The Endurant Stent Graft System: 15-month follow-up report in patients with challenging abdominal aortic anatomies.

Objective: The objective of this study is to report a 15-month follow-up with the Endurant Stent Graft System in patients with challenging aortic anatomies.

Methods: At three German clinics, a consecutive series of 50 patients underwent endovascular abdominal aortic repair (EVAR) for challenging abdominal aortic aneurysm with the Endurant stent graft between November 2008 and May 2009. EVAR was elective in 48 cases and emergent in two.

Fluorescence-guided minimally invasive parathyroidectomy: a novel surgical therapy for secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is a severe and frequent complication in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease, characterized by hyperplasia of all parathyroid glands and elevated serum parathyroid hormone levels. When surgery is required to prevent cardiovascular consequences, bone pain, osteoporosis, or even soft-tissue calcifications, detection of the enlarged glands often can be difficult because of their variability in number and location. A novel surgical technique, fluorescence-guided minimally invasive parathyroidectomy, may facilitate intraoperative localization of parathyroid glands.

Enhanced ALA-induced fluorescence in hyperparathyroidism.

Introduction: Intraoperative localization of parathyroid glands can be challenging especially in minimally invasive surgery. Fluorescence diagnosis using the photosensitizer aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has been described to identify normal parathyroid glands during experimental bilateral neck exploration. The present study evaluated fluorescence differences between hyperplastic and normal parathyroid glands as a precondition for a clinical application of the technique.

Mycotic aneurysm of the abdominal aorta with retroperitoneal abscess: successful endovascular repair.

Mycotic aortic aneurysms are rare. Improved diagnostic procedures, appropriate antibiotic treatment, and safe surgical techniques have reduced the high mortality associated with bacterial aortitis. However, definite evidence-based conclusions with regard to the surgical strategy cannot be drawn from the data available in the published literature.

Kinetics of intraoperative fluorescence diagnosis of parathyroid glands.

Objective: Identification of parathyroid glands is often a challenge even for experienced surgeons. The feasibility and efficacy of fluorescence diagnosis for localization of parathyroids has already been proven in an experimental setting. In preparation for a clinical application of this technique in patients undergoing surgery for hyperparathyroidism, we evaluated the kinetics of fluorescence diagnosis.

Vascular occlusion by ruptured balloon after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.

Purpose: To report a rare case of chronic vascular occlusion by an undetected ruptured balloon fragment following percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.

Case Report: A 79-year-old man suffered from calf claudication 1 year after angioplasty for a short stenosis in the superficial femoral artery. During the femoropopliteal bypass operation, a ruptured angioplasty balloon was retrieved.

Laparoscopic fluorescence diagnosis for intraabdominal fluorescence targeting of peritoneal carcinosis experimental studies.

Objective: To assess 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced protoporphyrin IX accumulation and fluorescence in peritoneal colon carcinoma metastases and its benefits for laparoscopic fluorescence diagnosis.

Summary Background Data: Occult, macroscopically nonvisible peritoneal micrometastases can be missed in laparoscopy or open surgery. Laparoscopic fluorescence diagnosis allows detection of these lesions after intraperitoneal lavage with ALA and subsequent fluorescence induction by blue-light excitation.