Small Caliber Distal Cephalic Veins Undergo Significant Dilation under Anesthesia and Can Successfully Be Used for Arteriovenous Fistula Creation.

Background: Successful arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation and use for dialysis is highly dependent on preoperative diameter. Small veins (<2 mm) exhibit high failure rates and are typically avoided. This study investigates the effects of anesthesia on the distal cephalic vein diameter as compared to preoperative outpatient vein mapping for the purpose of hemodialysis access creation.

Saphenous vein dilation as an alternative to prosthetic femoral-distal bypass revascularization.

A 63-year-old man with a history of bipolar and schizoaffective disorder was admitted to the psychiatry unit. His comorbidities included active smoking, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease after coronary artery bypass grafting, and peripheral arterial disease. During the admission, the patient began to complain of right foot pain at rest.

The Benefits of a Muscle-Sparing Below Knee Amputation in the Elderly Population.

Background: It is well accepted that good muscle coverage of the bones at the end of a below knee amputation (BKA) stump is preferable, for both weight bearing and protection against prosthesis failure. Elderly patients often have atrophy of the leg musculature secondary to age-related physiological changes and decreased use. These patients often have poor coverage and bulk in their stumps after the standard BKA.

Iliac Remote Endarterectomy to Restore Circulation in a Patient with Infected Aorto-Femoral and Axillo-Bifemoral Bypasses.

We report a case of a patient who underwent a 2-stage operation that included a right obturator bypass with left iliac remote endarterectomy followed by removal of an infected, previously failed aorto-right-femoral and right axillo-bifemoral bypass reconstructions.

Dermabond and Tegaderm: A Better Surgical Incision Dressing.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a common source of morbidity with vascular surgery incisions, especially in the groin. Single institution case series have widely varying, but high incidences of groin wound infection after open lower extremity revascularization. Optimally, a dressing that did not require changes, had low cost, and was water resistant would be optimal in these patients.

A Reevaluation of the Gritti-Stokes (Above-Knee) Amputation for the Nonambulatory Patient.

Objective: To reevaluate the benefits of a Gritti-Stokes amputation (GSA), as an alternative to the traditional above-knee amputation (AKA), in patients who are nonambulatory or not a candidate for a below-knee amputation (BKA).

Technique: A fish-mouth incision is fashioned below the tibial tuberosity into the popliteal crease, resulting in an anterior soft tissue flap and smaller posterior soft tissue flap. Thus the incision line will be on the posterior thigh, instead of the end of the stump.

Minimally Invasive Aortobiilliofemoral Endarterectomy for Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease Is a Compelling Alternative to Bypass.

Introduction:: Aortobifemoral bypass is a time-honored, durable surgery allowing restoration of lower extremity blood. However, the potential for significant complications exists, impacting mortality, morbidity, and quality of life. Minimally invasive aortobiiliofemoral endarterectomy offers an alternative to prosthetic bypass and its associated complications.

Not all lightweight lead aprons and thyroid shields are alike.

Objective: With the explosion of minimally invasive surgery, the use of fluoroscopy has significantly increased. Concurrently, there has been a demand for lighter weight aprons. The industry answered this call with the development of lightweight aprons.

Delayed Tibioperoneal Trunk Aneurysm after Atherectomy and Balloon Angioplasty.

True infrapopliteal aneurysms occur very rarely; the majority of reported cases are secondary to trauma or infection. We report the development of a tibioperoneal trunk aneurysm 6 months after atherectomy and angioplasty and describe subsequent open surgical repair via a great saphenous vein bypass graft.

Post-General Anesthesia Ultrasound-Guided Venous Mapping Increases Autogenous Access Placement Rates.

Background: This study investigates the impact of introducing a post-general anesthesia ultrasound (PAUS) mapping on the type of vascular access chosen for hemodialysis in patients without previous accesses.

Methods: Two hundred three of 297 consecutive patients met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Within-subjects analysis was performed on patients with both an outpatient ultrasound-guided vein mapping and a PAUS using sign tests and Wilcoxon signed rank tests.

Endovascular Treatment of Dialysis Access-Induced Hand Ischemia Using a Flared Stent-Graft.

Purpose: To report an investigation of a purely endovascular procedure to address access-induced hand ischemia in dialysis patients.

Case Report: Two dialysis patients presented with stage III steal syndrome consisting of severe pain and numbness in their fingers. Preoperative fistulograms distal to the anastomosis showed alternating antegrade and retrograde flow.

Subclavian artery injury, vertebral artery dissection, and arteriovenous fistulae following attempt at central line placement.

Vertebral artery dissection and arteriovenous fistulas are uncommon complications of vascular access and angiographic procedures. There are several cases of iatrogenic vertebral artery dissection secondary to central line placement reported in the literature. Only a few iatrogenic arteriovenous fistulae have been reported, but none also involving the dissection of the vertebral artery.