Does the Routine Skin-Only Closure in Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Safely Diminish Abdominal Compartment Syndrome? A Hypothesis Generating Retrospective Study.

Background:  Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) often complicates ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) repair. We report results with routine skin-only abdominal wound closure after rAAA surgical repair.

Methods:  This was a single-center retrospective study including consecutive patients undergoing rAAA surgical repair for the duration of 7 years.

Diabetic foot infection and osteomyelitis. Are deep-tissue cultures necessary?

Introduction: Diabetic foot infections (DFIs) are common and difficult to treat. The objective of this study was to compare swab and tissue cultures as indicators of appropriate treatment of DFIs.

Methods: This is a prospective study conducted during a 4-year period.

Revascularization Outcomes in Patients With Acute Limb Ischemia and Active Neoplastic Disease.

Purpose: To report the outcomes of surgical (ST), endovascular (ET), and hybrid (HT) treatment in cancer patients with acute limb ischemia (ALI).

Materials And Methods: A multicenter retrospective registry collected 139 patients (mean age 72.3±12.

In Situ Composite Homograft Utilizing the Femoral Vein and the Occluded Superficial Femoral Artery after Eversion Endarterectomy for the Management of an Iliofemoral Synthetic Graft Infection.

Aortic or iliac graft infection is a serious complication in vascular surgery, which carries significant risks for the patient's limb and life and requires complex treatment. We report a patient who presented sepsis due to a previous ilio(common iliac)-femoral(profunda femoris) graft infection. Taking into account that the superficial femoral and popliteal arteries were occluded (no suitable target vessel, except for the distal profunda femoral) and the fact that he presented methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-positive blood cultures, the patient was scheduled for excision of the contaminated graft and in situ reconstruction.

Acute Testicular Ischaemia Following Endovascular Aneurysm Repair on the Opposite Side to Intentional Internal Iliac Artery Occlusion.

Introduction: Testicular ischaemia is a potential complication after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), which has only rarely been reported in the literature. This is the report of a patient who presented with acute testicular ischaemia in the immediate post-EVAR period.

Report: A 65 year old patient underwent EVAR for an aortic and bilateral iliac aneurysms.

Spontaneous Type Ia Endoleak Sealing in Patients Undergoing Endovascular Aneurysm Repair With the Ovation Stent Graft.

Background: Type Ia endoleak may lead to continuous sac pressurization and late rupture after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Nevertheless, there have been scarce reports suggesting that these endoleaks may occasionally present spontaneous sealing. Taking into account the original sealing mechanism of the Ovation endograft that exploits 2 polymer-filled O-rings, we hypothesize that spontaneous type Ia endoleak sealing may sometimes incur following implantation of this device.

Endovascular aneurysm repair with the Ovation TriVascular Stent Graft System utilizing a predominantly percutaneous approach under local anaesthesia.

Objective: To present our experience with the Ovation Abdominal Stent Graft System (TriVascular Inc., Santa Rosa, CA) during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and compare results according to the type of anaesthesia.

Methods: We conducted a single-centre retrospective study including patients who underwent EVAR using the Ovation endograft between May 2011 and July 2014.

Effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Plasma to Enhance Healing of Diabetic Foot Ulcers in Patients With Concomitant Peripheral Arterial Disease and Critical Limb Ischemia.

We sought to investigate the effect of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on the healing rate of diabetic foot ulcers in patients with diabetes and concomitant peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Diabetic patients with foot ulceration presenting with PAD who were treated with local growth factors in a single center, during a 24-month period from May 2009 to April 2011, were retrospectively reviewed. Based on the severity of PAD, subjects were divided into groups A (Fontaine classification stages I, IIa, and IIb) and B (Fontaine classification stages III and IV), with those included in the latter being considered to suffer from critical limb ischemia (CLI).

Graft inflow stenosis induced by the inflatable ring fixation mechanism of the Ovation stent-graft system: hemodynamic and clinical implications.

Purpose: To investigate the observed inflow stenosis at the O-rings of the Ovation stent-graft and evaluate its hemodynamic and clinical impact.

Methods: The study involved 49 consecutive patients (48 men; mean age 71.2 ± 7.

Medical management of acute type a aortic dissection in association with early open repair of acute limb ischemia may prevent aortic surgery.

Background: Acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) is a cardiovascular emergency with a high potential for death. Rapid surgical treatment is indicated to prevent fatal complications. Aggressive appropriate medical management starts at first suspicion and is essential to prevent exacerbation or rupture of the dissection.

A delayed diagnosis that altered the professional orientation of an athlete with upper limb chronic arterial embolization.

Background: Vascular disorders of the upper extremity in young and physically active patients present a complex and challenging problem for the treating physician. Initial presentation may often be subtle and the consequences of misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis or mistreatment can be severe.

