The Incidence and Characteristics of Pelvic-Origin Varicosities in Patients with Complex Varices Evaluated by Ultrasonography.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of gonadal vein refluxes associated with lower-extremity varicose veins with Doppler ultrasonography (DUS).

Method: A total of 6279 patients with venous disease-related symptoms of the lower extremity were evaluated with DUS in the vascular lab. Gonadal vein reflux using abdominal ultrasound was further evaluated in patients with unusual varices, defined as varices in the inguinal, inner or upper thigh and the vulvar area without refluxes in the saphenofemoral junction (SPJ).

Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract Versus Micronized Purified Flavonoid Fraction for Patients with Chronic Venous Disease: A Randomized Noninferiority Trial.

Background: Venoactive drugs (VADs) based on Vitis vinifera extract are widely used in Korea. However, studies on the clinical effects and head-to-head comparisons with other groups of VADs are limited. This trial aimed to evaluate whether Vitis vinifera seed extract was noninferior to the micronized purified flavonoid fraction (MPFF) in relieving venous symptoms and improving quality of life in patients with chronic venous disease.

Scaffold-based synergistic enhancement of stem cell effects for therapeutic angiogenesis in critical limb ischemia: an experimental animal study.

Purpose: Stem cell-based therapies are considered an alternative approach for critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients with limited or exhausted options, yet their clinical use is limited by the lack of sustainability and unclear mechanism of action. In this study, a substance P-conjugated scaffold was injected with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into an animal model of CLI to verify whether angiogenesis could be enhanced.

Methods: A self-assembling peptide (SAP) was conjugated with substance P, known to have the ability to recruit host stem cells into the site of action.

Midterm outcomes of physician-modified endovascular stent grafts for the treatment of complex abdominal aortic aneurysms in Korea: a retrospective study.

Purpose: Physician-modified endovascular stent grafts (PMEG) are a good treatment option for complex abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), especially in high-risk patients not amenable to open repair, and when commercial fenestrated devices are not available. We report our single-center experience with PMEG for the treatment of complex AAAs.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent PMEG repair for AAA from November 2016 to September 2020 at our institution.

Routine Ureteral Stenting in Kidney Transplant Reduces Postoperative Hydronephrosis and Percutaneous Ureteral Interventions: A Single-Center Experience.

Objectives: The effect of routine ureteral stenting on postoperative hydronephrosis and percutaneous ureteral intervention in kidney transplant remains unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of routine ureteral stenting on hydronephrosis and percutaneous ureteral intervention and the cost benefit of ureteral stenting in kidney transplant.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent kidney transplant at a tertiary institution between 2005 and 2021.

Technical Feasibility of Renal Artery Embolization on a Transplanted Kidney Due to Intractable Unilateral Hydronephrosis After En Bloc Kidney Transplantation: Case Report.

Introduction: En bloc kidney transplantation (EBKT) is a technique used to transplant pediatric kidneys to adult recipients, but can lead to certain complications seldom found in single-kidney transplantation. We report a case of renal artery embolization after EBKT due to intractable unilateral hydronephrosis and highlight the technical details and challenges of the procedure.

Case: An 18-year-old female with MELAS syndrome underwent EBKT from a 10-month-old male baby.

The use of polytetrafluoroethylene graft for damaged renal artery in ABO-incompatible living donor kidney transplantation: a case report.

Short donor renal vessels during donor nephrectomy represent a technical challenge. The allograft of vessels from deceased donors can be an option for reconstruction; however, cryopreserved vessels are not routinely prepared for living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT). We report a reconstruction of the damaged short renal artery (RA) in LDKT using a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft.

Capmatinib suppresses LPS-induced interaction between HUVECs and THP-1 monocytes through suppression of inflammatory responses.

Background: Capmatinib (CAP) is a drug that has been used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in adults. Presently, its novel effects on skeletal muscle insulin signaling, inflammation, and lipogenesis in adipocytes have been uncovered with a perspective of drug repositioning. However, the impact of CAP on LPS-mediated interaction between human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and THP-1 monocytes has yet to be investigated.

Preliminary outcomes of the LifeStream balloon-expandable stentgraft in Zenith Iliac branch device to preserve pelvic circulation: A Korean multicenter study.

Background: To evaluate early outcomes of aortoiliac or isolated iliac artery aneurysm repair using the Zenith® Bifurcated Iliac Side (ZBIS) stent graft combined with the LifeStream™ Balloon Expandable Vascular Covered Stent as a bridging stentgraft.

Methods: Between August 2018 and February 2020, 38 patients (37 male, mean age 72.7 years) received 46 LifeStream stents in conjunction with 38 ZBIS stent grafts to bridge hypogastric arteries for aneurysm repair in six university hospitals in Korea.

A multicenter randomized controlled trial of cyanoacrylate closure and surgical stripping for incompetent great saphenous veins.

