A Comparative Study of Bone-Health and Associated Factors in Healthy Indian Adolescents and Young Women.

Introduction: Adolescence is a critical period for the accrual of bone mass. However, few studies have assessed the bone geometry in slum-dwelling girls/young women. We thus conducted this study: (1) to assess bone health in Indian adolescent girls and young women residing in slum vs nonslum (NS) areas and (2) to identify factors associated with poor bone health.

Disease-specific patient-reported quality of life after fenestrated/branched endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.

Objectives: Fenestrated-branched endovascular technology (F/B-EVAR) is increasingly used to repair complex aortic aneurysms. While reintervention, morbidity and mortality after F/B-EVAR have been well-characterized, studies on patient-reported quality of life (QOL) after F/B-EVAR have been limited in their use of non-specific instruments and measures. We report on disease-specific QOL in patients that underwent F/B-EVAR using a validated QOL survey for aortic aneurysms.

Reporting and analysis of sex in vascular surgery research.

Objective: To examine sex in human vascular surgery research by quantifying the inclusion and analysis of sex-based data in high-impact vascular surgery journals.

Methods: A bibliographic review of original articles published in the European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Journal of Vascular Surgery, JVS: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders, Journal of Endovascular Therapy, and Annals of Vascular Surgery from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2020, and from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, was conducted. Abstracted data included sex-based data analysis, inclusion of sex as a variable in multivariable analysis, inclusion of sex as an independent variable, and a discussion of sex-based results.

Atypical presentation of subclavian steal syndrome with left sided sensorineural deafness.

We present a rare manifestation of a common pathology: left sided sensorineural hearing loss secondary to subclavian steal syndrome after thoracic endovascular aortic repair for complicated acute aortic dissection. We describe the vascular physiology that can result in unilateral hearing loss and provide a brief review of subclavian steal syndrome. This case report highlights the importance of avid clinical recognition of an atypical presentation of a common vascular disease.

Development and Evaluation of an Enhanced Recovery Protocol to Reduce Length of Stay following Elective Endovascular Aneurysm Repair.

Background: Elective endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) can be performed safely with a short postoperative length of stay (LOS). We aimed to develop and assess the impact of an enhanced recovery protocol (ERP) on LOS after elective EVAR.

Methods: Pre-ERP development single center retrospective review of elective EVAR procedures from January 2012 to December 2019.

Environmentally sustainable implementations of two-dimensional nanomaterials.

Rapid advancement in nanotechnology has led to the development of a myriad of useful nanomaterials that have novel characteristics resulting from their small size and engineered properties. In particular, two-dimensional (2D) materials have become a major focus in material science and chemistry research worldwide with substantial efforts centered on their synthesis, property characterization, and technological, and environmental applications. Environmental applications of these nanomaterials include but are not limited to adsorbents for wastewater and drinking water treatment, membranes for desalination, and coating materials for filtration.

A Pilot Study Examining the Effects of Ischemic Conditioning on Walking Capacity and Lower Extremity Muscle Performance in Patients with Claudication.

Introduction: This study investigated whether a novel therapy called ischemic conditioning (IC) improves walking capacity and lower extremity muscle performance in patients with peripheral vascular disease who experience intermittent claudication.

Methods: Forty-three patients with claudication were enrolled and received either IC or IC Sham for 2 weeks in this randomized, controlled, double-blinded, prospective study. IC sessions involved five cycles of alternating 5-min inflations of a blood pressure cuff to 225 mm Hg (25 mm Hg for IC Sham) and 5-min deflations, around the thigh of the affected lower extremity.

Superficial femoral artery stent extrusion.

The superficial femoral artery is a common location for endovascular treatment of occlusive arterial disease. Stent extrusion is an uncommon complication of stent placement. In the present case report, we sought to raise awareness of this rare complication and have described the management of a single unique case.

A Single Center 8 Year Experience of Segmental Arterial Mediolysis Management.

Objective: Segmental Arterial Mediolysis (SAM) is a rare, poorly understood vasculopathy that involves vacuolization of the arterial wall, most commonly of the visceral arteries. There are no established therapeutic or monitoring guidelines for SAM, and intervention typically depends on patient presentation. The purpose of this study is to review the management and outcomes of patients with this rare vascular disease METHODS: Single center retrospective review of patients diagnosed with SAM between 2011 and 2019.

Endovascular Management of Chronic Type B Aortic Dissection.

Acute uncomplicated type B aortic dissection (aTBAD) is often treated non operatively, with medical management primarily focused on blood pressure and heart rate control. After a 3 month period following the initial diagnosis, the dissection is considered chronic. Frequent clinical and imaging follow-up is performed to evaluate for dissection stability, aneurysmal degeneration, and visceral malperfusion, which would represent indication for surgical or endovascular repair.

Hybrid repair for acute aortic occlusion using aortobifemoral bypass and AngioVac thrombectomy.

Aortic thrombus with multilevel acute ischemia is rare. We report the use of vacuum-assisted thrombectomy of an aortic mural thrombus with superior mesenteric artery involvement causing bilateral lower extremity ischemia and acute mesenteric ischemia, in conjunction with embolectomy and fasciotomy. We describe the novel use of the AngioVac device (AngioDynamics, Latham, NY) for reperfusion in the systemic arterial circulation.

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair with true-false-true lumen deployment.

