Toshiya Nishibe

The Role of Common Femoral Artery Endarterectomy in the Endovascular Era

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to review our experiences treating peripheral artery disease (PAD) by common femoral artery endarterectomy (CFE) with and without endovascular therapy (EVT), and to describe the role of CFE in the endovascular era. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed a contemporary series of 38 limbs from January 2010 to September 2014. Clinical outcomes of primary patency, assisted primary patency, limb salvage, and survival were analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariable perioperative predictors of primary patency were identified using the stepwise Cox proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS Hemodynamic success was achieved in 36 of the 38 limbs (95%). The mean ankle brachial pressure index improved significantly, rising from 0.56 ± 0.04 preoperatively to 0.89 ± 0.04 postoperatively (P = 0.0001). Overall primary and assisted primary patency rates, respectively, were 90% and 100% at 12 months and 85% and 94% at 24 months. There was no significant difference in primary patency rate between isolated CFE and hybrid CFE plus EVT. Both limb salvage and survival rates were 97% at 12 months and 97% at 24 months. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that no clinical or perioperative risk factors were predictive of decreased primary patency. CONCLUSIONS CFE is a safe, effective, and durable procedure for common femoral artery disease, and hybrid CFE plus EVT can be a valid alternative to open surgical bypass for multilevel occlusive artery disease. These observations stress that CFE plays a vital role in the management of PAD even in the endovascular era.

Age-Related Neointimal Hyperplasia Is Associated With Monocyte Infiltration After Balloon Angioplasty

Carotid angioplasty is associated with adverse events in elderly patients; it is unclear whether this is related to an altered inflammatory axis. The carotid arteries of young (6 months) or aged (22-24 months) Fischer 344 rats were balloon injured. Aged rats had reduced lumen area (0.18 ± 0.03 vs 0.24 ± 0.01 mm(2), p = .02) and increased neointimal thickening (0.15 ± 0.04 vs 0.08 ± 0.03 mm(2), p = .006). Aged rats had increased circulating monocytes (96 ± 21 vs. 54 ± 7; p = .002) as well as increased numbers of monocytes at the post-angioplasty site. Aged rats had sustained monocyte chemotactic protein-1 expression after angioplasty but young rats did not. Aged arteries also exhibited defective vasorelaxation and abnormal eNOS localization. Aged (≥80 years) human patients with high-grade carotid stenosis had increased number of monocytes (9.1% ± 0.4%) compared with younger (65-80 years) patients (8.1% ± 0.3%, p = .013). Aged rats develop neointimal hyperplasia after carotid angioplasty with increased numbers of monocytes, and elderly humans with carotid stenosis have increased numbers of circulating monocytes. These preliminary results may suggest a role for monocytes in the response to carotid angioplasty.

Effects of short-term administration of tolvaptan after open heart surgery

BACKGROUND Postoperative fluid overload following cardiac surgery is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Unlike loop diuretics, tolvaptan (TLV) promotes aquaretic effect. Relatively little has been documented regarding the efficacy of TLV after cardiac surgery. The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of tolvaptan for the management of immediately postoperative fluid retention following cardiac surgery. METHODS Between January to May 2014, patients undergoing cardiac surgery were randomly assigned to control or TLV group immediately after cardiac surgery. In control group, patients received 20mg of furosemide and 25mg of spironolactone as conventional diuretics. In the TLV group, 7.5mg of TLV was administered in combination with conventional diuretics. RESULTS TLV use was associated with increased urine output from postoperative day 1 to 3.Body weight reduction in the TLV group was significantly greater than the control group from postoperative day 2 to 4, and serum creatinine levels decreased to below preoperative values in the TLV group. CONCLUSIONS The combination of tolvaptan with conventional diuretics increases urine output without renal dysfunction and can be effective for postoperative fluid management and appropriate body weight reduction.

Bilateral coronary ostial stenosis and aortic regurgitation in a patient with cardiovascular syphilis

Cardiovascular syphilis is associated with the tertiary stage of syphilis infection; it involves the ascending aorta and can cause aortic aneurysm, aortic regurgitation, and coronary ostial stenosis. We report a surgical case of bilateral coronary ostial lesion and aortic regurgitation due to syphilitic aortitis. <Learning objective: Syphilitic aortitis involves the ascending aorta, resulting in aortic aneurysm, aortic regurgitation, and coronary ostial stenosis. Unlike atherosclerosis, coronary ostial stenosis is caused by aortic wall thickening, and coronary lesions distal to the ostia occur only rarely. After surgery, long-term follow up is mandatory as a result of aortic dilatation involving the sinuses of Valsalva, occurrence of prosthetic valve dehiscence, or graft failure caused by continuous infection of the aortic wall.>.

