Operative management of chronic mesenteric ischemia

Open and Endovascular Management of Acute Mesenteric Ischaemia: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Acute mesenteric ischaemia (AMI) is a life-threatening surgical emergency resulting from thromboembolic occlusion of the mesenteric vasculature. Traditional management of AMI has been open revascularisation with or without bowel resection-a procedure which carries considerable morbidity and mortality in an already unwell, compromised patient. Endovascular and more minimally invasive management approaches to AMI have been reported. Proponents of endovascular management suggest this approach may be associated with reduced morbidity and mortality compared with open surgery.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the impact of endovascular approach for AMI on mortality and need for subsequent laparotomy and/or bowel resection.

DATA SOURCES

The search bodies PubMed and Medline were interrogated.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS

All studies in English with greater than 10 patients examining outcomes for patients undergoing endovascular intervention for acute mesenteric ischaemia were included. All patients over 18 years presenting with a diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischaemia secondary to an arterial thromboembolic source were included. Studies examining endovascular intervention alone or endovascular and open intervention were selected.

RESULTS

The 30-day mortality for endovascular approach from all 13 studies was 16-42%. Of the 7 comparative studies including results of open revascularisation, the 30-day mortality for patient treated with an endovascular approach was 15-39% versus 33-50% for open revascularisation. Laparotomy rates post-initial endovascular intervention ranged from 13 to 73%. Bowel resection post-endovascular therapy ranged from 14 to 40% among studies. Concerning 7 comparative studies for open versus endovascular revascularisation, the rate of bowel resection in the endovascular group ranged 14-28% and 33-63% in the open cohort. Endovascular intervention also demonstrated lower median length (s) of bowel resected.

LIMITATIONS

Heterogeneity of studies and patient populations studied including selection bias.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF FINDINGS

Endovascular management may be associated with reduced mortality and need for/length of bowel resection compared with the traditional open approach, but there remains a paucity of robust data to support this. The available literature illustrates that a subgroup of patients without haemodynamic compromise and more insidious onset may garner benefit from endovascular intervention.

Contrast-Enhanced CT for the Diagnosis of Acute Mesenteric Ischemia

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the diagnostic and prognostic roles of CT in the management of acute mesenteric ischemia. CONCLUSION. Acute mesenteric ischemia is defined as inadequate blood supply to the gastrointestinal tract resulting in ischemic and inflammatory injury. The prognosis is poor without treatment. Contrast-enhanced CT has become the cornerstone of diagnosis to identify features of vascular disorders and of intestinal ischemic injury and to visualize bowel necrosis.

A Short Series of Laparoscopic Mesenteric Bypasses for Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia

Background

Laparoscopic aortomesenteric bypass may be performed to treat the chronic mesenteric ischemia patients who are not suitable for endovascular treatment. This study presents an initial experience with a limited series of laparoscopic mesenteric artery revascularization for the treatment of mesenteric ischemia.

Methods

Chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) patients with previous unsuccessful endovascular treatment or with arterial occlusion and extensive calcification precluding safe endovascular treatment were offered laparoscopic mesenteric revascularization. From October 2015 until November 2018, nine patients with CMI underwent laparoscopic revascularization. In addition to demographic data and perioperative results of the treatment, graft patency was assessed with Duplex ultrasound at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, and annually thereafter. A descriptive analysis of the data was performed.

Results

All bypasses were constructed with an 8 mm ring enforced expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft in a retrograde fashion (from infrarenal aorta or iliac artery) to either superior mesenteric artery or splenic artery (2 cases). Median operation time was 356 mins (range 247–492 mins). Five patients had a history of unsuccessful endovascular treatment. Laparoscopic technical success was 78%, and the primary open conversion rate was 22%. All laparoscopic revascularization procedures remained patent after discharge during a median follow-up time of 26 months (range 18–49 months). The primary graft patency at 30 days was 78%. Primary assisted, and secondary graft patency was 78% and 100%, respectively. Median weight gain was 2 kg (range 2–18 kg), and all patients achieved relief from postprandial pain and nausea. No mortality was observed during the follow-up period.

