Jun Kawanishi

Clinical reliability and utility of skin perfusion pressure measurement in ischemic limbs—Comparison with other noninvasive diagnostic methods

PURPOSE We studied whether the measurement of skin perfusion pressure (SPP) is useful for evaluating ischemic limbs and predicting wound healing. METHODS Two hundred eleven patients (age range, 45 to 90 years; mean age, 69.6 +/- 9.2 years; 170 men and 41 women), 403 limbs with arteriosclerosis obliterans, were included in this study. Half of the patients had diabetes or were receiving dialysis or both. RESULTS Significant correlations were found between SPP and ankle blood pressure (ABP), SPP and toe blood pressure (TBP), and SPP and the transcutaneous oxygen pressure (tcPO2) (P < .0001, r = 0.75; P < .0001, r = 0.85; P < .0001, r = 0.62; respectively). In 94 limbs with ulcer or gangrene, wound healing was predicted by the SPP. The mean SPP (mean +/- SD) in the healed-wound group (25 limbs, 48 +/- 20 mm Hg) was greater than that in the unhealed-wound group (69 limbs, 23 +/- 11 mm Hg) (P <.001). According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the cut-off value of SPP was 40 mm Hg (sensitivity, 72%; specificity, 88%). Furthermore, we studied whether the combination of SPP and another measurement could predict wound healing more accurately than could any single variable. There was a strong correlation between SPP, TBP, and the healing rate (P < .001, r = 0.69) and healing could be accurately predicted if the SPP was greater than 40 mm Hg and if the TBP was greater than 30 mm Hg. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that measurement of SPP is an objective method for assessing the severity of peripheral arterial disease or for predicting wound healing.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery for octogenarians

PurposeTo define the indications for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery in octogenarians.MethodsWe reviewed septuagenarians and octogenarians with a nonspecific AAA diagnosed at our hospital between January, 1990 and June, 2006.ResultsAmong a total 628 patients seen, 306 were in their 70s (group A) and 108 were in their 80s or older (group B). The mortality rate associated with elective surgery was 1.9% in group A and 7.0% in group B. Of the survivors, 12 (5.7%) of 210 in group A and 8 (15.1%) of 53 in group B died within 2 years. Of the patients who did not undergo surgery, 8 of 53 in group A and 8 of 31 in group B had AAAs greater than 6 cm in diameter. The rupture-free rates of AAAs greater than 6 cm in diameter were 64% at 1 year and 0% at 4 years in group A, and 88% at 1 year and 26% at 3 years in group B. The rupture-free rates of AAAs smaller than 6 cm in diameter were 95% at 3 years and 85% at 5 years in group A, and 100% at 5 years in group B.ConclusionsWe concluded that AAAs over 6 cm in diameter were an appropriate indication for surgery in octogenarians.

Endovascular repair for a descending thoracic aortic aneurysm with a stent-graft covering the celiac artery: Report of two cases

An adequate landing zone for fixation and sealing is necessary for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). This report presents two cases of a successful EVAR for thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) with a stent-graft covering the celiac artery (CA) to secure a distal landing zone. Case 1 was a 61-year-old man with a chronic traumatic descending TAA 12 mm away from the CA. Case 2 was a 79-year-old man with a descending TAA proximal to the CA. Preoperative angiography and computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a normal visceral blood flow including the peripancreatic arteries. Endovascular aneurysm repair with coverage of the CA was performed in both cases. Angiography after the EVAR demonstrated good blood flow to the CA branches via the peripancreatic arteries and a CT scan showed thrombosed aneurysms. Both patients were discharged without any abdominal symptoms. Endovascular aneurysm repair with a stent-graft covering the CA may therefore be an acceptable endovascular approach in treating selected TAA patients with a limited distal landing zone.

Successful treatment of an aorto-ileal-conduit fistula with an endovascular stent graft: report of a case.

A 55-year-old man presented with a massive hemorrhage from the ileal conduit of the left ureter. He had previously undergone a total pelvic exenteration with ileal conduit construction of the ureters due to rectal carcinoma. A right ureteroarterial fistula developed, and he underwent an excision of the right common iliac artery with a femorofemoral bypass and a right cutaneous ureterostomy. Seven months later, a pseudoaneurysm developed at the aortic stump, followed by an aorto-ileal-conduit fistula. The patient was treated successfully with endovascular stent grafting and has since showed a good recovery no sign of graft infection or a recurrence of hematuria at the 10-month follow-up.

