Safety and effectiveness of radiologic and endoscopic percutaneous gastrostomy placement: A randomized study.

Background: Gastrostomy tubes placed radiologically, endoscopically or surgically facilitate long-term home enteral nutrition (HEN). Patient-specific clinical factors may affect placement techniques, confounding direct comparisons between radiologically inserted gastrostomy (RIG) and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) outcomes. This study sought to evaluate the differences in clinical outcomes in patients undergoing gastrostomy tube placement by interventional radiologists or gastroenterologists.

A multi-institutional review of endovenous thermal ablation of the saphenous vein finds male sex and use of anticoagulation are predictors of long-term failure.

Background: To review long-term outcomes and saphenous vein (SV) occlusion rate after endovenous ablation (EVA) for symptomatic varicose veins.

Methods: A review of our EVA database (1998-2018) with at least 3-years of clinical and sonographic follow-up. The primary end point was SV closure rate.

Imaging Appearance and Nonsurgical Management of Pelvic Venous Congestion Syndrome.

Pelvic venous congestion syndrome (PVCS) is a challenging and complex cause of chronic pelvic pain in female patients. PVCS due to incompetent vein valves is the combination of gonadal vein reflux and pelvic venous engorgement in patients with chronic pelvic pain without other causes. However, pelvic venous engorgement and gonadal vein reflux can be seen in patients without pelvic pain, which makes obtaining a detailed history and physical examination important for workup and diagnosis.

Is Long-Term Anticoagulation Required after Stent Placement for Benign Superior Vena Cava Syndrome?

Purpose: To identify whether symptom relief and stent patency vary with use of long-term anticoagulation after stent placement for benign superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome.

Materials And Methods: Patients with benign SVC syndrome treated with stent placement between January 1999 and July 2017 were retrospectively identified (n = 58). Average age was 49 years (range, 24-80 y); 34 (58%) were women, and 24 (42%) were men.

Pulmonary embolism attenuation is a potential imaging biomarker for pulmonary artery hemodynamic improvement after catheter-directed thrombolysis.

This study examined the potential correlation between pulmonary embolism (PE) attenuation on computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and pulmonary artery hemodynamic response to catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) in 10 patients with submassive PE. Treatment parameters, PE attenuation, clot burden, computed tomography signs of right ventricle dysfunction and right ventricular systolic pressure at echocardiography were retrospectively analyzed to determine correlation with pulmonary artery pressure improvement using Spearman correlation. A single reader, blinded to the treatment results, measured PE attenuation of all patients.

Comparison of Covered Versus Uncovered Stents for Benign Superior Vena Cava (SVC) Obstruction.

Purpose: To identify whether long-term symptom relief and stent patency vary with the use of covered versus uncovered stents for the treatment of benign SVC obstruction.

Methods And Materials: We retrospectively identified all patients with benign SVC syndrome treated to stent placement between January 2003 and December 2015 (n = 59). Only cases with both clinical and imaging follow-up were included (n = 47).

Safety and Effectiveness of Palliative Tunneled Peritoneal Drainage Catheters in the Management of Refractory Malignant and Non-malignant Ascites.

Purpose: To determine the safety and effectiveness of tunneled peritoneal catheters in the management of refractory malignant and non-malignant ascites.

Materials And Methods: An IRB-approved retrospective review was undertaken of patients who underwent ultrasound and fluoroscopy-guided tunneled peritoneal catheter placement for management of refractory malignant or non-malignant ascites between January 1, 2009, and March 14, 2014.

Results: A total of 137 patients (76 M/61 F, mean age 62.

Endovascular management of aortoiliac occlusive disease.

Patients with aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD) may be asymptomatic or may have intermittent claudication or critical limb ischemia. Treatment options for AIOD include management of risk factors, endovascular intervention, and/or surgical revascularization.

Safety and effectiveness of repeat arterial closure using the AngioSeal device in patients with hepatic malignancy.

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the use of the AngioSeal device for repeat arterial closure in patients with hepatic malignancy.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with hepatic malignancy who had undergone repeated arterial closure with the AngioSeal device was performed. All charts for patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization or TheraSphere radioembolization were reviewed for the method of hemostasis and the number of arterial closures.