Anaphylactoid reactions during implantation of polymer-filled ring stent grafts for treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Polymer ring stent grafts from Endologix are reliable to treat challenging abdominal aortic aneurysm anatomy (hostile neck and tortuous or narrow iliac arteries). Rare cases of anaphylactoid reactions have been reported during the filing time of the graft rings due to polymer leakage. Management with amines, an antihistamine drug, and supportive care quickly stabilized both of our patients, which permitted the continuation and completion of their surgery.

Appraising 5 years in activity of the largest public Canadian vascular graft bank.

Background: In Canada, tissue distribution is managed by provincial entities. In 2014, Hema-Quebec established a cryopreserved vascular tissue bank accessible to all Canadian hospitals. The objectives of this report were to review the first 5 years of activity of Hema-Quebec's vascular bank and to briefly assess the competitiveness of its products.

Carotid artery surgery: high-risk patients or high-risk centers?

Background: Carotid angioplasty and stenting has been proposed as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients deemed as at high risk for this surgical procedure. To date, definitely accepted criteria to identify "high-risk" patients for CEA do not exist. Our objective was to assess the relevance of numerous supposed high-risk factors in our experience, as well as their possible effect on our early postoperative results.

Endovascular treatment for carotid artery stenosis after neck irradiation.

Background: To lower the risk of complications, carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) has been proposed as an alternative to open surgery for carotid artery stenosis after neck irradiation. However, there are little postoperative data to support the benefits of this strategy. This study evaluated the outcome of CAS in patients who had undergone neck irradiation.