Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is not an independent marker for adverse outcomes in endograft repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

A significant proportion of patients undergoing endograft repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We report here our experience and analysis of 342 consecutive AAA endograft repairs in patients with and without COPD (137, or 39%, of patients with COPD and 55, or 16%, with moderate to severe COPD). Patient outcomes such as perioperative mortality, length of admission, intensive care unit admission, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, conversion to open surgery, duration of surgery, postoperative endoleaks, and combined respiratory complications were analyzed; differences were not statistically significant compared to patients without COPD (p > 0.

Clinical impact of chronic renal insufficiency on endovascular aneurysm repair.

Endovascular aneurysm repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms has become a viable alternative to open repair. A significant proportion of this patient population has chronic renal insufficiency. The surgical outcomes associated with endovascular repair in 342 patients, with and without chronic renal insufficiency, are reported.

Posterior tibial artery aneurysm: A case report.

Aneurysms of tibial vessels are extremely rare. The majority are pseudoaneurysms caused by trauma. Those that are true aneurysms have been associated with an inflammatory process or were mycotic in origin.

Endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair at hartford hospital: a six year experience.

Introduction And Objectives: Endograft repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) has become a viable alternative to open surgical repair in the last decade. We report here our experience and analysis of the surgical outcomes associated with endograft AAA repair.

Methods: Patients suffering from significant abdominal aortic aneurysms (> 5cm in diameter) underwent endovascular repair.

Common origins of carotid and subclavian arterial systems: report of a rare aortic arch variant.

An aberrant right subclavian artery (aSA) arising from the proximal descending aorta is one of the most common anomalies of the aortic arch. We present our experience with an asymptomatic atypical aSA variant found during routine anatomic dissection. This aortic arch variant had two branches, the first being a bicarotid trunk and the second being a common trunk for both subclavian arteries.

Transcatheter embolization of hypogastric artery aneurysms: lessons learned.

Transcatheter embolization of hypogastric artery aneurysms has become an attractive therapeutic alternative for many patients with this difficult lesion. Because of the increasing use of stent grafting for treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms, transcatheter embolization of normal-caliber hypogastric arteries has become an almost routine procedure, usually accomplished with little morbidity. Applying this treatment to aneurysmal hypogastric arteries, however, involves greater technical complexity and a significantly higher risk of ischemic complications.

Morbidity and mortality associated with renal insufficiency and endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms: a 5-year experience.

To evaluate the outcome of patients with renal insufficiency undergoing endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), data were prospectively collected between 1998 and 2003 on patients undergoing elective repair of their AAA with a stent graft. The patients were divided into 2 groups: those with serum creatinine (Crs) concentrations <1.2 (Group A) and those with Crs > or =1.

Endovascular stent-graft placement for nonaneurysmal infrarenal aortic rupture: a case report and review of the literature.

Penetrating atheromatous ulceration of the infrarenal aorta is a rare entity. There are few reported cases of this lesion, and most of the published data is in regards to the thoracic aorta. Spontaneous rupture of a nonaneurysmal noninfected atherosclerotic infrarenal aorta is a rare event.

Magnetic resonance venography in the diagnosis and management of May-Thurner syndrome.

Isolated left lower extremity swelling secondary to left iliac vein compression was first described by McMurrich in 1908, and defined anatomically by May and Thurner in 1957 and clinically by Cockett and Thomas in 1965. The left iliac vein is usually located posterior to the right iliac artery and can be compressed between the artery and the fifth lumbar vertebrae. Symptoms include left lower extremity edema, pain, varicosities, venous stasis changes, and deep venous thrombosis.

Distal inferior mesenteric veins to renal vein shunt for treatment of bleeding anorectal varices: case report and review of literature.

Isolated intractable bleeding from anorectal varices is a rare complication of portal hypertension. We report a case of a patient with cirrhosis and hepatofugal flow who had severe lower gastrointestinal bleeding from anorectal varices. This is the first case report of construction of a distal inferior mesenteric vein shunt to left renal vein as a selective shunt for treatment of bleeding anorectal varices in a patient with hepatofugal flow.

Hypogastric artery embolization in endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Purpose: Iliac artery anatomy is a central factor in endoluminal abdominal aortic aneurysm therapy. It serves as the conduit for graft deployment and as the region of distal graft seal. Thirty-eight percent of iliac vessels in our patients require special treatment because of aneurysms, tortuosity, or small size.

Popliteal aneurysm presenting as acute thrombosis and ischemia in a middle-aged man with a history of Kawasaki disease.

Kawasaki disease is known to cause a vasculitis of small and medium-sized vessels, with subsequent aneurysm formation. Most of the severe manifestations of the disease occur as a result of coronary aneurysm formation. However, many other arteries have been documented to be involved.

