An audit of secondary prevention for peripheral arterial disease in primary care - scope for improved collaboration between vascular surgery and general practitioners.

Background: Symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common cause for referral from primary care to vascular surgery. Best medical therapy (BMT), encompassing anti-platelets, statins, smoking cessation, blood pressure and glycaemic control, is a cornerstone of PAD management. However, these easily modifiable risk factors are often left unaddressed between referral and clinic review.

Marrow changes and reduced proliferative capacity of mesenchymal stromal cells from patients with "no-option" critical limb ischemia; observations on feasibility of the autologous approach from a clinical trial.

Background Aims: Approximately 1 in 3 patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) are not suitable for surgical or endovascular revascularization. Those "no-option" patients are at high risk of amputation and death. Autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) may provide a limb salvage option.

Acute limb ischaemia due to thrombosed persistent sciatic artery aneurysm presents a surgical challenge in a frail octogenarian.

Objectives: Persistent sciatic artery (PSA) is a rare congenital anomaly, whereby the embryonic sciatic artery remains patent with associated degrees of femoral axis hypoplasia. Aneurysmal degeneration and distal ischaemia from thromboembolic complications are common. Revascularisation strategies include embolectomy, bypass or interposition grafting and catheter-directed thrombolysis.

Diagnostic Performance of Ankle-Brachial Pressure Index in Lower Extremity Arterial Disease.

 Ankle-brachial pressure indices (ABIs) continue to form the basis of diagnostics for lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD). However, there remains a paucity of data to support its accuracy. This study aims to evaluate its diagnostic sensitivity and specificity using established arterial-imaging modalities as a benchmark.

Validation of ERICVA Risk Score as a Predictor of One Year Amputation-Free Survival of Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia.

Background: The ERICVA score was derived to predict amputation-free survival in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). It may be a useful tool to stratify patients in trials of novel interventions to treat CLI but, as yet, it has not been externally validated.

Methods: A prospective database of CLI patients was developed during prescreening of patients for a phase 1 stem cell therapy clinical trial.

Concomitant vs. Staged Treatment of Varicose Tributaries as an Adjunct to Endovenous Ablation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: This review compares the outcomes of both concomitant and staged superficial varicose tributary (SVT) interventions as an adjunct to endovenous truncal ablation.

Methods: A systematic search of Medline through Pubmed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was last performed in November 2019. All studies comparing the outcomes of both concomitant and staged treatments for SVT as an adjunct to endovenous truncal ablation were included.

Determination of optimal implantation site in central venous system for wireless hemodynamic monitoring.

Background/purpose: In recent years, treatment of heart failure patients has proved to benefit from implantation of pressure sensors in the pulmonary artery. Despite this, pulmonary artery pressure is related to the left ventricle, and cannot provide information on the right side of the heart. By contrast, pressure in the central venous system is directly connected to the right atrium and could potentially predict a wider range of heart failure conditions.

Autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell therapy for "no-option" critical limb ischemia is limited by karyotype abnormalities.

Background: Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is the most severe manifestation of peripheral vascular disease. Revascularization is the preferred therapy, but it is not achievable in 25%-40% of patients due to diffuse anatomic distribution of the disease or medical comorbidities. No-option CLI represents an unmet medical need.