M.A. Ibáñez

Clinical and haemodynamic evolution of lesions treated by means of atherectomy with SilverHawk in the femoropopliteal sector

UNLABELLED The objective of the work is to study the clinical and haemodynamic evolution, over 1 year, in patients with femoropopliteal arterial pathology treated by means of atherectomy with the SilverHawk device. MATERIALS AND METHODS Nineteen (19) patients were treated between December 2008 and May 2009, collecting data on sex, age, comorbidity and clinical degree, with prospective monitoring over 12 months of clinical symptoms, physical examination and ecodoppler, obtaining results on diameter and peak systolic velocity at different arterial levels. RESULTS Of the 19 patients, 14 were men and 5 women, with a mean age of 70 years, hypertensive (73%), diabetic (63%) and smokers (63%). Six (6) presented disabling claudication and 13 critical ischemia with advanced distal trophic lesions in 5. A good arteriographic result was obtained in 12 cases, a stent was placed on the superficial femoral artery in 5 due to suboptimal outcome. Contrast extravasation was observed in 2, with femoropopliteal bypass performed and one exclusion with endoprosthesis for repair. In the ecodoppler after 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, a progressive reduction in lumen diameter and peak intraarterial systolic velocity was observed, particularly on the distal superficial femoral artery. After one year, 7 patients (36.8%) were symptom-free, 5 (26.3%) presented mild or moderate intermittent claudication and 1 patient (5.3%) presented localised distal trophic lesion. Four (4) major amputations were performed, in 2 the knee was preserved, there were 3 thromboses due to the procedure, a secondary endovascular procedure was performed in one case and a femoropopliteal bypass in another, and there were 2 non procedure-related deaths. DISCUSSION atherectomy with SilverHawk achieves an improvement in clinical degree, with a good rate of extremity salvage in patients with critical ischemia. In the first year, the ecodoppler shows evolution of the arteriopathy, without this necessarily meaning a clinical worsening.

Percutaneous Treatment of Liver Failure and Acute Mesenteric Ischaemia

INTRODUCTION Synchronous embolism to the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and coeliac axis (CA) is a rare disease. REPORT A 67-year-old man with atrial fibrillation developed acute liver failure due to an embolic occlusion of the CA and SMA, with a severe coagulation disorder. He was successfully managed with percutaneous stent placement and an exploratory laparotomy was not needed. He remains symptom-free 1 year after the procedure, and duplex follow-up showed stent patency. CONCLUSION Endovascular techniques in patients with liver failure, no signs of peritonism, early diagnosis and high operative risk seem feasible and should be used if possible, as first-line option.

Endovascular Management of Radiotherapy-Induced Injury to Brachiocephalic Artery Using Covered Stents

Actinic vascular lesions tend to be stenotic-occlusive lesions. In this article, we present 2 exceptional cases of pseudoaneurysms caused by radionecrosis of the supra-aortic trunks. Both patients were treated by a retrograde carotid approach and deployment of a self-expanding covered stent. Proper exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm was attained in both cases; the first patient remained asymptomatic 12 months later; the second patient died of mediastinitis. Compared with conventional surgery, endovascular management is a viable, less invasive alternative in select patients, especially in life-threatening cases.