Philippe Tresson

Spontaneous and Isolated Dissection of the Superior Mesenteric Artery: Proposal of a Management Algorithm

BACKGROUND Spontaneous and isolated dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SIDSMA) is a rare pathology, and the treatment of symptomatic forms is not consensual. The objective of this study was to analyze the management of a series of patients presenting a symptomatic SIDSMA within a structure taking care of intestinal vascular emergencies. METHODS From January 2010 to January 2014, the patients presenting a symptomatic SIDSMA were included retrospectively. The clinical and radiologic data as well as the treatment and the follow-up were analyzed. RESULTS Nine patients were included. Among them, 2 patients presenting with acute mesenteric ischemia were revascularized surgically in emergency, and 1 patient presenting a rupture of a superior mesenteric artery aneurysm had an arteriography followed by medical care. The 6 other patients received medical treatment. Among these, 2 patients developed mesenteric angina requiring surgical revascularization during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS The revascularization of spontaneous and isolated dissections of the superior mesenteric artery is indicated in the cases complicated with acute mesenteric ischemia, aneurysmal rupture, or in the event of appearance of mesenteric angina or aneurysmal evolution. It should also be discussed in the event of failure of the medical treatment.

Management of Vascular Trauma during the Paris Terrorist Attack of November 13, 2015

BACKGROUND On November 13, 2015, Paris and Saint-Denis were the targets of terrorist attacks. The Public Hospitals of Paris Organization and the Percy Armed Forces Instruction Hospitals were mobilized to face the mass casualty situation. The objective of this study is to analyze the management of the victims presenting with a nonthoracic vascular trauma (NTVT). METHODS All the data relating to the victims of NTVT who required a specific vascular open or endovascular treatment were analyzed retrospectively. A 6-month follow-up was obtained for all the patients. RESULTS Among the 351 wounded, 20 (5.7%) patients had an NTVT and were dispatched in 8 hospitals (11 men of average age 32). NTVTs were gunshots in 17 cases (85%) or due to a handmade bomb in 3 cases (15%). Twelve patients (60%) received cardiopulmonary resuscitation during prehospital care. NTVT affected the limbs (14 cases, 70%) and the abdomen or the small pelvis (6 cases, 30%). All the patients were operated in emergency. Arterial lesions were treated with greater saphenous vein bypasses, by ligation, and/or embolization. Eleven venous lesions were treated by direct repair or ligation. Associated lesions requiring a specific treatment were present in 19 patients (95%) and were primarily osseous, nervous, and abdomino-pelvic. Severe postoperative complications were observed in 9 patients (45%). Fourteen patients (70%) required blood transfusion (6.4 U of packed red blood cells on average, range 0-48). There were no deaths or amputation and all vascular reconstructions were patent at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS The effectiveness of the prehospital emergency services and a multisite and multidisciplinary management made it possible to obtain satisfactory results for NTVT casualties. All the departments of vascular surgery must be prepared to receive many wounded victims in the event of terrorist attacks.

Femoral artery transposition is a safe and durable option for the treatment of popliteal artery aneurysms

Objective: A suitable ipsilateral great saphenous vein (GSV) autograft is widely considered the best material for arterial reconstruction of a popliteal artery aneurysm (PAA). There are, however, cases in which such a GSV is absent, diseased, or of too small diameter for this use. Alternatives to GSV are synthetic conduits, but with a reduced long‐term patency, in particular for infragenicular bypass; other venous autografts of marginal use; and stent grafts still in the first stages of their evaluation. However, a sufficiently long segment of the ipsilateral superficial femoral artery (SFA) is often preserved in patients with a PAA. Such a segment may be used as an autograft for popliteal reconstruction. Moreover, the morphometric characteristics of the SFA often optimally match those of the distal native popliteal bifurcation. SFA autografts (SFAAs) have therefore become our choice when the ipsilateral GSV is not suitable. We herein present the long‐term results of SFAA for the treatment of PAA in the absence of a suitable GSV. Methods: Within this single‐center study, all cases during the last 26 years were retrospectively reviewed. Demographics, risk factors, comorbidities, morphometrics of the PAA, and preoperative and follow‐up data were intentionally sought. Results: From 1997 to 2017, there were 67 PAAs treated with an SFAA. The mean age of the patients was 67.67 ± 12 years, and 98% were male. Symptoms included intermittent claudication in 25% (17), critical limb ischemia in 7% (5), and acute ischemia in 10% (7) of the patients; 51% (34) of the patients were asymptomatic. The mean aneurysm diameter of the treated PAA was 29 ± 11 mm (12‐61 mm). The mean operative time was 254.8 ± 65.6 minutes (140‐480 minutes), with a mean cross‐clamp time of 64.5 ± 39 minutes (19‐240 minutes). The median length of stay was 9 ± 6.4 days (5‐42 days). There were no early amputations or deaths in the series. During a mean follow‐up of 47.91 ± 48.23 months, there were 2 anastomotic stenoses, 11 thromboses, 1 infection, and 1 aneurysmal degeneration of the graft; 6 patients died of unrelated causes. The 1‐, 3‐, 5‐, and 10‐year primary and secondary patency rates were 93% and 96%, 85% and 90%, 78% and 87%, and 56% and 87%, respectively. Conclusions: These data suggest that SFAA use to treat PAA is a safe and durable option. A prospective and comparative work is necessary to confirm these results and to determine the interest of this technique as a first‐line strategy.

Endovascular Repair as a Bridge to Open Repair of a Ruptured Descending Thoracic Aspergillus Aortitis

Invasive aspergillosis rarely involves the thoracic aorta and is associated with a poor prognosis. A 56-year-old heart transplant recipient presented with invasive aspergillosis, primary Aspergillus aortitis, and a ruptured thoracic aorta pseudoaneurysm. Open surgical repair was not possible because of severe sepsis. Therefore, a sequential surgical strategy was planned, including emergency thoracic endovascular aortic repair, followed by antifungal treatment and definitive open repair with explantation of the endograft and placement of a cryopreserved arterial allograft under extracorporeal membrane oxygenator support. The infection did not reoccur during follow-up, and the patient remained alive and well 13 months after the operation.