Sympathetic nerve activity following Acute Type B Aortic Dissection: a pilot study.

Introduction Control of blood pressure following acute type B aortic dissection usually requires sympatholytic antihypertensive medication. Although sympathetic nerve activity is central to blood pressure control, its role in the hypertensive response to acute aortic dissection has not been assessed. Methods A prospective pilot study was performed over an 18-month period.

Long term surgical outcomes following renal transplantation in Aotearoa New Zealand: the South Island Chapter.

Background: Over the last decade, there has been a steady increase in the number of patients diagnosed with end stage renal failure (ESRF). Renal transplant remains the best available treatment for ESRF. The aim of this study is to assess the surgical outcomes following renal transplantation in a single tertiary centre in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Early Relative Growth Rate of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms and Future Risk of Rupture or Repair.

Objective: This study aimed to test whether the relative growth rate of subthreshold abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in the first 24 months of surveillance predicts the risk of future rupture or repair.

Methods: This was a single centre retrospective observational analysis of all small (< 45 mm diameter) and medium (45 - 54 mm in men, 45 - 50 mm in women) AAAs entered into ultrasound surveillance between January 2002 and December 2019, which received ≥ 24 months of surveillance. Relative growth rates were calculated from measurements taken in the first 24 months of surveillance.

Ex-vivo atherosclerotic plaque characterization using spectral photon-counting CT: Comparing material quantification to histology.

Background And Aims: Atherosclerotic plaques are characterized as being vulnerable to rupture based on a series of histologically defined features, including a lipid-rich necrotic core, spotty calcification and ulceration. Existing imaging modalities have limitations in their ability to distinguish between different materials and structural features. We examined whether X-ray spectral photon-counting computer tomography (SPCCT) images were able to distinguish key plaque features in a surgically excised specimen from the carotid artery with comparison to histological images.