Conclusion

Laparoscopic aortomesenteric revascularization procedures for chronic mesenteric ischemia are feasible but require careful patient selection. These procedures should only be performed at referral centers by vascular surgeons with prior experience in laparoscopic vascular surgery.

The importance of open emergency surgery in the treatment of acute mesenteric ischemia

Objective

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a complex disease with a high mortality rate. A patient’s chance of survival depends on early diagnosis and rapid revascularization to prevent progression of intestinal gangrene. We reviewed our experience with open surgery treatment in 54 cases of AMI.

Methods

A monocentric retrospective study was conducted between 01/01/2001 and 04/30/2014; 54 AMI patients with a mean age of 56.6 years underwent surgery (26 women and 28 men). Retrospectively, the risk factors, management until diagnosis, vascular therapy and follow-up were evaluated.

Results

The symptom upon admission was an acute abdominal pain event. The delay time from admission to surgery was, on average, 13.9 h (n = 34). The therapeutic procedures were open surgical operations. The complication rate was (53.7 %) (n = 29). The 30-day mortality was 29.6 % (n = 16). The late mortality rate was 24.1 % (n = 13), and the cumulative survival risk was 44.6 %. Survival was, on average, 60.54 months; however, in the over 70-year-old patient subgroup, the survival rate was 9.5 months (p = 0.035). The mortality rate was 27 % (n = 22) in the <12 h delay group, 20 % (n = 5) in the 12–24 h delay group, and 50 % (n = 7) in the > 24 h delay group.

Conclusions

The form of therapy depends on the intraoperative findings and the type of occlusion. Although the mortality rate has decreased in the last decade, in patients over 70 years of age, a significantly worse prognosis was seen.

The value of plasma neurotensin and cytokine measurement for the detection of bowel ischaemia in clinically doubtful cases: a prospective study

The aim of this prospective study was to examine whether serum neurotensin, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-8 are early predictor of bowel ischaemia especially in clinically equivocal cases. To this end, 56 patients were assigned to the following groups according to their disease: bowel ischaemia (group 1: n = 14), small bowel obstruction (group 2: n = 12), acute inflammation (group 3: n = 6), perforation (group 4: n = 8), and colorectal adenocarcinoma (group 5: n = 16). Fifteen healthy controls were assigned to group 6. Blood samples were obtained at enrollment, all measurements were done blindly, and all patients underwent surgery. Pretreatment doubtful diagnosis comprised of ileus, mild abdominal pain, and indeterminate imaging. Blood urea nitrogen, lactic acidosis, diagnostic workup, and IL-6 were predictors of diagnosis in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, IL-6 (P < 0.001) and diagnostic workup (P < 0.01) were independent predictors of the definite diagnosis. Neurotensin and IL-8 did not differentiate among groups. Considering clinically doubtful cases, IL-6 perfectly differentiates mesenteric ischaemia (of infarction/embolic/occlusive aetiology) from the rest of the indeterminate pathologies. The optimum cut-off point for IL-6 was 27.66 pg/mL. The value of serum IL-6 (27.66 pg/mL) had sensitivity = 1 and specificity = 1. In conclusion, plasma IL-6 measurement on admission might be an additional diagnostic tool that can predict bowel ischaemia in doubtful clinical situations.

A rare cause of chronic mesenteric ischemia from fibromuscular dysplasia: a case report

Introduction

Chronic mesenteric ischemia is a condition that is classically associated with significant atherosclerosis of the abdominal arteries, causing postprandial abdominal pain out of proportion to physical examination. The abdominal pain is exacerbated after meals due to the shunting of blood away from the intestines to the stomach, causing relative ischemia. More than 95% of chronic mesenteric ischemia cases are due to atherosclerosis. We report the first known case of chronic mesenteric ischemia from fibromuscular dysplasia. To the best of our knowledge, this is also the first known case in the literature where postprandial abdominal pain was the presenting symptom of fibromuscular dysplasia.

