Short-interval recanalization after gelfoam occlusion.

Gelfoam® is a temporary embolization agent often used in trauma where permanent arterial occlusion is not desired. Gelfoam occlusions have been shown to resolve by 2 weeks, but shorter intervals have not been studied. We report a case of spontaneous arterial hemorrhage due to ruptured hepatic malignancy where treatment was Gelfoam slurry occlusion of the right hepatic artery.

Activation of stem cell up-regulation/mobilization: a cardiovascular risk in both mice and humans with implications for liver disease, psoriasis and SLE.

Experimentally induced injury triggers up-regulation and mobilization of stem cells in mice that causes accelerated atherosclerosis. mice have chronic activation of stem cell up-regulation/mobilization and accelerated atherosclerosis. In addition, the mice have elevation of serum cytokines G-CSF, IL-17 and IL-23, each necessary for stem cell mobilization.

Hypersplenism in liver disease and SLE revisited: current evidence supports an active rather than passive process.

Background: Active and passive theories have been advanced to explain splenomegaly and cytopenias in liver disease. Dameshek proposed active downregulation of hematopoiesis. Doan proposed passive trapping of blood components in a spleen enlarged by portal hypertension.

Image-Guided Embolization Coil Placement for Identification of an Endophytic, Isoechoic Renal Mass During Robotic Partial Nephrectomy.

Background: Intraoperative ultrasonography has proven to be a useful tool for tumor identification during robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RALPN). However, its utility is limited in renal tumors that are completely endophytic and isoechoic in nature. We present a novel approach to intraoperative tumor identification using preoperative percutaneous intratumoral embolization coil placement that may be utilized in the management of such cases.

Cancer-free survival and local tumor control after impendence-based radiofrequency ablation of biopsy-proven renal cell carcinomas with a minimum of 1-year follow-up.

Objectives: There are numerous reports describing the use of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to treat renal cell carcinoma. Many series, however, describe heterogeneous populations, lack histologic descriptions, use various RFA systems, and indicate tumor destruction by different ablation end points. This study examined the outcomes of computed tomography-guided, impedance-based RFA of biopsy-proven renal cell carcinoma clinically staged as T1a with a minimum of 1 year of postablation follow-up.

Implantable subcutaneous venous access devices: is port fixation necessary? A review of 534 cases.

Conventional surgical technique of subcutaneous venous port placement describes dissection of the port pocket to the pectoralis fascia and suture fixation of the port to the fascia to prevent inversion of the device within the pocket. This investigation addresses the necessity of that step. Between October 8, 2004 and October 19, 2007, 558 subcutaneous chest ports were placed at our institution; 24 cases were excluded from this study.

Tunneled hemodialysis catheter outcomes in elderly patients.

Purpose: This retrospective study evaluated tunneled catheter outcomes in patients aged 75 years and older undergoing hemodialysis.

Materials And Methods: Patients aged 75 years or older receiving hemodialysis comprised the study group. A control group of patients 40-60 years of age was randomly selected from the same dialysis quality assurance database.

Dialysis access venous stenoses: treatment with balloon angioplasty--1- versus 3-minute inflation times.

Purpose: To examine prospectively the effects of balloon inflation time on the technical success of balloon angioplasty in dialysis access venous stenosis and on postintervention primary patency.

Materials And Methods: The study design was approved by the institution's Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects, and informed consent was obtained. Demographic information and access-specific data were collected.

Selective palliative transcatheter embolization of bony metastases from renal cell carcinoma.

To examine whether transcatheter embolization of bone metastases is an effective palliative option for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCCa). A retrospective review of 21 patients presenting for palliative embolization of painful RCCa skeletal metastases was performed. Details regarding anatomic sites, procedural details, and embolization materials were collected.

Pericardial tamponade in patients with central venous catheters.

Cardiac (pericardial) tamponade occurs when the pressure of the fluid within the pericardial sac is high enough to impair the venous return to the heart. Cardiac tamponade can occur during central venous catheter placements. Nursing members of a central vascular catheter placement team benefit from quickly recognizing this clinical situation and understanding the appropriate clinical response.

Sclerosis of postoperative lymphoceles: avoidance of prolonged catheter drainage with use of a fibrin sealant.

Purpose: To review experience with fibrin-based tissue sealant sclerosis of postsurgical lymphoceles at a single institution.

Materials And Methods: Fifteen patients who presented with postsurgical lymphoceles were treated with injection of fibrin tissue sealant. Procedures were performed under fluoroscopic and sonographic guidance.

Tension pneumothorax after placement of a tunneled pleural drainage catheter in a patient with recurrent malignant pleural effusions.

A case of tension pneumothorax developed after placement of a tunneled pleural catheter for treatment of malignant pleural effusion in a patient with advanced lung cancer. The catheter placement was carried out by an experienced operator under direct ultrasound guidance, and the patient showed immediate symptomatic improvement with acute decompensation occurring several hours later. Possible mechanisms for this serious complication of tunneled pleural catheter placement are described, and potential strategies to avoid or prevent it in future are discussed.

Jugular vein catheter placement: histologic features and development of catheter-related (fibrin) sheaths in a swine model.

Purpose: To evaluate the development and histologic features of jugular vein catheter-related (fibrin) sheaths in a swine model.

Materials And Methods: The proposal was approved by the University Committee on the Use and Care of Animals. Tunneled silicone 7-F catheters were placed via a jugular vein in eight swine.

Conformation of adjacent self-expanding stents: a cross-sectional in vitro study.

We examined the proximal conformation of three commonly used self-expanding stents when the stents were deployed adjacent to one another in a tubular model, simulating a "kissing" stent technique. The stent pairs were evaluated by computed tomogrphy to determine the cross-sectional area excluded by the stents within the model. The mean areas associated with each stent pair were compared and significance evaluated by a t-test.

Stent-graft treatment of patients with acute bleeding from hepatic artery branches.

Purpose: To present a new treatment option in patients with acute bleeding from the hepatic artery branches.

Methods: Four male patients, 23-49 years old (mean 36.3 years), were treated for acute bleeding and subsequent transient hypotension.

Successful angioplasty of a superficial femoral artery stenosis caused by a suture-mediated closure device.

We report the successful angioplasty of an acute arterial narrowing after suture-mediated closure (SMC) of a femoral arterial puncture. A 75-year-old woman underwent a cerebral arteriogram via a right common femoral artery puncture. The arteriotomy site was closed with a SMC device.