Outcomes of completion imaging for lower extremity bypass in the Vascular Quality Initiative.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the association of intraoperative completion imaging (CI) for lower extremity vein bypass to a below-knee target with primary patency in the Vascular Quality Initiative.

Methods: The Vascular Quality Initiative database was queried from January 2003 to October 2013 for lower extremity bypass (LEB) procedures that were elective, had an indication of occlusive disease, used a single-segment greater saphenous vein conduit, and had a below-knee target. LEBs with inflow arteries above the knee and below the knee were included.

Bilateral cervical ribs causing cerebellar stroke and arterial thoracic outlet syndrome: a case report and review of the literature.

Stroke is an exceedingly rare presentation of arterial thoracic outlet syndrome (aTOS). This report describes a case of cerebellar stroke secondary to aTOS and reviews the literature. A 56-year-old woman with no previous history of stroke or arm ischemia presented with vertigo.

Use of completion imaging during infrainguinal bypass in the Vascular Quality Initiative.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the practice patterns of intraoperative completion imaging (CI) for lower extremity bypass (LEB) in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI).

Methods: A retrospective review of all LEB procedures in the VQI database from January 2003 to October 2013 was performed. Regions with fewer than 200 LEB procedures were excluded from the regional analysis.

Aortic morphologic findings after thoracic endovascular aortic repair for type B aortic dissection.

Importance: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is used in the treatment of type B aortic dissections. Information related to aortic morphologic findings and the condition of the abdominal aorta after TEVAR is limited.

Objective: To analyze aortic morphologic findings after TEVAR for type B aortic dissections.

A novel cardioprotective agent in cardiac transplantation: metformin activation of AMP-activated protein kinase decreases acute ischemia-reperfusion injury and chronic rejection.

The main cause of mortality after the first year from cardiac transplantation is cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), which leads to chronic rejection of the heart. To improve long-term outcomes in cardiac transplantation, treatments to prevent or diminish CAV are actively being researched. Ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury has been shown to be the strongest alloantigen-independent factor in the development of CAV.

Prevention of transplant coronary artery disease by prenylation inhibitors.

Background: In this study we systematically dissect the prenylation pathway to better define the mechanism behind statin inhibition in chronic allograft rejection in heart transplants, or transplant coronary artery disease (TCAD).

Methods: Utilizing a murine heterotopic heart transplant model, animals received daily treatments of either statin or selective isoprenoid blockade inhibitors to block the four major downstream branches of the mevalonate pathway. TCAD was assessed by morphometric analysis at Day 52.

RevaTen platelet-rich plasma improves cardiac function after myocardial injury.

Objective: Cell therapy is an exciting area of investigation for repair of injured myocardial tissue. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous fractionation of whole blood containing high concentrations of growth factors including vascular endothelial growth factor and insulin-like growth factor, among many others. PRP has been shown to safely and effectively enhance healing of musculoskeletal tissue primarily by reparative cell signaling.

Cytokine amplification by respiratory syncytial virus infection in human nasal epithelial cells.

Objectives: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important cause of upper respiratory infections and is known to play a causal role in the pathogenesis of rhinitis, sinusitis, acute otitis media, and pneumonia. RSV appears to prime the respiratory tract to secondary inciting events, such as bacterial or antigen challenges. To study the proinflammatory priming effects of RSV infection, cytokine expression was measured in well-differentiated human nasal epithelial cells (WD-NE) after RSV infection alone or after subsequent tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha stimulation.