Case presentation

A 44-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of hypertension and preeclampsia, who had taken oral contraceptive pills for 15 years, presented with an intractable, colicky abdominal pain of two weeks duration. This abdominal pain worsened with oral intake. It was also associated with diarrhea and vomiting. Physical examination revealed stage III hypertension out of proportion to her risk factors and diffuse abdominal pain without peritoneal signs. An abdominal computed tomography scan, completed in the emergency room, revealed nonspecific colitis. Laboratory work revealed leukocytosis with a left shift, an erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 79 and a C-reactive protein level of 100. She was started on intravenous flagyl and intravenous ciprofloxacin. However, all microbial cultures were negative including three cultures for clostridium difficile. Urine analysis revealed nephritic range proteinuria. The laboratory profile was within normal limits for perinuclear-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody, cytoplasmic-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody, anti-saccharomyces cerevisiae antibody, antinuclear antibody test, celiac profile, lactate, carbohydrate antigen-125 and thyroid stimulating hormone. A colonoscopy was completed, which revealed diffuse colonic lymphoid reactive hyperplasia. A small bowel series was negative for any inflammation. An indium scan, pan-computed tomography scan and transvaginal ultrasound were also negative. Magnetic resonance angiography of her abdomen revealed proximal superior mesenteric artery stenosis, which was confirmed by computed tomography angiogram findings of severe proximal and distal superior mesenteric artery stenosis, consistent with the appearance of fibromuscular dysplasia on angiography in the absence of vasculitis or atherosclerotic disease. The patient's superior mesenteric artery stenosis was subsequently angioplastied suboptimally and had to be stented with an Angioplus stent. One month after she was admitted, her abdominal pain and tolerance to oral feeds improved tremendously.

Conclusion

Fibromuscular dysplasia most commonly presents with renal artery stenosis, which rarely causes abdominal pain. This case illustrates how fibromuscular dysplasia can present as a rare cause of chronic mesenteric ischemia, similar to chronic mesenteric ischemia from atherosclerosis.

Intestinal ischemia: current treatment concepts

PURPOSE

Mesenteric ischemia is a condition well-known among physicians treating patients with abdominal symptoms. Even so, mortality rates have not decreased significantly over the last decades. The purpose of this article is to review current treatment concepts of acute and chronic mesenteric ischemia.

RESULTS

Early diagnosis is one of the most important features that determine a patient's prognosis. Conventional angiography and multidetector computed tomography are therefore appropriate to quickly diagnose mesenteric ischemia, the latter being commonly more available. Once a patient presents with signs of peritonitis, instant laparotomy is indicated, and infarcted bowel segments need to be resected, followed by a second-look operation if necessary. If bowel necrosis is clinically not suspected, different approaches should be applied according to source and nature of mesenteric ischemia. Besides established surgical treatment concepts, more and more interventional procedures are developed and evaluated. However, superiority of these new techniques could only be shown for selected patient groups so far. In chronic mesenteric ischemia, interventional approaches seem to be an attractive alternative in patients who are in a condition too bad to undergo surgery. Patients with colonic ischemia are treated best in a conservative manner and by resolving the underlying cause, if identified.

CONCLUSION

Patients with acute mesenteric ischemia are still at highest risk for a fatal course of disease. New diagnostic and therapeutic developments have not been tested in larger studies yet, neither has any of these methods led to an increased survival in studies published so far. Taken together, mesenteric ischemia requires high awareness, earliest possible diagnosis, and treatment by an experienced interdisciplinary team of gastroenterologists, radiologists, and surgeons.

Acute and chronic mesenteric ischemia

This article briefly reviews the various etiologies, presentation, and diagnosis of different types of mesenteric ischemia. Operative management techniques and the applicability of percutaneous endovascular intervention are discussed. Finally, the authors explore emerging technologies that have the potential to further improve diagnosis and treatment of this frequently lethal disease process.

