Perioperative blood glucose variability and autonomic nervous system activity in on-pump cardiac surgery patients: Study protocol of a single-center observational study.

Introduction: On-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and surgical valve replacement (SVR) are high-risk procedures. Several studies reported that perioperative blood glucose (BG) variability was independently associated with impaired postoperative outcome. However, the underlying mechanisms contributing to increased perioperative BG variability and to its deleterious impact remain unknown.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Endovascular Treatment of Type 2 Endoleaks.

Background: Endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) is a safe and minimally invasive alternative to open surgical repair for infra renal aortic aneuvrysm. EVAR requires lifelong post-procedural surveillance. Endoleaks represent the main complication.

Distribution of Mobile Health Applications amongst Patients with Symptomatic Peripheral Arterial Disease in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Background: Broadly available digital and mobile health applications (also known as mHealth) have recently gained increasing attention by the vascular community, but very little is known about the dissemination and acceptance of such technologies in certain target populations. The current study aimed to determine the user behaviour and acceptance of such digital technologies amongst patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of consecutively treated inpatients at 12 university institutions, as well as one non-university institution, was conducted.

The "double carotid artery" sign: A rare case of spontaneous carotid dissection.

Carotid artery dissection, which accounts for up to 20% of strokes in young patients, usually extends distally and leads to acute stenosis, occlusion and aneurysmal changes with increased risk for thromboembolic events, especially in young people.

Indocyanine green angiography and the old question of vascular autonomy - Long term changes of microcirculation in microsurgically transplanted free flaps.

Background: Free tissue transfer has become a routine procedure with low failure. In case of a compromised vascular pedicle, flap survival is time dependantly possible due to flap autonomization. However it remains unknown at what time and to which degree different factors influence flap autonomization.

Assessing radiation exposure to patients during endovascular treatment of chronic venous obstruction.

Background: Post-thrombotic obstruction can be adequately treated by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting. This procedure is rapidly emerging as a minimally invasive alternative to traditional open surgical operations. However, the patient will be exposed to a significant amount of radiation during preoperative planning and operation.

A Cost Calculation of EVAR and FEVAR Procedures at an European Academic Hospital.

Background: The aim was to calculate the costs of EVAR and FEVAR procedures in a European academic hospital by cost retrieval based on a subcohort with known detailed costs through application of the individually detailed calculated costs to the total study population and to correlate these with corresponding reimbursements.

Methods: A cost analysis was performed on 25 FEVAR and 100 EVAR cases based on the detailed cost analysis of a group of patients treated in 2012 and 2013 by applying the costs based on costs per time unit within 4 subgroups: (1) uncomplicated EVAR, (2) complicated EVAR, (3) uncomplicated FEVAR, and (4) complicated FEVAR.

Results: Thirty cases (19 EVAR and 11 FEVAR) treated in 2012 and 2013 were used to determine the individual detailed costs for the entire study group consisting of 100 EVAR and 25 FEVAR cases.

Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Predicts Outcome in Complex Aortic Surgery.

The perioperative inflammatory response is associated with outcome after complex aortic repair. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) shows protective effects in ischemia-reperfusion (IR), but also adverse pro-inflammatory effects in acute inflammation, potentially leading to adverse outcome, which should be investigated in this trial. This prospective study enrolled 52 patients, of whom 29 (55.

The role of venous diameter in predicting arteriovenous fistula maturation: when not to expect an AVF to mature according to pre-operative vein diameter measurements? A best evidence topic.

This best evidence topic was investigated according to a described protocol. We asked the question: what is the minimal vein diameter that can successfully predict maturation of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in patients undergoing dialysis. Using the reported search 804 papers were found, of which five represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question.

Hybrid procedures for the treatment of multi-focal ipsilateral internal carotid and proximal common carotid or innominate artery lesions.

We report three cases with concomitant ipsilateral proximal common carotid and internal carotid artery stenosis treated in one stage with carotid endarterectomy and retrograde primary stenting of the common carotid artery. The internal carotid artery was clamped during stenting to avoid cerebral embolization. All procedures were successfully completed and all patients remain asymptomatic at 18 months follow up.

Epidural spinal cord stimulation in chronic non-reconstructible limb ischemia.

For patients with chronic non-reconstructible limb ischemia (chronic CLI), spinal-cord stimulation (SCS) has been advocated for the treatment of ischemic pain and prevention of amputation. The present clinical report was performed to evaluate the long-term effects of SCS on limb survival. A retrospective review was performed of 21 patients who had undergone SCS between December 1997 and July 2002 due to chronic CLI.

The venous thrombectomy: obsolete or forgotten?

This report describes the surgical management of three patients with an extended ilio-femoral deep venous thrombosis. In the first patient a residual occlusion of the common iliac vein was treated conservatively and this patient developed severe chronic venous insufficiency. In the second patient a residual (sub)occlusion of the common iliac vein was treated with a stent and this patient remained asymptomatic with two years follow-up.