Accuracy of carotid duplex examination to predict proximal and intrathoracic lesions.

Background: There is growing enthusiasm for doing carotid endarterectomy based on duplex examination alone, avoiding the risks of arteriography. Duplex cannot directly visualize proximal carotid or arch lesions. This study evaluates the prevalence of such lesions and the ability of duplex to predict their presence.

Intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy in the initial management of thrombosed popliteal artery aneurysms.

Case reports of three patients presenting with acute limb-threatening lower extremity ischemia as a result of thrombosed popliteal artery aneurysms are described. Intra-arterial urokinase was administered to each patient prior to definitive surgery. This improved the infrapopliteal runoff in each case, allowing for successful arterial reconstruction without limb loss.

Postoperative compartment syndrome and the lithotomy position: a report of three cases and analysis of potential risk factors.

There exists a definite association between the placement of patients in the modified lithotomy position and the development of postoperative compartment syndrome. It must be appreciated that this syndrome is potentially life-threatening and frequently results in long-term sequelae. We report three cases which illustrate the problem and analyze the multifactorial etiology of this condition and propose a strategy for its prophylaxis.

The inhibitory effect of parenteral nutrition on recovery of neutrophil locomotory function in blunt trauma.

Twenty patients were investigated to determine whether total parenteral nutrition (TPN) influences the recovery of neutrophil (PMN) locomotory dysfunction in blunt trauma. Half were given TPN consisting of amino acids, glucose, electrolytes, and trace minerals, and half were given intravenous (I.V.

Bacteriologic contamination of intravenous infusion delivery systems in an intensive care unit.

Seventy intensive care unit patients were admitted to a double-blind prospective study to determine the level of contamination associated with the admixture and administration of intravenous solutions and whether intravenous filtersets prevented bacteremia. Patients were randomly assigned a 0.22 micron filterset (real filter) or a filter cartridge without a 0.

Developing guidelines for thrombolytic therapy.

The development and implementation of guidelines for the use of thrombolytic therapy at a 1000-bed community hospital are described. A thrombolytic therapy committee composed of two physicians, a nurse, and a pharmacist was established to develop the guidelines. The committee outlined goals for the guidelines, developed a format, and defined individual responsibilities.

Comparative penetration of cefonicid and cefazolin into the atrial appendage and pericardial fluid of patients undergoing open-heart surgery.

The penetration of cefonicid and cefazolin into cardiac tissue was compared after a single 30-mg/kg dose in 30 patients undergoing aortocoronary artery bypass graft surgery. Samples of the right atrial appendage, pericardial fluid, and serum were obtained at various times and assayed for drug content. The concentrations of cefonicid in serum and the atrial appendage were at least twice those observed for cefazolin at a given time after a dose.

Early experience with in situ saphenous vein grafts for severe ischemia of the lower extremity.

Based upon this group of 35 patients with a variety of vascular lesions, it would appear that the in situ saphenous vein technique is certainly, at least, a viable alternative to standard bypass techniques. It has been applied with equally encouraging results by several surgeons in a variety of clinical settings, all using the procedure for the first time in a learning phase. This technique may become the procedure of choice for the treatment of occlusive disease of the lower extremity in this difficult and challenging group of patients.

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte migration abnormalities and their significance in seriously traumatized patients.

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) locomotory responses were studied in 24 patients who sustained serious blunt trauma, mostly from motor vehicle accidents. The results showed the presence of a combined cell- and serum-associated locomotory abnormality. The serum abnormality was due to a cell-directed inhibitor, and was present for an average of 3 days.

Surgery for acute carotid occlusion. Therapy in search of predictability.

Carotid thromboendarterectomy is rarely performed in the face of an acute, apparently nontransient neurologic deficit. However, clinical improvement may follow timely surgery. Because efficacy and safety remain unpredictable, operative therapy is denied to many patients who might benefit.

Intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation in blunt cardiac injury.

Intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABC) is a widely used form of mechanical circulatory assistance. We have successfully employed IABC in three patients with refractory cardiogenic shock secondary to cardiac contusion. All patients had multiple blunt injuries with cardiac contusion documented electrocardiographically, by CPK isoenzyme determinations, and clinically.

Acute acalculous cholecystitis in the critically ill patient.

Nine cases of acute acalculous cholecystitis were diagnosed in the surgical intensive care unit at Hartford Hospital during a 2 year period after abdominal, cardiovascular, and traumatic surgery. A tender mass in the right upper quadrant was suggestive but not diagnostic of the condition. Hyperamylasemia was seen in all patients.