Assessing trends, morbidity, and mortality in ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm repair with 9 years of data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Background: The American College of Surgeons' National Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database can be used to assess trends and outcomes of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) repair. The purpose of this study is to examine the morbidity and mortality for ruptured endovascular (rEVAR) and ruptured open (rOPEN) aneurysm repair compared with elective endovascular (EVAR) and elective open (OPEN) aneurysm repair.

Methods: Ruptured and nonruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms were identified from the NSQIP database between 2008 and 2016.

Relative value unit-based compensation incentivization in an academic vascular practice improves productivity with no early adverse impact on quality.

Objective: Given the increased pressure from governmental programs to restructure reimbursements to reflect quality metrics achieved by physicians, review of current reimbursement schemes is necessary to ensure sustainability of the physician's performance while maintaining and ultimately improving patient outcomes. This study reviewed the impact of reimbursement incentives on evidence-based care outcomes within a vascular surgical program at an academic tertiary care center.

Methods: Data for patients with a confirmed 30-day follow-up for the vascular surgery subset of our institution's National Surgical Quality Improvement Program submission for the years 2013 and 2014 were reviewed.

Modified eversion carotid endarterectomy.

Background: Eversion carotid endarterectomy is a well-described technique for carotid endarterectomy (CEA). The advantage of this technique is a completely autogenous repair. We describe a modification of eversion endarterectomy (MEE) that expeditiously extracts the plaque through a linear incision over the common carotid artery and the proximal bulbous internal carotid artery (ICA) only, allowing primary closure.