Simultaneous Open and Endoluminal Repair of Ruptured Abdominal and Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms: Report of a Case

A 66-year-old woman was transferred to our hospital for emergency treatment of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and impending rupture of a descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) caused by a Stanford type-B dissection. She had severe coronary artery disease and a highly calcified aorta, and had been taking long-term steroids for rheumatoid arthritis. Endovascular repair of the TAA failed because the femoral artery was too small, so we performed simultaneous repair of the TAA and the AAA. A temporary axillofemoral bypass was constructed and the AAA was replaced with a bifurcated prosthetic graft. A thoracic stent graft was delivered successfully through a chimney graft of the abdominal graft. About 4 months later, the TAA extended proximally, causing hemoptysis, which was stopped by placing a new stent graft proximal to the previous one. This case report shows that a combination of open and endovascular repair is useful for treating a TAA with an AAA, especially in a small or frail patient.

Transcutaneous carbon dioxide tension for the evaluation of limb ischemia

PurposeUnderstanding the hemodynamics of critical limb ischemia caused by chronic peripheral arterial occlusive disease is important to evaluate its severity and the efficacy of treatment. We investigated the usefulness of transcutaneous carbon dioxide tension (tcPCO2) measurement for evaluating ischemic limbs, in conjunction with the measurement of ankle pressure (AP), toe pressure (TP), skin perfusion pressure (SPP), and transcutaneous oxygen tension (tcPO2).MethodsWe measured tcPCO2 in the dorsum of the foot in 158 patients (304 limbs) with arteriosclerosis obliterans.ResultsThe tcPCO2 in normal limbs without any clinical sign or abnormal noninvasive measurement was 43.7 ± 3.7 mmHg; that in noncritical ischemic limbs was 45.5 ± 9.0 mmHg, which was not significantly different from that in the normal limbs; and that in critically ischemic limbs was 87.6 ± 35.5 mmHg, which was significantly different from that in the normal limbs. All limbs with a tcPCO2 of 100 mmHg or higher, indicative of critical ischemia, had a tcPCO2 of less than 100 mmHg after revascularization.ConclusionWe found tcPCO2 to be a useful measurement for diagnosing the severity of limb ischemia, and for evaluating the effect of treatment, especially in patients with critically ischemic limbs.

The Clinical Course of Buerger's Disease

The clinical and social characteristics of 118 patients with Buergers disease (thromboangiitis obliterans: TAO) were surveyed. The prognosis for many patients is relatively favorable. Arterial reconstruction plays a role in shortening the healing times of ischemic ulcers despite its poor long-term results. Of 118 patients, 13 underwent major lower limb amputation (11%), 33 underwent foot or toe amputation (28%), one underwent hand amputation (1%), and 12 underwent finger amputations (10%) after the onset of the disease. The progression of symptoms was surely influenced by smoking, but this was not the only deleterious factor as there were patients with stable TAO which was unaffected by their continued smoking. In 66 patients, the new occurrence of ulceration and gangrene was not observed over the age of 60. Ten of 13 patients (77%) who underwent major lower limb amputation lost their jobs, but only 7 of 105 patients without major amputation lost their jobs (7%). In all patients, the progression of symptoms was self-limited and recurrent ulcers occurred less frequently with ageing. To avoid factors that markedly influence the quality of life, early treatment and strict instructions prohibiting smoking should be conducted.

Quantitative assessment of therapeutic effects in the critically ischemic limb using 99mTc-diethylene-triamine-pentaacetic acid human serum albumin

PurposeTo investigate the reliability and limitations of a new radioisotope method using 99mTc-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid human serum albumin (Tc-99m-DTPA-HSA) and to evaluate the diagnostic ability of isotope infusion for assessing hemodynamic changes in the foot before and after treatment.MethodsHemodynamic changes before and after treatment were assessed in 21 limbs with ulcer or gangrene, by analyzing changes in the time-activity curve, the uptake ratio, and the values obtained with noninvasive techniques.ResultsThere were significant differences between each pair of the three types of time-activity curve and their uptake counts. The uptake ratio was correlated with ankle blood pressure (ABP) and toe blood pressure (TBP), but not with transcutaneous oxygen pressure (tcPO2) or skin perfusion pressure (SPP). The hemodynamic change induced by pharmacotherapy was subtle, but that induced by arterial reconstruction was remarkable. Although there was not always a good correlation between the degree of hemodynamic change and the clinical outcome in limbs treated with pharmacotherapy, the hemodynamic change was quantitatively assessed.ConclusionOur study suggests that this isotope technique is a useful quantitative method to evaluate hemodynamic change from a different perspective to conventional noninvasive methods.