Robert A. Hieb

Chemoembolization in patients at high risk: Results and complications

PURPOSE Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has become a standard treatment option for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is often used to palliate hepatic metastases. Many patients who are candidates for TACE present with poor hepatic reserve, advanced tumor stage with major portal vein (PV) invasion or thrombosis, and/or biliary dilation. These factors have been associated with a poor prognosis and increased complications after chemoembolization. Accordingly, these patients are classified as being at high risk and may not be considered for therapy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the results of TACE in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Over a period of 5 years, 141 patients underwent 355 TACE procedures. Thirty-six patients (26%) were in the high-risk group as a result of major PV thrombosis, increased serum bilirubin level (>2 mg/dL), and/or intrahepatic biliary dilation. HCC was the underlying tumor in 60% of patients. Thirty-seven percent of patients had Child-Pugh class B/C disease. Patients in the high-risk group received more selective embolization with fewer particles and fewer procedures (2.0 vs 2.7; P < .04). RESULTS Patients in the high-risk group were more likely to have HCC (83% vs 51%; P < .01) and were also more likely to have advanced disease according to Child-Pugh classification versus patients in the low-risk group (49% vs 20%; P < .01). The overall complication rate was 4.3%, with no significant difference in complication rate between groups (3.2% vs 8.2%; P = .12). The overall 30-day mortality rate was 2.3%, and no significant difference in 30-day mortality rate was observed between the high- and low-risk groups (5.5% vs 1.4%; P = .11). A trend toward increased survival in the low-risk group did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that patients with advanced disease and decreased hepatic reserve who are treated with TACE exhibit no significant increase in morbidity or mortality and no significant decrease in survival. With variations in technique, TACE can be performed safely in patients with the relative risk factors that may classify them in high-risk groups.

Longitudinal Quality of Life Assessment of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Primary Transarterial Chemoembolization

PURPOSE To determine the effects of primary chemoembolization on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS Single-center prospective data collection with longitudinal analysis of HRQOL scores obtained via the Short Form-36 (SF-36) assessment tool was performed before and during serial chemoembolization procedures in 73 patients with HCC. Baseline HRQOL scores were evaluated for significant (P < .05) change within the total patient population during 4, 8, and 12 months of treatment, and separately within a subset of 23 patients who underwent three or more chemoembolization procedures. RESULTS Patients had decreased pretreatment baseline scores within all eight scales of the SF-36 compared with healthy age-adjusted norms. Within the total population, mental health scores improved after 4 months of chemoembolization (rate of change, 5.6; P = .05; n = 48), but no significant change was present at 8 or 12 months. Subset patients experienced improvements of mental health scores after the first (score change, 13; P = .008; n = 21) and second procedures (score change, 12.2; P = .002; n = 23) and improvements of bodily pain scores (score change, 9.9; P = .047; n = 21) after the initial procedure. Vitality scores worsened (score change, -7.8; P = .044; n = 21) in the subset after the first chemoembolization. CONCLUSIONS Patients with HCC are likely to perceive improved mental health during the first 4 months of primary treatment with chemoembolization. In addition, if patients ultimately undergo more than two procedures, they are likely to perceive improved mental health during the first two sessions, with decreased bodily pain during the initial session. Patient-perceived vitality will likely worsen after the initial procedure.

Resonance® Metallic Ureteral Stents Do Not Successfully Treat Ureteroenteric Strictures

PURPOSE To report the outcomes of patients with ureteroenteric strictures after ileal conduit urinary diversion that were managed with Resonance metallic ureteral stents. PATIENTS AND METHODS Ten ureteroenteric strictures in patients with ileal conduits that were managed with metallic ureteral stenting were retrospectively identified. Charts were examined for patient age, anastomosis type, stricture cause, stricture laterality, complications, and follow-up. RESULTS Nine of 10 (90%) cases resulted in distal stent migration. Mean time to stent migration was 21 days (range 3-60 d). CONCLUSIONS Placement of Resonance metallic stents in patients with ileal conduits is ineffective for management of ureteroenteric strictures because of the high rate of distal migration.

Combined renal artery stenosis and aortic aneurysm: treatment options.

