Preliminary results of the Austrian National Registry regarding the novel iCover bridging stent graft in fenestrated endovascular aortic repair.

Objective: Bridging stentgrafts (BSGs) are one of the primary limiting factors regarding long-term results after fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (fEVAR). This study aims to report for the first time the outcome of a novel BSG called iCover from a national, multicentric retrospective database.

Methods: A cohort of 58 patients received 212 BSGs for the renovisceral arteries in fEVAR.

Improving consistency at testing cementitious materials in the Dynamic Surface Leaching Test on the basis of the European technical specification CEN/TS 16637-2 - Results of a round robin test.

The environmental impact assessment of materials is usually based on laboratory tests, mostly in combination with models describing the longterm fate of the substances of interest in the targeted environmental compartment. Thus, laboratory tests are the fundamental link to achieve appropriate assessment conclusions which makes it essential to generate consistent results. This just as applies to the leaching of cementitious materials.

The Randomized Freeway Stent Study: Drug-Eluting Balloons Outperform Standard Balloon Angioplasty for Postdilatation of Nitinol Stents in the SFA and PI Segment.

Purpose: The prospective randomized multicenter Freeway study evaluated the possible hemodynamic and clinical benefits of primary stent insertion followed by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with drug-eluting balloons (DEB) over post-stent insertion PTA with standard balloons in the treatment of symptomatic femoropopliteal arteriosclerotic lesions.

Methods: In total, 204 patients in 13 centers in Germany and Austria were enrolled and randomized to primary stenting followed by either FREEWAY™ drug-eluting balloon or standard PTA balloon angioplasty. The primary endpoint was the rate of clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 6 months; the secondary endpoints include TLR rate at 12 months and primary patency, shift in Rutherford classification, ankle-brachial index (ABI) and major adverse events (MAE) at 6 and 12 months.

[Thoracoabominal aortic aneurysms-endovascular options].

Background: Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAA) are predominantly atherosclerotic related and are usually asymptomatic. Treatment is necessary from a size greater 6.5 cm, while patients with rapidly growing, compression of organ structures, aneurysm-related connecting tissue orders must be treated from a diameter of 6 cm.

Sustained benefit at 2 years for covered stents versus bare-metal stents in long SFA lesions: the VIASTAR trial.

Purpose: The hypothesis that covered stents are superior to bare-metal stents (BMS) in long femoropopliteal artery disease was tested. The one-year results of the VIASTAR trial revealed a patency benefit of covered stents in the treatment-per-protocol (TPP) analysis only.

Methods: A prospective, randomized, single-blind, multicenter study evaluated 141 patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) after treatment with heparin-bonded covered stents (VIABAHN(®) Endoprosthesis) or BMS.

Heparin-bonded covered stents versus bare-metal stents for complex femoropopliteal artery lesions: the randomized VIASTAR trial (Viabahn endoprosthesis with PROPATEN bioactive surface [VIA] versus bare nitinol stent in the treatment of long lesions in superficial femoral artery occlusive disease).

Objectives: The hypothesis that endovascular treatment with covered stents has equal risks but higher efficacy than bare-metal stents (BMS) in long femoropopliteal artery disease was tested.

Background: Although endovascular treatment of short superficial femoral artery lesions revealed excellent results, efficacy in long lesions remains unsatisfactory.

Methods: In a prospective, randomized, single-blind, multicenter study, 141 patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease were assigned to treatment with heparin-bonded, covered stents (Viabahn 72 patients) or BMS (69 patients).

Asymptomatic cerebral lesions during pulmonary vein isolation under uninterrupted oral anticoagulation.

Aims: Left atrial radiofrequency ablation has been shown to carry a risk of asymptomatic cerebral lesions. No data exist in patients under continued oral anticoagulation during the ablation procedure. The aim of this study was to quantify the amount of silent cerebral lesions assessed by pre-procedural and post-procedural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients under therapeutic international normalized ratio (INR) and to identify clinical or procedural parameters that correlate with cerebral embolism.

[CT colonography as routine method].

Clinical/methodical Issue: Colorectal cancer is a major public health challenge in Austria and Germany. As the participation in dedicated colonoscopy screening programs is rather low, the question of alternative methods is raised again and computed tomography (CT) colonography seems to be a gentle alternative with a very high patient acceptance.

Standard Radiological Methods: In recent years CT colonography (CTC) has been established besides conventional colonoscopy as a radiological method for the investigation of the entire colon.