Objective: The treatment of varicose veins has shifted from conventional surgical stripping (SS) to minimally invasive endovenous modalities. Cyanoacrylate closure (CAC) with the VenaSeal system (Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland) has increased in popularity owing to its nonthermal and nontumescent technique. The purpose of the present study was to compare the clinical outcomes of CAC and SS for the treatment of incompetent great saphenous veins.

Paraplegia after Open Repair of Suprarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

Spinal cord ischemia after open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an unpredictable and devastating complication. We present a case report of a patient who developed paraplegia 6 hours after open repair of suprarenal AAA. A 74-yearold man presented with asymptomatic 5.

Clinical Manifestations of Symptomatic Spontaneous Dissection of the Celiac and Superior Mesenteric Arteries.

Purpose: Spontaneous isolated dissection of the celiac artery (SID-CA) and superior mesenteric artery (SID-SMA) are rare vascular diseases with similar presentation, yet comparative studies have not been reported. In this study, we compared their characteristics with the aim of providing insights into their etiology.

Materials And Methods: Patients diagnosed with symptomatic SID-CA and SIDSMA between July 2009 and December 2018 were included.

Clinical outcomes of the first 300 cases of kidney transplantation: a single-center retrospective cohort study.

Background: Kidney transplantation (KT) is regarded as the most effective treatment for end-stage renal disease. The annual number of KT cases in South Korea has increased rapidly as more centers are implementing a transplantation program. The objective of this study was to determine clinical outcomes of the first 300 consecutive cases of KT in a single center.

CASS (CyanoAcrylate closure versus Surgical Stripping for incompetent saphenous veins) study: a randomized controlled trial comparing clinical outcomes after cyanoacrylate closure and surgical stripping for the treatment of incompetent saphenous veins.

Background: Several modalities are used for the treatment of varicose veins. Open surgical treatment with ligation and stripping of the saphenous vein has been the standard of care for many years. Endovenous thermal ablation has been shown to be a safe and effective alternative with high, long-term, target-vein closure rates.

Mid- to Long-Term Outcomes in Management of Spontaneous Isolated Coeliac Artery Dissection (SICAD).

Objective: Spontaneous Isolated Coeliac Artery Dissection (SICAD) is a rare disease with few reports of management strategies. This study reports the mid- to long-term outcomes of conservative management and endovascular intervention of SICAD treatment.

Methods: Sixteen patients presenting with symptomatic SICAD from September 2006 to October 2018 were reviewed retrospectively.

Successful Treatment of Life-Threatening Small Bowel Bleeding With Thalidomide After Living Donor Kidney Transplantation: A Case Report.

Gastrointestinal bleeding after kidney transplantation is a complication that can occur from immunosuppressant use. We present a case of refractory small bowel bleeding treated successfully with thalidomide after multiple failed attempts of conventional treatment. A 65-year-old male patient with diabetic nephropathy underwent living donor kidney transplantation.

Kynurenic acid attenuates pro-inflammatory reactions in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated endothelial cells through the PPARδ/HO-1-dependent pathway.

Kynurenic acid (KA) regulates energy homeostasis and alleviates inflammation in adipose tissue but how KA affects the atherosclerotic response in HUVECs remains unclear. We evaluated the effects of KA on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and apoptosis in HUVECs. KA enhanced peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) expression in HUVECs and THP-1 cells and suppressed LPS-induced atherosclerotic responses through PPARδ-mediated signaling.

Access site pseudoaneurysms after endovascular intervention for peripheral arterial diseases.

Purpose: Pseudoaneurysms after percutaneous vascular access are common and potentially fatal if left untreated. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors associated with access site pseudoaneurysms after endovascular intervention for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) under a routine postintervention ultrasound (US) surveillance protocol.

Methods: A total of 254 PAD interventions were performed in a single center between January 2015 and November 2016, and puncture site duplex US surveillance was routinely performed within 48 hours of the procedure.

Salsalate ameliorates the atherosclerotic response through HO-1- and SIRT1-mediated suppression of ER stress and inflammation.

Objective And Design: Inflammation plays a causative role in atherosclerosis development. Salsalate is an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat atherosclerosis, but the mechanisms by which it affects atherosclerotic progression remain unclear.

Methods: Human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) and THP-1 human monocytes were treated with salsalate.

Implementation of a resident night float system in a surgery department in Korea for 6 months: electronic medical record-based big data analysis and medical staff survey.

Purpose: To evaluate superiority of a night float (NF) system in comparison to a traditional night on-call (NO) system for surgical residents at a single institution in terms of efficacy, safety, and satisfaction.

Methods: A NF system was implemented from March to September 2017 and big data analysis from electronic medical records was performed for all patients admitted for surgery or contacted from the emergency room (ER). Parameters including vital signs, mortality, and morbidity rates, as well as promptness of response to ER calls, were compared against a comparable period (March to September 2016) during which a NO system was in effect.

Early experiences of endovascular aneurysm repair for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Purpose: The use of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (r-AAA) is steadily increasing. We report early experiences of EVAR for r-AAA performed in two tertiary referral centers in Korea.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed r-AAA patients treated by EVAR from May 2013 to December 2017.