in 63 patients with limb threatening ischaemia. Graft materials used were reversed autogenous saphenous vein in 33 patients, umbilical vein in 23 patients, composites of saphenous and umbilical vein in six patients, and a Solcograft in one patient. At the end of the first month 13 grafts were non-functioning, and eight of these patients had an amputation performed. Cumulative 3-year limb salvage and patency rates were 69% and 35%, respectively. Cumulative patency rates of saphenous and umbilical vein grafts were equal, and neither the indication for operation nor the preoperative ankle-arm pressure index correlated to graft failure. In total, twenty-two major amputations were performed, 16 below or through the knee, and six above-knee. The conclusion is that vascular reconstructive surgery for limb threatening distal disease is a valuable procedure.

On the sedimentology and the quantitative distribution of living foraminifera in the northern part of the Øresund

Abstract Sediment sampling in the Oresund revealed three zones in the depth interval from 6 to 27 m. Only moderately sorted sand is found at depths shallower than about 8 m, whereas well-sorted, fine sand is found from about 8 to about 19 m. In the deepest zone, below about 19 m, the sediment consists of fine sand with about 5 % silt and clay. The number of foraminifera species found in the two zones was low, whereas there were about three times as many in the deepest zone. It is suggested that this species distribution is controlled primarily by surface water of low salinity extending for longer periods to a depth of about 19 m. Densities were generally high in zones I and III but low in zone II. Is is thought that this is causally related to the degree of sorting of the sediments which again has an influence on the amount of available food.

Pulsed multigated Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of carotid artery disease.

To evaluate the accuracy of a pulsed multigated Doppler system, 128 carotid arteries were examined. The spectral broadening index was calculated from the power spectrum of a small sample volume located in the center of the stream according to the flow profile and was related to the degree of stenosis as determined by contrast angiography. Even minor wall irregularities seen on the angiogram were classified as disease. The ability of the system to discriminate between normal and diseased vessels reached a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 91%. Classification of greater than 50% or less than 50% stenosis could be performed with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 85%. Pulsed multigated Doppler ultrasonography allows identification of even minor degrees of stenosis of the carotid artery and provides an alternative to duplex scanning. Furthermore, the blood flow profile provided by a multigated Doppler system may add valuable information concerning blood flow characteristics not obtainable by single-gated systems.

The clinical use of objective quantification of flow disturbance in carotid artery disease: Correlation between spectral broadening index and arteriography☆

In order to assess the accuracy of objective quantification of carotid flow disturbance, 147 carotid arteries were examined with continuous wave (CW) Doppler technique. The systolic spectral broadening index (SBI), determined as (maximum-mean)/maximum frequency, was calculated from the power spectrum and together with the peak frequency related to the angiographic degree of stenosis. Receiver operating characteristics curves were calculated and the SBI predicted disease with a specificity of 94%. On the other hand, the ability of the SBI to discriminate minor disease was not satisfactory. Both the SBI and the peak frequency were accurate in discriminating between greater or less than 50% stenosis. The study concludes that using CW Doppler the SBI can reliably predict carotid artery stenoses. For exclusion of minor lesions an additional test should be performed, e.g., pulsed Doppler spectral analysis.