The purpose of this study was to analyze outcomes of two different treatment strategies in patients treated for renal artery (RA) stenosis and a coincidental abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). A total of 50 patients were encountered who required treatment for concomitant RA stenosis and an AAA from 1980 to 1994. Simultaneous operative aortic and RA reconstruction was done in 32 patients, whereas 18 patients were treated with preoperative percutaneous transluminal renal artery angioplasty (PTRA). The two groups were well matched with respect to age, AAA size, incidence of hypertension, preoperative creatinine level, and creatinine clearance (allp values >0.07). Aortorenal bypass (18 RAs), reimplantation (18 RAs), or endarterectomy (2 RAs) was performed to correct a mean RA stenosis of 88%, whereas 23 RAs (91% mean stenosis) were treated with preoperative PTRA. PTRA failed in four patients with RA stenosis, and they were successfully treated with surgery (3 bypasses and 1 reimplantation). Statistical analysis did not demonstrate a significant difference between these four failed PTRA-patients, the 14 successful PTRA patients, and the 32 RA reconstruction patients in terms of operating time (p=0.15), operative blood loss (p=0.20), intensive care unit days (p=0.71), or total hospital days (p=0.94). Among the 40 patients available for follow-up, hypertension was cured in seven, improved in 10, unchanged in 15, and worse in eight with no difference demonstrated between the groups (p=0.73). These data suggest that preoperative PTRA has no specific advantage over surgical RA reconstruction in patients with concomitant RA stenosis and AAA. Failed PTRA did not preclude or complicate subsequent operative RA revascularization.

Requirements for Training in Interventional Radiology

PREAMBLE In recent years, the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) has become aware of a growing heterogeneity in the learning experiences of radiology trainees (residents and fellows) as it pertains to the subject of interventional radiology (IR). Unfortunately, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) program requirements are somewhat vague as to what constitutes adequate training in this field. Therefore, a task force was created to create guidelines for training in the field of IR. Task force members included physicians who practice in academic and private-practice settings. Also, the task force contained a cross-section of thought leaders in the various clinical realms of IR (peripheral arterial disease, interventional oncology, venous disease, interventional neuroradiology, and renal insufficiency). Many members are current or past program directors of diagnostic radiology (DR) residencies or IR fellowships. The guidelines put forth in this document are intended for the training of radiology residents and IR fellows in the knowledge base and technical skills related to minimally invasive interventional procedures. As part of this education, trainees must gain an appropriate depth of understanding of the disease states being treated and their clinical management to allow for optimal clinical outcomes. It is intended that program directors in DR residencies and program directors in vascular and IR (VIR) fellowships will use this document as a basis for the creation of program-specific curricula and goals and objectives documents for trainees. In addition, this document is intended for reference by radiology chairs, designated institutional officials, and deans so they may allocate appropriate resources to training programs to meet these training requirements. Finally, although training paradigms differ around the world, it is hoped that these guidelines will also be helpful in the creation of educational curricula for international IR programs as well. SIR recognizes that the multiple levels of trainees covered by this document will require differing experiences to meet their differing needs. For example, the DR trainee who is pursuing a career in a general radiology or in a diagnostic imaging subspecialty will not require the same training as a resident planning to enter into a VIR fellowship. Therefore, four separate sets of training requirements will be set forth in this document:

Safety and Effectiveness of Repeat Arterial Closure Using the AngioSeal Device in Patients with Hepatic Malignancy

PURPOSE To retrospectively evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the use of the AngioSeal device for repeat arterial closure in patients with hepatic malignancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective analysis of patients with hepatic malignancy who had undergone repeated arterial closure with the AngioSeal device was performed. All charts for patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization or TheraSphere radioembolization were reviewed for the method of hemostasis and the number of arterial closures. A total of 53 patients (58.5% men, 41.5% women; mean age, 58.7 years) had repeat AngioSeal arterial puncture closure after chemoembolization or TheraSphere treatment. Percutaneous closure of the common femoral artery with the AngioSeal device was performed in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations. The patients were examined for complications on follow-up. Effectiveness was defined by the ability to obtain satisfactory hemostasis. Safety was assessed by the absence of groin complications and by vessel patency on follow-up angiograms of the puncture site obtained at subsequent liver-directed therapy sessions. RESULTS Fifty-three patients in this study group had a total of 203 common femoral artery punctures. There were a total of 161 closures with the AngioSeal device (79.3%): 58 (36%) single closures and 103 (64.0%) repeat closures. Of the 161 attempts at AngioSeal closure, there was one closure failure in the single-puncture group, yielding a success rate of 98.3%; and one closure failure in the repeat-puncture group, yielding a success rate of 99%. In these two patients, hemostasis was achieved with traditional manual compression without the need for any other device, and no complications were noted. The overall success rate of AngioSeal device closure was 98.7%. CONCLUSIONS The repeat use of the AngioSeal closure device is safe and effective in patients with hepatic malignancy undergoing regional oncologic interventional procedures.

