Clinical predictors of major adverse cardiovascular events during long-term follow-up after carotid endarterectomy.

Background: Those patients who undergo a carotid endarterectomy (CEA) will present a higher cardiovascular risk during follow-up than the general population. The objective of this study was to determine the prognostic factors and validate the accuracy of 3 cardiovascular risk scores as predictors of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) during long-term follow-up after CEA.

Methods: Observational retrospective follow-up study with 416 CEAs conducted consecutively in 385 patients from 1994 to 2011.

Anatomopathological and immunohistochemical study of explanted cryopreserved arteries.

Background: The aim of the study was to analyze the mechanism of deterioration of implanted arteries.

Methods: Eleven patients were included. Samples of vascular segments obtained from multiorgan donors and samples of the same vascular segments after explantation in the recipient were analyzed.

Urgent endovascular treatment of a ruptured tibioperoneal pseudoaneurysm in Behçet's disease.

Background: Behçet's disease is an autoimmune, systemic vasculitis disease that is characterized by oral aphthous and genital ulcerations and ocular lesions. Vascular manifestations in the form of aneurysms are the main predictors of mortality and morbidity in such cases. Normally, these aneurysms are located in the pulmonary arteries, the aorta, carotid, subclavia, and the femoropopliteal sector.

[Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava. Clinical report].

A leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava is reported in a 52 year old female, located in the para-renal segment of the vena cava. The tumor was resected and the vena cava was replaced by a 20 mm PTFE anelar prosthesis, with reimplantation of the right renal vein. The left renal vein was ligated.

[Vascular access guidelines for hemodialysis].

Quality of vascular access (VA) has a remarkable influence in hemodialysis patients outcomes. Dysfunction of VA represents a capital cause of morbi-mortality of these patients as well an increase in economical. Spanish Society of Neprhology, aware of the problem, has decided to carry out a revision of the issue with the aim of providing help in comprehensión and treatment related with VA problems, and achieving an homogenization of practices in three mayor aspects: to increase arteriovenous fistula utilization as first vascular access, to increment vascular access monitoring practice and rationalise central catheters use.

Functional assessment of human femoral arteries after cryopreservation.

An established method for the cryopreservation of human femoral arteries for subsequent transplantation as allografts has been studied with particular attention to preservation of smooth muscle and endothelium. Human femoral arteries (HFAs) were harvested from multi-organ donors. Two groups were established; a control group of unfrozen HFAs and a group of cryopreserved HFAs.

Functional assessment of cryopreserved human aortas for pharmaceutical research.

We evaluated the impact of standard cryopreservation on functional properties of human aortic homografts. From seven human donors, the thoracic descending aorta was obtained. Effects of cryopreservation on contractibility and endothelium function were tested.

Functional assessment of cryopreserved pig aortas for pharmaceutical research.

Several in vitro studies have demonstrated diminished post-thaw functional activity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the consequences of thawing and storage method used on the post-thaw functional activity of cryopreserved pig aortas with the aim of adjusting the freezing and thawing protocol so that the vascular segments are preserved in the best possible state, maintaining structure and functionality so that they can later be transplanted with success. In vitro responses of frozen, thawed pig aortas were used to investigate the functional activity after thawing at 15 degrees C and 100 degrees C/min and after storage in gas or liquid phase of liquid nitrogen.

Functional assessment of cryopreserved human femoral arteries for pharmaceutical research.

An established method for cryopreservation that might preserve the vascular and endothelial responses of human femoral arteries (HFAs) to be transplanted as allografts was studied. HFAs were harvested from multiorgan donors and stored at 4 degrees C in saline solution before cryostorage. Thirty HFA rings were isolated and randomly assigned to one control group of unfrozen HFAs (eight rings) and one group of cryopreserved HFAs (22 rings).

[Carotid endarterectomy: postoperative morbimortality and requirements for intensive care].

Objectives: To analyze risk factors, morbidity and mortality of carotid endarterectomy, and to determine whether prolonged attention in the postoperative intensive care recovery unit is needed by all patients.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective study of 102 carotid endarterectomy patients between January 1991 and February 1997. The following data were analyzed: preoperative risk factors, prior neurologic symptoms, time of stay in the recovery unit, postoperative complications requiring intensive treatment and the time of onset of such events, and mortality after 30 days.