Preoperative smoking cessation improves carotid endarterectomy outcomes in asymptomatic carotid stenosis patients.

Objective: Smoking cessation has been suggested as having the potential to improve the outcomes of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and mitigate the risk of long-term stroke in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis (ACS). This study aims to compare the perioperative and long-term outcomes of CEA in patients with ACS across different smoking status groups.

Methods: All patients receiving an elective CEA for ACS between 2013 and 2023 were identified in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI).

National trends and outcomes of pedal bypass surgery.

Objective: The technical demands associated with pedal bypass (PB) surgery place it at risk of underutilization and may be limiting its widespread adoption as a valuable revascularization modality. This study aims to evaluate trends in PB performance, assess its outcomes, and compare its results between high- and low-volume centers.

Methods: All patients receiving a PB between 2003 and 2023 were identified in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) infrainguinal bypass (IIB) module.

Quality of Life Predictors in Patients with Acute Lower Limb Ischemia Quality of Life in Acute Limb Ischemia.

Background: While existing literature has established factors associated with improved health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia, similar work has not been done in individuals with acute lower limb ischemia (ALLI). This study aims to identify the factors associated with HRQOL in patients presenting with ALLI.

Methods: Using a prospectively collected registry, all patients who received treatment for ALLI between May 2016 and July 2023 at a quaternary medical center were identified and invited to complete two HRQOL questionnaires: the Vascular Quality of Life Questionnaire-6 (VascuQoL-6) and the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L).

Single-center experience with the JETi Hydrodynamic Thrombectomy System for acute limb ischemia.

Objective: Acute limb ischemia (ALI) remains a vascular emergency with high morbidity and mortality. While the JETi Hydrodynamic Thrombectomy System (Abbott) offers a percutaneous approach to fragment and aspirate the thrombus in patients with arterial occlusions, data on its efficacy and safety are limited. This study reports our early experience using the JETi device to treat ALI at our institution.

Locoregional anesthesia is associated with decreased cardiac complications in symptomatic heart failure patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy.

Objective: Although the current literature reports no advantage for locoregional anesthesia (LRA) over general anesthesia (GA) in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA), there remains a gap in understanding the impact of LRA on individuals with congestive heart failure (CHF). This study aims to assess whether the choice of anesthesia influences the rates of perioperative complications within this patient population.

Methods: Using the Vascular Quality Initiative CEA module, all patients undergoing CEA between 2013 and 2023 were identified.

Left subclavian artery revascularization is associated with less neurologic injury after endovascular repair of acute type B aortic dissection.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze patients with acute type B aortic dissection (aTBAD) requiring thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) with left subclavian artery (LSA) coverage to determine whether LSA revascularization decreased the risk of neurologic complications.

Methods: The national Vascular Quality Initiative TEVAR module was queried for all procedures performed between 2014 and 2021. Patients presenting with aortic aneurysms or aortic ruptures were excluded from the analysis.

Novel technique to fenestrate an aortic dissection flap using electrocautery.

Chronic distal thoracic dissections treated with thoracic endovascular repair are prone to type Ib false lumen perfusion. When the supraceliac aorta is of normal caliber, fenestration of the dissection flap proximal to the visceral vessels creates a seal zone for the thoracic stent graft and eliminates the type Ib false lumen perfusion. We describe a novel way of crossing the septum using electrocautery delivered through a wire tip then fenestrating the septum using electrocautery delivered over a 1-mm area of uninsulated wire to cut the septum.