Austrian Joint ÖGGH-ÖGIR-ÖGHO-ASSO position statement on the use of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequently applied standard treatments for this disease. The role for TACE is fairly well defined within the most widely used treatment algorithm for HCC, die Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system and treatment algorithm. But no general treatment algorithm will go into the technical details of any procedure and several patients will not fit ideally into the patient groups predefined in BCLC or any other treatment algorithm.

Anastomotic pseudoaneurysms after surgical reconstruction: outcomes after endovascular repair of symptomatic versus asymptomatic patients.

Purpose: To compare perioperative and follow-up outcomes of symptomatic versus asymptomatic patients following endovascular repair of anastomotic pseudoaneurysms (APAs) of the abdominal aorta and iliac arteries.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 17 patients (two women), with a mean age of 66.2 years (range 30-83 years).

Carotid stent fracture: diagnosis and management.

With increasing numbers of carotid stent implantations, stent fractures likely will be detected in this vessel region. The authors report two cases of stent fracture: one balloon expandable and one self expandable stent fractured and caused symptoms. CT angiography identified the stent fractures.

Partial nephrectomy using renal artery perfusion for cold ischemia: functional and oncologic outcomes.

Purpose: We present our series on the safety and long-term oncologic and functional outcomes of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy using renal artery perfusion for cold ischemia.

Patients And Methods: Of 94 patients who underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy at our center between August 2000 and September 2006, 28 procedures were performed using cold ischemia and are included in this review. Mean age was 57.

Does carotid stent cell design matter?

Background And Purpose: Carotid stent cell design has recently been suggested to be a determinant of periprocedural and early postprocedural neurologic complications. We investigated the impact of closed- versus open-cell stent design on neurologic adverse events and mortality after carotid artery stenting.

Methods: We studied 1684 consecutive patients (1010 asymptomatic, 674 symptomatic) from 10 European centers who underwent carotid artery stenting with either closed-cell (n=859, 51%) or open-cell (n=825, 49%) design stents.

PTA versus carbofilm-coated stents in infrapopliteal arteries: pilot study.

Purpose: To determine the primary success and short-term patency of stent application as a primary treatment modality for high-grade lesions of the infrapopliteal arteries compared with treatment with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in critical limb ischemia in a randomized prospective study.

Methods: Endovascular therapy was performed on 95 lesions in 51 patients (mean age 72.0 years, range 47-80 years) who presented clinically with Fontaine stages III and IV.

Laparoscopic nephron sparing surgery: evolution in a decade.

Objective: To present our experience with laparoscopic nephron sparing surgery (NSS) over a decade.

Methods: Seventy-eight patients underwent NSS since 1994. Two techniques were used-partial nephrectomy without ischemia (group 1) in 29 patients, and with ischemia (group 2) which was in cold or warm ischemia in 24 and 25 patients respectively.

[Technical feasibility of the implantation of a monorail stent system into the renal arteries without pre-dilatation].

Purpose: To evaluate the technical feasibility of the implantation of the monorail RX Herculink system into the renal arteries without pre-dilatation.

Materials And Methods: Forty-two patients (mean age 71 years) from four centers with a total of 44 renal artery stenoses underwent implantation of the RX Herculink stent. The mean grade of the stenosis was 83.

Incidence, management, and outcome in significant pulmonary vein stenosis complicating ablation for atrial fibrillation.

This study summarizes our results in diagnosing and treating pulmonary vein stenosis complicating ablation for atrial fibrillation in 6 of 92 patients. Patients with significant pulmonary vein narrowing underwent either dilatation or dilatation plus stenting. Pulmonary vein intervention produced a favorable clinical course over the following 7 +/- 2 months despite significant restenosis in 2 patients.

Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in cold ischemia: renal artery perfusion.

Purpose: Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy represents a feasible option for patients with small renal masses. We describe our initial experience with laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in cold ischemia achieved by renal artery perfusion.

Materials And Methods: From November 2001 to March 2003 laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in cold ischemia was performed in 15 patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Emergency stent-graft placement for impending rupture of the descending thoracic aorta.

Purpose: To present initial experience with emergent stent-graft placement for impending rupture of the descending thoracic aorta.

Case Reports: Intramural hematoma (IMH) of the descending thoracic aorta was diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography and computed tomography in 3 patients with acute onset of severe thoracic pain. Because of signs of impending rupture, e.

Indications for directed thrombolysis or new bypass in treatment of occlusion of lower extremity arterial bypass reconstruction.

The long-term results after directed thrombolytic therapy for thrombosis of infrainguinal arterial bypass reconstructions are disappointing if broad indications are applied. This work presents criteria for determining the indications for thrombolysis or the insertion of a new bypass. In a retrospective study we compared the secondary cumulative patency after bypass thrombolysis (n = 82) and after replacement bypass (n = 143).