Vascular Surgery Education and Training in the American Continent: Current Status and Future Directions.

Background: Despite the increasing burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), there is a shortage of vascular surgeons worldwide, with a higher scarcity in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of the present study was to report the current status of vascular surgery education and training on the American continent.

Methods: Official government, postgraduate medical schools, and medical associations' websites were searched for data regarding vascular surgery training positions, programs, and pathways available in the 35 countries of the American continent.

Survey-Based Assessment of the Quality of Reporting Guidelines of Carotid Artery Stenosis.

Background: No evaluation of the quality of different carotid guidelines using validated scales has been performed to date. The present study aims to analyze 3 carotid stenosis guidelines, apprizing their quality and reporting using validated tools.

Methods: A survey-based assessment of the quality of the European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) 2023, European Stroke Organisation (ESO) 2021, and the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) 2021 carotid stenosis guidelines, was performed by 43 vascular surgeons, cardiologists, neurologist or interventional radiologists using 2 validated appraisal tools for quality and reporting guidelines, the AGREE II instrument and the RIGHT statement.

Analysis of Aortic Arch Hemodynamics With Simulated Bird's Beak Effects.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the flow effects in different degrees of thoracic aortic stent graft protrusion extension by creating bird beak effect simulations using accurate 3D geometry and a realistic, nonlinear, elastic biomechanical model using computer-aided software SolidWorks.

Methods: Segmentation in 3D of an aortic arch from a computed tomography (CT) scan of a real-life patient was performed using SolidWorks. A parametric analysis of three models was performed: (A) Aortic arch with no stent, (B) 3 mm bird-beak configuration, and (C) 6.

Where does Hispanic Latin America stand in biomedical and life sciences literature production compared with other countries?

Objectives: to provide objective quantitative data about medical-related scientific production in Hispanic Latin America compared to different regions and identify demographic and political variables that could improve research.

Study Design: This is an analytical, observational, cross-section bibliometric study about all fields of medical-related scientific production over five years in different regions and its relationship with demographic and political variables that could impact research and the health system quality.

Methods: Data on the total scientific production of all Hispanic Latin American countries and other countries representing almost 90% of mundial publications between 2017 and 2021 were retrieved from the PubMed database.

Fabrication of Soft Transparent Patient-Specific Vascular Models with Stereolithographic 3D printing and Thiol-Based Photopolymerizable Coatings.

An ideal vascular phantom should be anatomically accurate, have mechanical properties as close as possible to the tissue, and be sufficiently transparent for ease of visualization. However, materials that enable the convergence of these characteristics have remained elusive. The fabrication of patient-specific vascular phantoms with high anatomical fidelity, optical transparency, and mechanical properties close to those of vascular tissue is reported.

Stereolithographic (SLA) 3D Printing for Preprocedural Planning in Endovascular Aortic Repair of a Thoracic Aneurysm.

Background: When treating aortic aneurysm patients with complex anatomical features, preprocedural planning aided by 3D-printed models offers valuable insights for endovascular intervention. This study highlights the use of stereolithographic (SLA) 3D printing to fabricate a phantom of a challenging aortic arch aneurysm with a complex neck anatomy.

Clinical Case: A 75-year-old female presented with a 58 mm descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) extending to the distal arch, involving the left subclavian artery (LSA) and the left common carotid artery (LCCA).

Latin America Research Output Within the Top 5 Vascular Surgery Journals.

Background: Dedicated studies on patient outcomes are crucial to the development of effective policies aimed at prevention and management of vascular diseases. This study aims to determine the scientific productivity of Latin American countries through a bibliometric analysis of top 5 vascular journals.

Methods: The 5 dedicated vascular journals indexed in the "surgery" category were selected for analysis.

Risk Factors, Clinical Presentation, Therapeutic Trends, and Outcomes in Arterial Thrombosis Complicating Unvaccinated COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review.

Data on characteristics and outcomes of coronavirus (COVID)-19 patients complicated with arterial thrombosis (AT) are scarce. Therefore, we carried out a systematic review (PRISMA, PROSPERO statements; PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) to identify risk factors, clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes. We included publications from December 2019 to October 2020.

Readmission After COVID-19 for Late Acute Venous Thrombosis; CASE SERIES and Systematic Review of the Literature.

Objective: Assess heterogeneity within patients with resolved COVID-19 to broaden the vision about post-discharge thrombotic cases and postulate possible related mechanisms in search of better anticoagulation guidelines. This study details patients' characteristics, medical history, treatment, and outcomes of readmitted patients with late acute thrombosis through a systematic review of the literature and patients from our academic center database.

Methods: We extracted the records of patients readmitted for venous thrombosis complications after discharge from the database of the first 2000 patients admitted with COVID-19 in our academic center; we also performed a systematic review of the literature using the Medical Subject Headings terms "late thrombosis," "COVID-19," + "venous thrombosis" in PubMed and Google Scholar according to PRISMA guideline.

Biomechanical Profiling in Real-Life Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Different Clinical Scenarios.

Background: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the biomechanical properties in different abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) presentations of real-life patients. We used the actual 3D geometry of the AAAs under analysis and a realistic, nonlinearly elastic biomechanical model.

Materials And Methods: Three patients with different clinical scenarios (R: rupture, S: symptomatic, and A: asymptomatic) with infrarenal aortic aneurysms were studied.

High Altitude Carotid Body Tumors Growth During active Surveillance.

