[Evaluation of hemodynamic changes in Buerger's disease patients].

Introduction: Buerger's disease or thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) is a vascular disease characterized by vascular and segmental occlusion of small and medium-sized arteries of the extremities, caused by an inflammatory and thrombotic phenomena. The aim of this study was to evaluate functionally the hemodynamic consequences of this disease and its main arterial vascular changes.

Methods: A retrospective clinical study was conducted with a sample of 100 patients diagnosed with TAO, who underwent to follow-up appointments every two years for peripheral arterial doppler, plethysmography and ankle-brachial index (ABI) at the Department of Angiology and Vascular Surgery of the Hospital de São João in Porto.

[Origins and development of the Vascular Surgery Department of Hospital de São João].

The authors report the history of the Vascular Surgery Department of Hospital de São João since its origin to the actual reality, mentioning the most relevant steps of its foundation, development and major contributors.

[Radiofrequency-powered segmental thermal ablation in chronic venous disorders: A single center experience].

Background: In the last decade, endovascular radiofrequency obliteration has been used as a safe and feasible method, alternative to conventional vein-stripping surgery.

Methods: Data were collected from our center between January 2009 and June 2011. Pretreatment examination included lower limb assessment using CEAP classification and VCSS (Vein Clinical Severity Score).

[Hybrid treatment of an aortic arch aneurysm].

Traditional open repair of aortic arch aneurysms is a complex and demanding surgery that requires cardiopulmonary bypass, hypothermia and circulatory arrest, being associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Even with significant advances in pre-operative assessment and optimization, advanced anaesthetic techniques and intensive care, conventional aortic arch repairs remain amongst the highest risk of across all surgical specialties. Therefore, a hybrid approach with sequential transposition of the supra-aortic branches and endovascular stent-graft placement is a less invasive alternative treatment that opens the indication for repair to more critical patients.

[Supra-aortic trunks occlusive disease: three different treatment approaches].

Unlike carotid bifurcation atherosclerotic stenosis, supra-aortic trunks (SAT) occlusive disease is rare and its revascularization uncommon, accouting for less than 10% of the operations performed on the extracranial brain-irrigating arteries. There are three different treatment approaches: transthoracic, extra-anatomic cervical and endovascular. Endovascular repair is gaining popularity as first-line therapy for proximal lesions with favorable anatomy because of its low morbidity and rare mortality.

[Varicose veins of lower limbs: progress in the surgical management].

Varicose veins are part of the spectrum of Chronic Venous Disease. They are very prevalent, especially among women and involve mainly the great saphenous vein.Pathogenesis of varicose veins is complex and multifactorial.

The need for reintervention is not higher after EVAR: an eight years single center experience.

Objective: To evaluate and compare the effectiveness and clinical outcomes of abdominal aortic aneurysm treatments.

Methods: The medical records of all patients who underwent elective open or endovascular repair of nonruptured infra-renal abdominal aortic aneurysm from January 2001 to April 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. The assessed outcomes were all-cause mortality, aneurysm-related mortality, incidence of perioperative complications and reinterventions.

[Femoro-distal revascularization surgery: 5-years retrospective analysis of results].

Purpose: We describe the outcomes of femoro-distal bypass procedures used to treat peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate primary patency and limb salvage at 5 years.

Methods And Patients: We retrospectively studied 122 consecutive patients who underwent femoro-distal bypass surgery from 1999 to 2002.

[Renal cell carcinoma extending into the right atrium. Case report].

We report the clinical case of a 48-year-old woman with advanced renal cell carcinoma, and an inferior vena cava thrombus extending into the right atrium. The patient underwent complete tumor excision with radical nephrectomy and inferior vena cava trombectomy using adjunctive cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Pathological studies revealed no capsular invasion by the renal cell carcinoma.

[Carotid eversion endarterectomy: retrospective analysis].

The aim of this study was to report the initial experience with eversion carotid endarterectomy technique at our department. We undertook a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on all carotid endarterectomies performed since January 2004 to March 2006. A comparison between both groups - eversion endarterectomy (EE) and conventional endarterectomy (CE) - was done using a statistical software package.

[Rupture of venous bypass graft associated to infection of multiresistant bacteria].

We report two cases of severe trauma of the upper limb requiring arterial revascularization. A brachio-brachial inverted saphenous bypass graft was done in both cases. Graft rupture attributed to local infection occurred at fourth post-operative week.

[Supra-genicular femoro-popliteal bypass: 5 years retrospectively analysis].

We report a retrospective study of patients submitted to supragenicular femoro-popliteal bypass surgery in our department between 1998 and 2002. A SPSS package was used for statistical analysis. Eighty bypasses were performed in 74 patients with a median follow up of 19,6 months [1-71 (+/- 22,5 months)].

Circulating immune complexes in Buerger's disease. Endarteritis obliterans in young men.

Auto-antibodies such as anti-elastin, anti-collagen, anti-nuclear and anti-arterial, circulating immune complexes, and cellular responses to collagen I and III are known to be present in Buerger's disease (EO). Deposits of IgG, C3 and C4 have also been found in the vascular lesions of endarteritis obliterans (EO) in young men. The purpose of this study was to correlate clinical evidence of vascular disease with the presence of the circulating immune complexes.