Case Report: In this report, we discuss a case of a young woman with chronic upper limb ischemia due to an arterial thoracic outlet syndrome in whom even though symptoms persisted over a number of years during which she frequently sought medical consultation, remained undiagnosed until finally presenting with limb-threatening ischemia.

Vascular endostapling: new concept for endovascular fixation of aortic stent-grafts.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of a new vascular endostapling system in treating infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms using commercially available endografts.

Methods: Eight patients (6 men; mean age 71 years, range 59-82) underwent endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) using Talent or Zenith stent-grafts and the Anson Refix clip, which provides transmural aortic fixation of the endoprosthesis with high pullout force proportional to the number of the clips deployed.

Results: Twenty (69%) of the 29 endostaples were successfully implanted and secured with the endostaple system; 9 clips that did not fully penetrate the graft and tissue due to severe calcification of the neck were retracted successfully into the delivery device.

Predictors of in-hospital mortality of trauma patients injured in vehicle accidents.

Objectives: Identification and assessment of predictive factors of in-hospital mortality of trauma patients injured in vehicle accidents.

Methods: We reviewed the Trauma Registry data of Herakleion University Hospital, a level I trauma center in Crete, Greece. All 730 consecutive, adult motor-vehicle trauma patients admitted to our hospital from 1997 to 2000 were included in the study.

Total occlusion of the common carotid artery: a modified classification and its relation to clinical status.

To investigate the hemodynamics and clinical presentation of common carotid artery occlusion (CCAO), we reviewed 6,415 patients with suspected carotid artery disease in whom a color Duplex imaging (CDI) examination was performed. According to distal vessel patency, the following CDI classification of CCAO was adopted: type I (patent both distal vessels); type II (isolated patency of external carotid artery); type III (isolated patency of internal carotid artery); and type IV (both distal vessels occluded). Thirty-five (0.

Acute lower limb ischemia as the initial symptom of acute myeloid leukemia.

Although coagulatory system disorders are well recognized in patients with acute leukemia, these usually present with either hemorrhagic complications or thrombosis of small vessels. Large vessel thrombosis is a very rare clinical presentation. We present a patient with previously undiagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (M5), who was referred to our hospital with symptoms of acute ischemia of his right lower limb.

Motor vehicle trauma: analysis of injury profiles by road-user category.

Background: Vehicle accidents in Greece are among the leading causes of death and the primary one in young people. The mechanism of injury influences the patterns of injury in victims of vehicle accidents.

Objective: Identification and analysis of injury profiles of motor-vehicle trauma patients in a Greek level I trauma centre, by road-user category.

Association of subclinical wall changes of carotid, femoral, and popliteal arteries with obstructive coronary artery disease in patients undergoing coronary angiography.

Study Objectives: To examine the association of occult atherosclerosis of carotid, femoral, and popliteal arteries with the presence and severity of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients without a history or presence of cerebrovascular or peripheral arterial disease using ultrasound examination of peripheral arteries.

Patients/methods: One hundred eighty-four such individuals underwent routine coronary angiography. Obstructive CAD was found in 103 cases, which comprised the patient group.

Patterns of venous reflux in limbs with venous ulcers. Implications for treatment.

Aim: To investigate the anatomic distribution of vein reflux in limbs with healed or active ulcers (CEAP V and VI).

Methods: Sixty limbs (58 patients) belonging to CEAP classes V and VI were identified from 798 limbs (519 patients) with ultrasonically proven chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Age, gender, duration of the venous ulcer, and history of deep venous thrombosis were correlated to the anatomic distribution of the venous reflux.

Clinical presentation and anatomic distribution of chronic venous insufficiency of the lower limb in a typical Mediterranean population.

Background: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the characteristics of lower limb chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) in a homogeneous Mediterranean population.

Methods: Investigation of 694 patients with uni- or bilateral symptoms and signs of lower limb CVI using colour duplex scanning. Limbs with previous venous surgery were excluded.

Occult aorto-iliac disease in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease.

Background: Atherosclerosis may affect the entire cardiovascular system despite absence of symptoms. Early changes in the wall of the carotid artery have been related to a higher morbidity and mortality from coronary artery disease (CAD). This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the presence of occult aorto-iliac disease (OAID) and certain risk factors with the severity of CAD.

Duration of salbutamol-induced bronchodilation delivered by metered-dose inhaler in mechanically ventilated COPD patients.

The delivery of bronchodilators with metered-dose inhaler (MDI) and a spacer in mechanically ventilated patients has become a widespread practice. However, the duration of action of bronchodilators delivered with this technique is not well established. The purpose of the study was to examine the duration of bronchodilation induced by short-term beta 2-agonists administered with an MDI and a spacer in a group of mechanically ventilated patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).