Background: The gold standard for patients with carotid body tumors (CBT) is surgical resection; nevertheless, some patients are unfit for surgery or, for other reasons, could not be operated on. Active surveillance has been known to be a reasonable strategy for these cases. This study aimed to evaluate tumor growth in unoperated patients with CBTs.

An analysis from the CAPACITY database of outcomes of preoperative embolization before carotid body tumor surgery compared with resection alone.

Objective: There is no definitive consensus on the impact of preoperative embolization on carotid body tumor (CBT) treatment. The objective of this study was to compare surgical outcomes of patients who underwent preoperative embolization before CBT resection vs patients who underwent resection alone.

Methods: The CAPACITY registry included 1432 patients with CBT from 11 medical centers in four different countries.

Nasopharyngeal viral load at admission is not an independent predictor of thromboembolic complications in unvaccinated COVID-19 hospitalized patients.

COVID-19 patients may develop thrombotic complications, and data regarding an association between nasopharyngeal viral load and thrombosis is scarce. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal viral load upon admission is a useful prognostic marker for the development of thromboembolic events in patients hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 infection. We performed a retrospective study of all hospitalized patients with a positive PCR test for SARS-CoV2 who had deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolization (PE), or arterial thrombosis diagnosed during their clinical course in a single academic center.

Risk Factors for Stroke After Carotid Paraganglioma Surgery.

Background: The Carotid Paraganglioma Cooperative International Registry (CAPACITY) is an international registry composed of 1,432 patients with carotid body tumors (CBT) from 11 centers from 4 countries. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for patients who presented stroke after carotid paraganglioma resection.

Methods: Clinical characteristics and demographics of patients who presented transoperatively and postoperatively stroke from the CAPACITY database were retrospectively gathered.

Clinical Characteristics and Surgical Outcomes of Carotid Body Tumors: Data from the Carotid Paraganglioma Cooperative International Registry (CAPACITY) Group.

Background: This study's objective was to conduct a multinational registry of patients with carotid body tumors (CBTs) and to analyze patients' clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes.

Methods: Retrospective study from the Carotid Paraganglioma Cooperative International Registry involving eleven medical centers in Bolivia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Spain, of all patients with a CBT who underwent resection between 2009 and 2019.

Results: A total of 1432 patients with a CBT surgically treated were included.

Current trends in carotid body tumors: Comprehensive review.

Background: Carotid body tumor (CBT) is a rare neoplasm that has been increasingly studied during the last decades; nevertheless, it continues to be a topic of controversy. This review aims to provide an update on the general features of CBT and particularly review different treatment strategies and primary outcomes.

Methods: Data for this literature review were identified by PubMed, Scopus, and Medline.

Gunshot Wounds Causing Distal Arterial Bullet Embolisms.

We report two cases involving small-caliber gunshot wounds to the chest with embolization of the bullet which complete occluding arterial circulation into the left lower extremity. A 30-years-old and 19-years-old men suffered gunshots wound to the thorax and abdomen with subsequent arterial embolisms into their left legs. Image studies revealed the left popliteal and femoral arteries occlusion by the missiles.

Differences between surviving and non-surviving venous thromboembolism COVID-19 patients: a systematic review.

Background: To our knowledge, the treatment, outcome, clinical presentation, risk stratification of patients with venous thromboembolism and COVID-19 have not been well characterized.

Methods: We searched for systematic reviews, cohorts, case series, case reports, editor letters, and venous thromboembolism COVID-19 patients' abstracts following PRISMA and PROSPERO statements. We analyzed therapeutic approaches and clinical outcomes of venous thromboembolism COVID-19 patients.

Unexpected arterial thrombosis and acute limb ischemia in COVID-19 patients. Results from the Ibero-Latin American acute arterial thrombosis registry in COVID-19: (ARTICO-19).

Objective: Few studies have focused on arterial thrombosis and acute limb ischemia in COVID-19. This international registry intended to study the spectrum of clinical characteristics, therapeutic trends, and outcomes in a cohort of Ibero-Latin American patients with arterial thrombosis or acute limb ischemia and COVID-19.

Methods: Data were retrospectively obtained from 21 centers in 9 countries.

EVAR in Patients With Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Horseshoe Kidney: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: A systematic review of all patients that have been reported in the literature with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) concomitant with horseshoe kidney (HSK) treated electively by endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is presented. A new grouping system for describing HSK vasculature is implemented.

Materials And Methods: We searched for published manuscripts using the Medical Subject Headings terms "abdominal aortic aneurysm," "AAA," "EVAR," "endovascular aneurysm repair," and "horseshoe kidney" in PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and National Center for Biotechnology Information databases.

Venous Thromboembolism in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Treated in a Single Academic Center in Mexico: A Case Series Study.

Background: The increasing prevalence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a matter of concern as it contributes significantly to patients' morbidity and mortality. Data regarding the optimal anticoagulation regimen for VTE prevention and treatment remain scarce. This study describes the characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with VTE treated in a single academic center in Mexico.

Extensive deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism as a unique clinical manifestation of COVID-19 in a young healthy patient.

Background/objective: Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism have been described as complications in previously diagnosed COVID-19 patients, especially in those admitted in critical ill units, but, to our knowledge, there is no report of venous thromboembolism in an otherwise asymptomatic COVID-19 patient.

Methods: We report the case of a 22-year-old female, healthy patient with pulmonary embolism (Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index Score 22 points, low risk) and extensive proximal deep vein thrombosis as a unique clinical manifestation of the new coronavirus disease.

Results: The patient had no risk factors and no familial history of venous thromboembolism.