Multidetector CT angiography in the diagnosis of mesenteric ischemia

Multidetector CT is an ideal tool for the diagnosis of acute and chronic mesenteric ischemia. Advanced CT scanners and expertise in three-dimensional imaging are becoming increasingly widespread, opening the door to new opportunities and challenges in the evaluation of patients suspected of having mesenteric ischemia. This article reviews contrast administration and image acquisition protocols, the anatomy of the mesenteric vasculature, the etiology of acute and chronic mesenteric ischemia, and CT findings diagnostic for these conditions.

Surgical and medical management of mesenteric ischemia

Acute mesenteric ischemia frequently results in bowel necrosis, which necessitates laparotomy to assess bowel viability. Reduction in mortality requires a high index of suspicion and prompt diagnosis. Bowel resection should be preceded by visceral artery revascularization. Medical management includes the use of anticoagulation, vasodilators, and the use of inhibitors of reperfusion injury. The management of chronic mesenteric ischemia largely depends on the general condition of the patient, who is often affected by malnutrition and dehydration. Surgery, although associated with greater morbidity and mortality, is more durable and effective in relieving the symptoms of chronic mesenteric ischemia. Endovascular treatment options for chronic mesenteric ischemia include percutaneous balloon angioplasty and stenting. This treatment is more likely to be successful in dealing with stenotic rather than occlusive lesions and offers a minimal invasive approach but is associated with a smaller primary success rate and a higher recurrence rate.

Abdominal Pain in the Elderly

Elderly patients who have abdominal pain remain one of the most challenging patient populations. Signs and symptoms of serious disease are often nonspecific. Atypical presentations are common in elderly patients. In addition, the higher incidence of serious pathology in this population requires emergency physicians to be vigilant and thorough in their work-up. Vascular catastrophes are more likely to be seen in this population, and a broad differential diagnosis needs to be considered.

Chronic mesenteric ischemia

Chronic mesenteric ischemia is an unusual but important cause of abdominal pain. Although this condition accounts for only 5% of all intestinal ischemic events, it can have significant clinical consequences. Among its many causes, atherosclerotic occlusion or severe stenosis is the most common. This disorder has an indolent course that results in extensive collateral vascular formation. Thus, symptoms occur when at least two of the three main splanchnic vessels are affected. Intestinal angina, weight loss, and sitophobia are common clinical features. Diagnosis can often be made by noninvasive methods such as computerised axial tomographic angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, and duplex ultrasonography as well as by invasive catheter angiography. Therapy of chronic mesenteric ischemia depends on the extent and location of vascular disease. Alternatives to traditional surgical bypass are becoming more common including embolectomy, thrombolysis, and percutaneous angioplasty with vascular stenting. Early intervention is vital as the natural course of this illness can be debilitating. Furthermore, this has potential to develop into life-threatening acute mesenteric ischemia with subsequent bowel infarction and death. Long-term studies have shown that the risk of developing symptoms from asymptomatic but significant mesenteric vascular disease is 86% with overall 40% mortality rate. The recognition and management of this unusual but important cause of abdominal pain is discussed in detail in this review.

Mesenteric ischemia

MI remains a highly lethal entity. Improving survival requires an aggressive, multidisciplinary approach. High-risk patients with severe abdominal pain and a paucity of physical findings should be undergo emergent imaging in a search for this disease. Improvements in laboratory tests and advances in imaging techniques may improve the ability to diagnose MI earlier in its course, before irreversible damage has occurred. Many treatment modalities are available and should be tailored to each individual case. By recognizing and preventing ischemia-reperfusion injury,the cycle of protracted complications may be broken. A decrease in the mortality from MI finally is occurring. Early recognition and aggressive treatment finally may allow clinicians to have a marked impact on patient survival.

Mesenteric Ischemia: An unusual presentation of fistula between superior mesenteric artery and common hepatic artery

Chronic mesenteric ischemia is an uncommon condition associated with a high morbidity and mortality. We reported a 36-year old women with postprandial abdominal pain due to chronic mesenteric ischemia caused by a fistula between superior mesenteric and common hepatic artery.

