Minsu Noh

Analysis of Risk Factors for Cerebral Microinfarcts after Carotid Endarterectomy and the Relevance of Delayed Cerebral Infarction

Background and Purpose Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is performed to prevent cerebral infarction, but a common side effect is cerebral microinfarcts. This study aimed to identify the variables related to the production of microinfarcts during CEA as well as determine their association with delayed postoperative infarction. Methods This was a retrospective review of data collected prospectively from 548 patients who underwent CEA. The clinical characteristics of the patients and the incidence rates and causes of microinfarcts were analyzed. Microinfarcts were diagnosed by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. The presence of delayed postoperative infarction was compared between microinfarct-positive and microinfarct-negative groups. Results In total, 76 (13.86%) patients were diagnosed with microinfarcts. Preoperative neurological symptoms were significantly related to the incidence of microinfarcts [odds ratio (OR)=2.93, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.72–5.00, p<0.001]. Shunt insertion during CEA was the only significant procedure-related risk factor (OR=1.42, 95% CI=1.00–2.19, p=0.05). The presence of microinfarcts did not significantly increase the incidence of delayed postoperative infarction (p=0.204). Conclusions In the present study, risk factors for microinfarcts after CEA included preoperative symptoms and intraoperative shunt insertion. Microinfarcts were not associated with delayed postoperative infarction.

A Case of Extrahepatic Portal Vein Aneurysm Complicated by Acute Thrombosis

BACKGROUND Portal vein (PV) aneurysm is a rare disease entity, and the optimal strategy for its management remains unclear. METHODS We describe the case of a 34-year-old woman who was incidentally diagnosed with an asymptomatic extrahepatic PV aneurysm. Although expectant management with regular follow-up and surveillance imaging was adopted, the PV aneurysm progressed into a symptomatic type, accompanied by complications of acute thrombosis. Hence, an aneurysm excision with interposition bypass was performed. RESULTS Her postoperative recovery was rapid and uneventful, with liver function test results within normal ranges and normal portal flow on color Doppler ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of thromboses among the reported PV aneurysm cases may be markedly high, and early surgical intervention for low-risk patients may therefore be required to prevent the development of portal hypertension with clinically severe consequences.

Effects of postimplantation systemic inflammatory response on long-term clinical outcomes after endovascular aneurysm repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the association between postimplantation syndrome (PIS) and long-term clinical outcomes after elective endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.In this single-center, observational cohort study, a total of 204 consecutive patients undergoing EVAR were included. Primary outcome was long-term mortality from any cause; secondary outcomes included long-term mortality, systemic or implant-related complications, and secondary therapeutic procedures.The diagnosis of PIS was established in 64 patients (31.4%). PIS patients were more likely to receive woven polyester endografts and have a longer postoperative hospital stay and lower incidence of type II endoleaks. In multivariate analysis, PIS was significantly associated with a decreased risk of developing type II endoleaks (P = 0.044). During follow-up period of 44 months, clinical outcomes showed no significant differences in mortality (P = 0.876), systemic (P = 0.668), or implant-related complications (P = 0.847), although rates of secondary therapeutic procedure were significantly higher in non-PIS patients (P = 0.037). The groups had similar rates of overall survival (P = 0.761) and other clinical outcomes (P = 0.562).Patients with and without PIS had similar long-term overall survival rates and other clinical outcomes. PIS was beneficial in preventing type II endoleaks during postoperative period.

Clinical outcomes of staged bilateral carotid endarterectomy for bilateral carotid artery stenosis

Purpose This retrospective cohort study aimed to determine the clinical outcomes of staged bilateral carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for bilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis performed with a short interval between the primary and secondary CEA procedures. Methods In our institution, 574 consecutive patients underwent CEA between September 2007 and August 2014. Bilateral significant ICA stenosis was identified in 43 patients (7.5%) who underwent staged bilateral CEA within 30 days or less. Patients with unilateral CEA and staged bilateral CEA were compared in terms of CEA outcomes. The primary endpoint was the composite of any stroke, myocardial infarction, or death during the periprocedural period or ipsilateral stroke within 3 years after the CEA. Results Staged bilateral CEA was not associated with ipsilateral stroke (P = 0.178) during postoperative follow-up. The two groups did not differ in terms of estimated 3-year primary endpoint rates (2.8% vs. 4.7%, P = 0.456) or ipsilateral stroke-free (P = 0.225), any stroke-free (P = 0.326), or overall (P = 0.739) survival rates. Conclusion Patients with bilateral significant ICA stenosis can undergo staged bilateral CEA within 30 days or less with outcomes that compare favorably with those of patients undergoing unilateral CEA.

Risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in subjects with asymptomatic mild carotid artery stenosis

This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) is similar for subjects with asymptomatic mild and moderate carotid artery stenosis (CAS). We enrolled a total of 453 subjects with asymptomatic CAS (30–69%) detected on baseline screening Doppler ultrasound (DUS) examination between January 2008 and December 2010. The follow-up DUS findings and MACE occurrence (fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke and all-cause mortality) were compared between subjects with mild (30–49%) and moderate (50–69%) CAS during the 8-year follow-up period. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of MACE between subjects with mild (n = 289) and moderate (n = 164) CAS (13.8% vs. 15.9%, respectively; p = 0.56), although there was a nonsignificant trend toward an increased risk of major ipsilateral stroke in subjects with moderate CAS (1.4% vs. 4.3%; p = 0.06). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that worsening CAS was independently associated with MACE occurrence (hazard ratio [HR], 4.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.65–7.27; p < 0.01), whereas an increased serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was correlated with a decreased risk of MACE (HR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.23–0.75; p < 0.01). The cumulative risk of MACE in subjects with asymptomatic mild CAS is similar to that in subjects with asymptomatic moderate CAS.