Improving the Outcome of Vein Grafts: Should Vascular Surgeons Turn Veins into Arteries?

Autogenous vein grafts remain the gold standard conduit for arterial bypass, particularly for the treatment of critical limb ischemia. Vein graft adaptation to the arterial environment, i.e., adequate dilation and wall thickening, contributes to the superior performance of vein grafts. However, abnormal venous wall remodeling with excessive neointimal hyperplasia commonly causes vein graft failure. Since the PREVENT trials failed to improve vein graft outcomes, new strategies focus on the adaptive response of the venous endothelial cells to the post-surgical arterial environment. Eph-B4, the determinant of venous endothelium during embryonic development, remains expressed and functional in adult venous tissue. After surgery, vein grafts lose their venous identity, with loss of Eph-B4 expression; however, arterial identity is not gained, consistent with loss of all vessel identity. In mouse vein grafts, stimulation of venous Eph-B4 signaling promotes retention of venous identity in endothelial cells and is associated with vein graft walls that are not thickened. Eph-B4 regulates downstream signaling pathways of relevance to vascular biology, including caveolin-1, Akt, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Regulation of the Eph-B4 signaling pathway may be a novel therapeutic target to prevent vein graft failure.

Endovascular Therapy for Femoropopliteal Artery Disease and Association of Risk Factors With Primary Patency The Implication of Critical Limb Ischemia and TASC II C/D Disease

The treatment of femoropopliteal artery disease remains controversial, without clear guidelines specifying the indications for endovascular therapy (EVT). Accordingly, we retrospectively examined our experience of using EVT to treat femoropopliteal artery disease. A total of 91 limbs in 82 patients underwent EVT for the treatment of femoropopliteal artery disease. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty alone was performed in 20 limbs, and additional stenting was performed in 71 limbs. The 1-year primary patency, primary-assisted patency, limb salvage, and survival rates were 76%, 88%, 96%, and 92%, respectively. Multivariate Cox analysis of primary patency showed that critical limb ischemia (CLI; hazard ratio [HR], 2.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-5.33; P < .01) and TASC II C/D disease (HR, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.14-6.39; P < .05) were independent predictors of decreased primary patency. In conclusion, patients with CLI or extensive lesions have reduced patency after EVT for femoropopliteal artery disease.

Hybrid repair of rare type IIIb endoleaks from an abdominal endograft: repeatedly undetected endoleaks.

We report a rare case of massive type IIIb endoleaks from an abdominal endograft, which were difficult to diagnose and required hybrid repair (including open surgery). The patient had previously undergone three catheter interventions for type Ia and II endoleaks after abdominal endografting. However, the abdominal aortic aneurysm gradually enlarged and required hybrid treatment (including an open repair), to successfully perform aneurysmorrhaphy and additional endograft insertions for the massive type IIIb endoleaks.

Conservative Therapy for Surgically Untreatable Extensive Arteriovenous Malformation from the Lower Extremityto the Pelvis with Secondary Consumptive Coagulopathy

We present a woman with surgically untreatable extended arteriovenous malformations (AVM) and consumptive coagulopathy, which had been controlled by conservative compression and anticoagulation therapies for 17 years. At age 13, she was diagnosed with extended AVM in the entire left leg and pelvis. At age 16, limited surgical resection of the enlarged superficial vein in the left calf was performed for persistent leg pain. One year later, anticoagulation therapy was performed for massive bleeding from hemorrhoids due to AVM and coagulopathy. Despite its intractability, her condition has been favorably controlled with conservative methods, including compression and anticoagulation therapies.

Coil embolization of bilateral internal mammary artery aneurysms is durable in a patient with Marfan syndrome

Internal mammary artery (IMA) aneurysms are very rare, have a high risk of rupture, and can cause hemothorax. Here, we report the case of a 33-year-old man with metachronal and bilateral IMA aneurysms. He had Marfan syndrome diagnosed by genetic testing. We carried out endovascular repair with coil embolization. He has survived without additional treatment for 7 years. Endovascular repair of metachronal and bilateral IMA aneurysms is feasible even in a patient with Marfan syndrome.

Catheter intervention to treat migrated temporary epicardial pacing wire into the left side of the heart

Temporary epicardial pacing wires (TEPWs) have been used routinely in cardiovascular surgery. Most TEPWs are associated with low morbidity, and serious complications rarely occur. Migration of TEPWs is rare and typically involves the right side of the heart. Migration into the left side of the heart is extremely rare, and most patients with this complication have been treated with open surgery. We describe 2 patients with migration of TEPWs into the left side of the heart who were treated using a catheter intervention technique.