Surgical intervention for acute intestinal ischemia: experience in a community teaching hospital

The aim of this study was to evaluate the current management of acute mesenteric ischemia secondary to thrombotic or embolic occlusion of visceral vessels in a community teaching hospital. Between October 1997 and July 2000, a review of all hospital discharges revealed 83 patients with a discharge diagnosis of "acute vascular insufficiency-intestine." Among these 83 patients, 22 cases of acute mesenteric ischemia were confirmed. Management of these 22 patients was divided into 2 groups for analysis. In Group A, 14 patients were aggressively treated with visceral angiography (n=10), visceral artery bypass (n=8), visceral embolectomy (n=4), and bowel resection (n=7). In 8 of 14 of these patients, surgical intervention occurred in less than 24 hours from presentation. In Group B, 8 patients were managed with supportive care because of advanced age (mean age = 86 +/- 7 years), comorbid conditions, or patient and family preference. Postoperative morbidity in Group A consisted of cardiac events (n=3), pulmonary insufficiency (n=5), and prolonged gastrointestinal tract dysfunction (n=3). Twelve of 14 patients in Group A survived and were discharged, whereas only 2 of 8 patients in Group B survived and were discharged from the hospital. Although the literature suggests that there can be a significant delay in the diagnosis and treatment of acute mesenteric ischemia, the early recognition and aggressive treatment of acute mesenteric ischemia resulted in a good survival rate. Supportive management of very elderly and debilitated patients needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis. Although the outlook for such patients is dismal, survivors are possible as demonstrated by this series.

Retrograde aortomesenteric bypass with tunneling behind the left renal pedicle

This report describes a new technique for revascularization of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) which creates a retrograde bypass tunneled behind the left renal pedicle. The procedure can be performed by the left retroperitoneal or transperitoneal route, alone or in association with reconstruction of the infrarenal aorta. Proximal anastomosis is retrograde on the left side of the infrarenal aorta or aortic prosthesis. The course of the bypass runs first in the back and top of the retrorenal dissection plane, then loops behind and over the left renal pedicle, and finally turns downward and forward to the SMA. Distal anastomosis can be made either end-to-end or end-to-side. This large, loop-shaped course not only reduces the risk of kinking but also gives the bypass enough length to adapt to movements of the SMA. This technique has been performed in association with reconstruction of the infrarenal aorta in three patients. Postoperative control using Doppler ultrasound, arteriography, and helical CT scan showed no kinking or other abnormality. One patient died a month after the procedure from myocardial infarction. Follow-up Doppler ultrasound in the two surviving patients showed bypass patency with no stenosis at 19 and 30 months.

Chronic mesenteric ischemia: diagnosis and treatment

Chronic mesenteric ischemia is an uncommon manifestation of atherosclerotic disease. The presentation of chronic mesenteric ischemia is often confusing and the diagnosis is usually not made until late in the course of the disease. Selective angiography is considered the gold standard for establishing the diagnosis of chronic mesenteric ischemia. The treatment options for patients presenting with symptomatic chronic mesenteric ischemia include various surgical approaches to revascularization and catheter-based interventions.

Ischemic bowel disease in the elderly

The ischemic bowel diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders usually seen in elderly individuals. They represent ischemic damage to different portions [figure: see text] of the bowel and produce a variety of clinical syndromes and outcomes. Colonic ischemia is the commonest of these disorders and has a favorable prognosis in most cases. In contrast, acute mesenteric ischemia, most commonly caused by a superior mesenteric artery embolus, is a disease with a poor prognosis. Acute mesenteric ischemia secondary to nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia usually is a [figure: see text] catastrophic complication of other severe medical illnesses, most notably atherosclerosis. Proper diagnosis and management of patients with ischemic bowel disease requires vigilance on the part of the physician and a willingness to embark on an aggressive plan of diagnosis and management in the appropriate setting.