Hemodynamic changes occurring during the progressive enlargement of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

The purpose of this study is to characterize the evolution of the hemodynamic forces acting on the arterial walls at progressive stages of enlargement of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). The specific aims are twofold: first, to determine the magnitude of the "wall shear stresses" (WSS) and their spatial and temporal gradients at various stages of enlargement, and second, to identify the critical size at which the formation of regions of stasis and/or the transition to a turbulent state occur inside the AAA. A parametric in vitro study of the pulsatile blood flow was conducted in rigid models of AAA by systematically varying the hemodynamic conditions and the size of the aneurysm.

Carotid arteries: contrast-enhanced US angiography--preliminary clinical experience.

B-mode ultrasonographic (US) angiography enhanced with a microbubble-based US contrast agent (FS069) was evaluated in human subjects with carotid artery disease. Results at contrast material-enhanced US angiography and duplex US were compared with those at conventional angiography. Both US angiography and duplex US accurately depicted stenoses of 70% or more compared with those depicted at conventional angiography.

Surgical and endovascular treatment of lower extremity venous insufficiency.

Lower extremity venous insufficiency is a highly prevalent condition. Now it is understood that telangiectasias, reticular varicosities, and true varicose veins are physiologically similar and etiologically identical. The four main influences causing these abnormalities are heredity, female sex, gravitational hydrostatic forces, and hemodynamic muscular compartment pressure.

Early experience using the Wallgraft in the management of distal microembolism from common iliac artery patholology.

Blue toe syndrome commonly occurs as a result of aneurysmal or atherosclerotic disease in the iliac arteries. Surgery, angioplasty, or intraarterial stent placement are the most common treatment options but the optimal management has not been defined. Here we report managing distal microembolization from iliac artery atherosclerosis associated with aneurysmal dilation with the Wallgraft Endoprosthesis, a self-expanding metallic stent covered with Dacron.

Small-caliber mesothelial cell-layered polytetraflouroethylene vascular grafts in New Zealand white rabbits.

Reduction in the thrombogenicity of small-caliber synthetic vascular grafts by lining them with mesothelial cell has been suggested as a method to reduce thrombosis. The purpose of this research is to determine whether creation of a mesothelial lining on the inner surface of a synthetic vascular graft would improve the patency rate of a small-caliber vascular grafts. Carotid interposition grafting was performed using mesothelial-lined grafts (MLG) in 30 New Zealand rabbits and compared with similar carotid interposition grafts using non-mesothelial-lined grafts (NLG) on the contralateral side.