Endovascular treatment of aortic dissection may be complicated by challenges to navigating the true lumen. In this report, we describe treatment of a type B dissection after open type A repair with aneurysmal degeneration, a short-segment occluded true lumen, and a distal re-entry tear near the celiac artery origin. Endovascular septal fenestration and subsequent thoracic endovascular aortic repair were used to bypass the short-segment midthoracic aortic occlusion, successfully excluding the thoracic aortic aneurysm.

Variations in Courtesy Authorship Perceptions and Practices Among Modern Surgical Journals: The Generation Gap.

Background: Academic journals have adopted strict authorship guidelines to eliminate the addition of authors who have not met criteria, also known as "courtesy authors." We sought to analyze current perceptions, practices, and academic rank-related variations in courtesy authorship use among modern surgical journals.

Methods: Authors who published original research articles in 2014-2015 in eight surgical journals were surveyed and categorized as junior (JF) or senior faculty (SF) by years in practice.

Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair Adverse Events Reported In The Food And Drug Administration Manufacturer And User Facility Device Experience Database.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify adverse events (device- and patient-related) associated with thoracic aortic stent graft systems and their timing post-procedure.

Materials And Methods: The Food and Drug Administration's Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (FDA-MAUDE) voluntary database was searched for Thoracic Aortic Endovascular Repair (TEVAR) devices reported over the course of 1 year (January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014). The data abstracted included the indication for treatment, device used, and adverse events.

Giant celiac artery aneurysm.

Celiac artery aneurysms (CAAs) are rare but potentially devastating lesions. Given the high rates of mortality on rupture at large sizes, they should be treated promptly with either surgical or endovascular interventions in appropriate-risk patients. Several options exist for treatment, including surgical repair and endovascular embolization with or without stent or stent graft placement.

Courtesy Authorship in Academic Surgery Publications.

Importance: Courtesy authorship is defined as including an individual who has not met authorship criteria as an author. Although most journals follow strict authorship criteria, the current incidence of courtesy authorship is unknown.

Objective: To assess the practices related to courtesy authorship in surgical journals and academia.

Peptide Amphiphile Supramolecular Nanostructures as a Targeted Therapy for Atherosclerosis.

The rising prevalence of cardiovascular disease worldwide necessitates novel therapeutic approaches to manage atherosclerosis. Intravenously administered nanostructures are a promising noninvasive approach to deliver therapeutics that reduce plaque burden. The drug liver X receptor agonist GW3965 (LXR) can reduce atherosclerosis by promoting cholesterol efflux from plaque but causes liver toxicity when administered systemically at effective doses, thus preventing its clinical use.

Peptide Amphiphile Nanostructures for Targeting of Atherosclerotic Plaque and Drug Delivery.

Co-assembled peptide amphiphile nanofibers designed to target atherosclerotic plaque and enhance cholesterol efflux are shown to encapsulate and deliver a liver X receptor agonist to increase efflux from murine macrophages . Fluorescence microscopy reveals that the nanofibers, which display an apolipoprotein-mimetic peptide, localize at plaque sites in LDL receptor knockout mice with or without the encapsulated molecule, while nanofibers displaying a scrambled, non-targeting peptide sequence do not demonstrate comparable binding. These results show that nanofibers functionalized with apolipoprotein-mimetic peptides may be effective vehicles for intravascular targeted drug delivery to treat atherosclerosis.

Endoluminal Atherosclerotic Plaque Debulking Using Enzymatic and Ultrasonic Energy.

Background: Current procedures to treat severe atherosclerosis are traumatic to the arterial wall and often result in restenosis due to neointimal hyperplasia. We developed a novel therapy using a specially designed double occlusion balloon catheter, ultrasonic wire, and enzymatic digestion solution to atraumatically debulk atherosclerotic plaques.

Materials And Methods: A combination of different enzymes, chemicals, and treatment conditions were evaluated for its effect at reducing atherosclerotic plaque harvested from human carotid artery endarterectomies ex vivo.

Sex Bias in Interventional Clinical Trials.

Introduction: Prior studies have shown that sex bias exists with subject enrollment in clinical trials, with more men being enrolled than women. The objective of this study was to identify if sex bias continues to exist in present day clinical trials entered into ClinicalTrials.gov .

There Is Limited Value in the One Month Post Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair Surveillance Computed Tomography Scan.

Background: Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) is the preferred first-line treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysms. Current postprocedure surveillance recommendations by manufacturers are a 1-month computed tomography angiography (CTA) followed by a 12-month CTA in most circumstances. The objective of this study is to determine the utility of the 1-month CTA following elective EVAR and determine if initial surveillance at 6-month CTA is appropriate.

Aorta-innominate bypass through ministernotomy.

Atherosclerotic innominate artery occlusive disease can lead to cerebral and upper extremity ischemia. Innominate artery angioplasty and stenting can be complicated by stent fractures and restenosis; furthermore, this technique is limited in treatment of innominate artery occlusions. Ministernotomy to the second or third intercostal space can be used instead of conventional full sternotomy for open surgical revascularization of the innominate artery with excellent perioperative and long-term outcomes.

Three-Dimensional Printing of Cytocompatible, Thermally Conductive Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanocomposites.

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is a thermally conductive yet electrically insulating two-dimensional layered nanomaterial that has attracted significant attention as a dielectric for high-performance electronics in addition to playing a central role in thermal management applications. Here, we report a high-content hBN-polymer nanocomposite ink, which can be 3D printed to form mechanically robust, self-supporting constructs. In particular, hBN is dispersed in poly(lactic- co-glycolic acid) and 3D printed at room temperature through an extrusion process to form complex architectures.