Robert Gross MD and the Birth of Pediatric Heart Surgery.

Robert Gross performed the first repair of a patent ductus arteriosus in 1938. His life and career were dedicated to the advancement of vascular, cardiac, pediatric surgery, and the unrelenting care of his patients.

Therapeutic Angiogenesis and Cardiovascular Disease: A Review.

After the success of novel angiogenesis inhibitors in cancer treatment, angiogenesis promotors for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease and coronary artery disease became the target of significant research. Promising results in animal models led to numerous randomized control trials that failed to translate into meaningful clinical results. The goal of this review is to describe the history of investigation into therapeutic angiogenesis for cardiovascular disease and discuss the lessons learned and future directions.

Marijuana and Vascular Disease: A Review.

Marijuana use is common and increasing due to decriminalization, legalization, and expansion of medical use. As a result, the proportion of vascular patients with marijuana is also expected to increase, raising questions if cannabis use affects the incidence and outcomes of vascular disease. Active ingredients of cannabis have been shown to interact with receptors found on vascular endothelium, promoting oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction.

A Case of Right Subclavian Artery Agenesis.

The authors present a 12-year-old male with an asymptomatic absence of the proximal right subclavian artery. On physical examination, his right brachial, radial, and ulnar pulses were diminished compared with the left side. Computed tomographic angiography revealed that the right subclavian artery was supplied from the anterior right internal mammary artery.

Stents in the Management of Stenotic and Occlusive Lesions in the Venous System.

Occlusive disease of the iliac veins or major intrathoracic veins have traditionally been managed by conservative management or by major vascular reconstructive procedures. Over the past 15-20 years, these lesions have become amenable to management with venous stents. Lesions in the iliac venous system are typically due to thrombus secondary to deep vein thrombosis, and lesions in the superior vena cava are due to either malignant intrathoracic lesions, indwelling central venous catheters, pacemaker leads, or enlarged nodes due to granulomatous disease.

Acute Aortic Occlusion and Its Sequelae: Metabolic, Pathologic Etiology, and Management.

Acute occlusion of the abdominal aorta is a catastrophic occurrence that results in high risk of limb loss and death. The etiology has historically been either acute embolism obstructing the aortic bifurcation in 8% to 75% of patients, or thrombosis of existing aorta-iliac occlusive disease in 35% to 84% of patients. Other etiologies include thrombosis of either a previously placed endograft or aortic graft or acute dissection.

Vascular Complications Associated with Transfemoral Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background Transfemoral aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a novel technique for treating aortic stenosis, yet vascular complications are yet to be delineated. Objectives This study aims to study the vascular complications of TAVR with Edwards Sapien valves (Edwards Lifesciences Corp., Irvine, CA).

The Current Status of Tissue-Engineered Vascular Grafts.

Tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) are currently being developed to overcome the limitations and complications associated with traditional synthetic grafts. This article aims to review the current status of research into the production and use of tissue-engineered grafts. TEVGs have a number of theoretical advantages over synthetic grafts.

Postendarterectomy Cerebral Hyperperfusion Syndrome: The Etiological Significance of "Cerebral Reserve".

Postoperative cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) in patients undergoing carotid intervention is thought to be related to the absence of cerebral reserve. Although hyperperfusion syndrome is rare, severe postoperative headache is common and is considered to be a prodromal sign. Cerebral reserve is measured by studying the response of cerebral vessels to a vasodilator such as hypercarbia.

Persistent abdominal pain caused by an inferior vena cava filter protruding into the duodenum and the aortic wall.

Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement has increased dramatically over the past 2 decades. Symptomatic duodenal perforation by IVC filters with involvement of the aorta is a very rare, but challenging, complication. We report a case of persistent atypical right upper quadrant pain secondary to duodenal and aortic perforation by an IVC filter treated with cavotomy for filter removal, primary repair of the duodenum, and extraction of prongs from the aorta.

Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome after carotid intervention: a review.

Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) after carotid surgery, although rare, is a well-described phenomenon. Although originally described after carotid endarterectomy, it has now also been described after carotid artery stenting. It is classically described as an acute neurologic deficit occurring several days after a carotid procedure, associated with severe hypertension and preceded by a severe headache.

Post-carotid endarterectomy hyperperfusion syndrome-is it predictable by lack of cerebral reserve?

Background: Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (HS) is presumed to be because of an increase in postendarterectomy flow in patients with fixed cerebral vascular reserve. Severe headache is thought to be an early sign of possible HS. An increase in partial pressure CO₂ (pCO₂) is known to cause cerebral vasodilatation and is used to evaluate the presence of cerebral reserve.

Spontaneous recanalization of chronic internal carotid artery occlusions: report of 3 cases.

Spontaneous recanalization of a chronically occluded internal carotid artery (ICA) is a rare occurrence. The authors report 3 patients who had documented total occlusion of the ICA followed by late spontaneous recanalization with subsequent high-grade stenosis. The patients in this series had occlusions for 11 months, 36 months, and 39 months, respectively.

Management of acute complicated and uncomplicated type B dissection of the aorta: focus on endovascular stent grafting.

Endovascular repair of aortic dissection is the subject of multiple studies. This article aims to review the current literature on Type B complicated and uncomplicated dissection, including indications for medical therapy, open surgical therapy, and endovascular therapy. The review suggests a benefit for thoracic endovascular aortic repair in complicated dissection and medical therapy for uncomplicated dissection.

Portal venous aneurysms--report of 4 cases.

Portal venous aneurysms are rare and are usually discovered as incidental findings on abdominal imaging studies. Although most are asymptomatic, they may occasionally cause symptoms of compression of an adjacent structure, thrombosis, or bleeding. Treatment is usually not necessary and conservative follow-up is suggested.

Femoral-popliteal bypass with endoscopically harvested saphenous vein in patients with TASC D disease of the superficial femoral artery.

Background: This study evaluated patients undergoing femoropopliteal bypasses using endoscopically harvested vein to treat Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) stage D lesions. Primary patency and primary assisted patency were evaluated, as were perioperative morbidity and mortality and hospital length of stay (LOS). Results for this minimally invasive alternative to femoropopliteal bypass with conventional open vein harvesting were analyzed.