Recovery of neurological function following type B aortic dissection complicated by paraplegia.

A woman in her 50s presented with uncontrolled hypertension, chest/back pain, paraplegia, right lower limb ischaemia and acute kidney injury. A CT angiogram demonstrated a type B aortic dissection originating distal to the left subclavian artery to bilateral common iliac arteries complicated by occlusion of the right renal artery and right common iliac artery. She was started on intravenous antihypertensive therapy and transferred to our institution for emergent thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

Genicular Artery Embolization for Recurrent Hemarthrosis of the Knee Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Single Centre Experience.

Purpose: To retrospectively review the safety and efficacy of genicular artery embolization procedures performed at our institution in patients presenting with recurrent knee hemarthrosis following total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Materials And Methods: A total of 13 consecutive patients (average age: 68; range 51-84, 62% female) were identified who underwent 14 genicular artery embolization procedures after presenting with recurrent hemarthrosis after TKA. Patient charts were retrospectively reviewed for demographic information, pre-embolization investigations, and details of embolization procedure including complications, technical success, and clinical success.

A Peritoneal Dialysis Access Quality Improvement Initiative: A Single-Center Experience.

Little evidence exists regarding optimal peritoneal dialysis (PD) access insertion pathways, benchmarking for patency targets, and definitions of access dysfunction.This quality improvement (QI) project evaluated patients with PD catheters inserted at a single center in Toronto, Canada, following: establishment of PD catheter insertion protocols, a PD access coordinator, PD access operator training, and outcomes reporting. We define primary vs secondary PD catheter dysfunction by presentation before/after initial home PD treatment.

Low Contrast Dose Catheter-Directed CT Angiography (CCTA).

Purpose: Catheter-directed computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has been shown to reduce the contrast volumes required in conventional CTA, thus minimizing the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN).

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on cases where CCTA was used to assess access vessels prior to transfemoral aortic valve implantation (TAVI, n = 53), abdominal aortic aneurysm assessment for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR, n = 11), and peripheral vascular disease (PVD, n = 24).

Results: We show that CCTA can image vasculature with adequate diagnostic detail to allow assessment of lower extremity disease, anatomic suitability for EVAR, as well as potential contraindications to TAVI.

Gastrostomy tube placement by radiological versus endoscopic methods in an acute care setting: a retrospective review of frequency, indications, complications and outcomes.

Objectives: To describe the current practice of placing gastrostomy tubes (endoscopic and radiological), patient characteristics, indications for enteral support, complications and outcomes over a 13-month period, and explore factors that influenced complications and outcomes. Second, to provide Canadian data regarding feeding tube placement because no current literature reflecting these practices for Canadian hospitals is available.

Methods: Retrospective chart reviews were conducted.

HIV-specific T-cells accumulate in the liver in HCV/HIV co-infection.

Background And Aims: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)-related liver disease progresses more rapidly in individuals co-infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV), although the underlying immunologic mechanisms are unknown. We examined whether HIV-specific T-cells are identified in the liver of HCV/HIV co-infected individuals and promote liver inflammation through bystander immune responses.

Methods: Ex-vivo intra-hepatic lymphocytes from HCV mono-infected and HCV/HIV co-infected individuals were assessed for immune responses to HIV and HCV antigens by polychromatic flow cytometry.

Pregnancy after uterine artery embolization for leiomyomata: the Ontario multicenter trial.

Objective: To report on pregnancies and deliveries occurring in a large cohort of women who underwent uterine artery embolization instead of surgery for symptomatic leiomyomata.

Methods: A total of 555 women underwent uterine embolization in a multicenter clinical trial. The primary embolic agent was 355-500 microm polyvinyl alcohol particles with treatment end-point as bilateral stasis in the uterine arteries.

Tolerance, hospital stay, and recovery after uterine artery embolization for fibroids: the Ontario Uterine Fibroid Embolization Trial.

Purpose: Uterine artery embolization (UAE) is gaining popularity as an alternative to hysterectomy for the treatment of fibroids. Although minimally invasive treatments such as UAE offer the potential of fewer complications, shorter hospital stay, and quicker recovery than surgery, there have been few published data on tolerance and recovery in patients undergoing UAE.

Materials And Methods: This was a multicenter prospective single-arm clinical treatment trial involving the practices of 11 interventional radiologists in eight Ontario university-affiliated and community hospitals.

Technical results and effects of operator experience on uterine artery embolization for fibroids: the Ontario Uterine Fibroid Embolization Trial.

Purpose: To document the technical results and spectrum of practice of uterine artery embolization (UAE) for fibroids in the health care setting in Canada. The effects of interventional radiologist's (IR's) experience with UAE on procedure and fluoroscopy time were also investigated.

Materials And Methods: The study involved a multicenter prospective single-arm clinical treatment trial and included the practices of 11 IRs at eight university-affiliated teaching and community hospitals.

Hysterectomy for complications after uterine artery embolization for leiomyoma: results of a Canadian multicenter clinical trial.

Study Objective: To determine the complication-related hysterectomy rate after uterine artery embolization (UAE) for symptomatic uterine leiomyomas.

Design: Prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized, single-arm clinical trial (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

Setting: Eight Ontario University-affiliated teaching and community hospitals.

Pathologic features of uteri and leiomyomas following uterine artery embolization for leiomyomas.

The objectives of this study were to identify the presence/absence and location of any embolic material and to describe the morphologic appearance of the leiomyoma and adjacent tissues of cases undergoing surgical intervention following uterine artery embolization (UAE) for leiomyomas. A total of 555 women underwent UAE using polyvinyl alcohol particles (PVA) in a multicenter clinical trial. The histopathologic slides from 17 of 18 women who subsequently underwent myomectomy or hysterectomy in the follow-up period (median 8.

The Ontario Uterine Fibroid Embolization Trial. Part 2. Uterine fibroid reduction and symptom relief after uterine artery embolization for fibroids.

Objective: To evaluate fibroid uterine volume reduction, symptom relief, and patient satisfaction with uterine artery embolization (UAE) for symptomatic fibroids.

Design: Multicenter, prospective, single-arm clinical treatment trial.

Setting: Eight Ontario university and community hospitals.