Effect of Endovascular Treatment Rate on Population Level Outcomes and Survival After Intact Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Intraoperative calf blood pressure measurements for the detection of early lower extremity ischemia following endovascular aneurysm repair

BACKGROUND

Access vessel complications during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) remain a concern and has been reported to occur in 3-10% of cases. The purpose of this study is to report our experience with intraoperative, non-invasive calf blood pressure (BP) measurements and ankle brachial indexes (ABIs) before and immediately following EVAR, in evaluating the perfusion of the lower extremities and detecting early lower extremity ischemia (LEI).

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of all consecutive patients who underwent EVAR at our institution between the years 2019 and 2021. All patients had blood pressure cuffs placed on their calves prior to the procedure. Calf BP measurements and ABIs were obtained prior to and immediately after the surgery. Based on the BP measurements, patients were categorized into two groups. Group 1: patients with unchanged ABIs at the end of the procedure. Group 2: patients who experienced a decrease in ABIs at the end of the procedure (no BP obtained or decrease of ABI >0.3 from preoperative measurement). Patients in group 2 underwent exploration of the access vessel. Based on these, the positive and negative predictive values of the study were calculated.

RESULTS

During the study period we performed 113 EVAR procedures for abdominal, thoracic, and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms, in which 226 femoral arteries were accessed. Mean age was 71 years and 88% were males. In 219 (97%) of the limbs, there was no change in calf BP measurements and ABIs immediately after the procedure, when compared to the preoperative measurements, and none suffered a decrease in follow up ABIs. In 7 limbs (3%), there was a decrease in the calf BP (group 2), and all underwent exploration of the femoral artery. In 5 of these, a pathology was found within the artery. The positive predictive value of the intraoperative calf BP measurement was 71%. The negative predictive value of the study was 100%.

CONCLUSION

Intraoperative calf BP and ABIs is a simple method to assess the lower limb perfusion and detect LEI following EVAR. The exam is particularly accurate in ruling out LEI as it has a very high negative predictive value. However, an abnormal measurement does not necessarily confirm LEI.

Manejo del aneurisma roto de aorta abdominal: un reto para el cirujano general

Introducción. El aneurisma aórtico abdominal roto, tiene una mortalidad del 80 % al 90 %. Para su reparación existe una técnica abierta y otra endovascular, las cuales tienen diferencias entre sus beneficios y complicaciones. El método de elección en la actualidad para la corrección de esta alteración anatómica es endovascular, sin embargo, no es el más usado, porque no se cuenta todo el tiempo con el equipo humano de cirugía vascular para su realización. Caso clínico. Ingresa a urgencias un paciente en estado de shock de origen desconocido, con dolor abdominal de 24 horas de evolución. Se realiza una tomografía con contraste que demuestra un aneurisma aórtico abdominal infrarrenal roto. Debido a que no se contaba con el equipo de cirugía vascular, es llevado de urgencia a una corrección abierta que duró 153 minutos, con un sangrado intraoperatorio de 1754 cc. Fue dado de alta a los 12 días postoperatorios sin ninguna complicación. Discusión. La reparación endovascular del aneurisma aórtico abdominal roto es la mejor elección, ya que muestra mayores beneficios en comparación con la reparación abierta, sin embargo, no es el más utilizado, porque se necesita de un personal bien entrenado en cirugía endovascular, por lo que, dentro de la formación de los cirujanos generales, se tiene que incluir el aprendizaje de las técnicas abiertas.

Aneurysms and dissections - What is new in the literature of 2019/2020 - a European Society of Vascular Medicine annual review

More than 6,000 publications were found in PubMed concerning aneurysms and dissections, including those Epub ahead of print in 2019, printed in 2020. Among those publications 327 were selected and considered of particular interest.

Predictors of inadequate EndoAnchors aortic wall penetration for the Endosutured therapy in hostile neck patients

BACKGROUND

The use of EndoAnchors is increasing; however, not much about appropriate use in terms of aortic wall penetration (AWP) is described. We aim to evaluate the procedural and anatomical conditions related with borderline (b) or absence (ab) of AWP when checked on first CT-scan after the Endosutured aortic repair (ESAR) for hostile neck anatomies (HNA).

METHODS

This study with NCT04100499 is a single center prospective evaluation of patients receiving EndoAnchors for prevention or treatment of a proximal EVAR failure. AWP was evaluated on first CT-scan and findings correlated with neck anatomical features and procedural data. The sum of borderline and absence of AWP was considered as Inadequate - In-AWP (failure). Adjunctive procedures, reinterventions, all-cause mortality, absence of type Ia EL and aneurysm related mortality are also described.

RESULTS

Forty-eight patients were treated during the study period and 43 high-surgical risk patients were finally included in the study for analysis with at least one HNA criteria (58%) and associating two in 21% or even three in 21%. A total of 250 EndoAnchors were deployed at a median 6 (range, 4-10) per case. From those, 31 (12.5%) achieved b-AWP and 11 (4.4%) ab-AWP, meaning 42 (16.8%) EndoAnchors with In-AWP. Univariate-analysis showed being an occasional user and a therapeutic case as predictor for at least one and more failures. The only predictor on multivariate analysis for two or more EndoAnchors with In-AWP was being an occasional user. Cumulative-survival and freedom from type-Ia EL at 2-years was 84% and 95%; respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Outcomes of the ESAR therapy should be validated according to their aortic wall penetration checked on first CT-scan. EndoAnchors use in HNA should not be considered an easy approach for the endovascular technique, especially for therapeutic cases. An individual and specific case analysis counterbalancing inadequate use of the device in unexperienced users should be evaluated against the increased risk of proximal failure as in standard EVAR alone during HNA treatment.