The extent of lower extremity occlusive disease predicts short- and long-term patency following endovascular infrainguinal arterial intervention

BACKGROUND Endovascular revascularization of the femoral-politeal arterial segment has gained acceptance despite lower patency than surgical bypass due to lower morbidity. Choosing patients that are ideal candidates for endovascular therapy remains controversial. We have assessed hemodynamic factors that might predict longer primary patency after endovascular therapy. METHODS Ninety-nine limbs were treated with endovascular therapy from January 2001 to January 2005 with a mean and median follow-up of 338 and 293 days. Primary patency was considered lost when recurrent symptoms developed, ankle-brachial index (ABI) decreased following initial improvement, or a subsequent procedure was required. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate patency. RESULTS Patients with an ABI > or =.5 prior to intervention had longer primary patency compared to those with an ABI less than .5 (P = .043). Having 1 or more patent tibial runoff vessels was associated with improved patency for the first 24 months post-procedure (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS Patients with an ABI > or =.5 or at least 1 patent tibial vessel runoff have significantly higher hemodynamic and clinical success following endovascular therapy of the femoral-popliteal arterial segment.

Asymptomatic Lumbar Vertebral Erosion from Inferior Vena Cava Filter Perforation

In 2002, a 24-year-old female trauma patient underwent prophylactic inferior vena cava filter placement. Recurrent bouts of renal stones prompted serial CT imaging in 2004. In this brief report, we describe erosion and ossification of the L3 vertebral body by a Greenfield filter strut.

A Single-Center Experience in Capturing Inpatient Evaluation and Management for an IR Practice

PURPOSE To demonstrate that interventional radiologists can capture work relative value units (wRVUs) for the work that is already being performed providing evaluation and management (E&M) clinical services. MATERIALS AND METHODS A team approach was implemented to optimize revenue capture for inpatient E&M. Structured templates were created for inpatient documentation to ensure that maximum wRVUs were captured. Inpatient billing was audited from fiscal year 2011 (1 year before meeting and structured template creation) through fiscal year 2014. Specifically, data were collected on total charges, collections, wRVUs and total number of inpatient E&M encounters, and the level of the billed encounter. RESULTS Retrospective annual audits revealed that overall inpatient E&M billing charges increased by 722%, whereas collections increased by 831% from 2011 to 2014. The wRVUs increased in 2011 from 181.74 to 1,396.9 (669% increase) in 2014, and the number of inpatient E&M encounters billed increased from 130 to 693 (433% increase) over that same time period. Lower level billing (level I) declined from 30% to 19%, and complex billing levels (level II or higher) increased from 70% to 81%. CONCLUSIONS By implementing a systems approach to revenue management, which includes physician and billing staff meetings and the use of structured templates, billing capture from inpatient E&M services can be improved.

Percutaneous Revascularization of Chronic Total Occlusions

Many patients with severe intermittent claudication (IC) or critical limb ischemia (CLI) have chronic total occlusions (CTO) in their lower extremity vascular bed. The successful treatment of these lesions is becoming increasingly more important as the population ages and the prevalence of diseases such as diabetes mellitus and its consequences increases. Many of these patients have significant comorbidities and may benefit from less invasive treatment options. Several endovascular techniques have now become well established in the treatment of these lesions. Additionally, several new adjunctive tools have been developed to enhance the technical success of CTO revascularization. These tools and techniques offer a minimally invasive alternative for limb salvage in this compromised patient population and have become an established practice in many centers. Although some concerns about procedure durability and lower rates of primary patency exist, particularly when compared to surgical bypass, the limb salvage and amputation-free survival rates are much more encouraging. Advantages of these techniques compared to surgical bypass are reduced morbidity and mortality, reduced anesthesia requirements, and potential reductions in length of hospital stay and cost. In addition, bypass options are typically preserved after endovascular treatment. The more conventional and some newer endovascular treatment approaches, some of the adjunctive tools and techniques used in CTO revascularization as well as their clinical results will be discussed in this review.