Femoral Anastomotic Aneurysms: Pathogenic Factors, Clinical Presentations and Treatment. A Study of 142 Cases

in Cardiovascular Surgery (1999), 7(3), 315-22

In this study, the files of 112 patients with a total of 142 femoral anastomotic aneurysms were reviewed. Eighty-five patients (76%) were initially operated upon for obstructive aorto-iliac disease, while ... [more ▼]

In this study, the files of 112 patients with a total of 142 femoral anastomotic aneurysms were reviewed. Eighty-five patients (76%) were initially operated upon for obstructive aorto-iliac disease, while the remaining 27 (24%) had abdominal aortic aneurysms repaired. The majority of the patients (104/112) were male and their mean age was 64.5 years (range 45-88). Ninety-three per cent of the subjects were smokers prior to the first operation and 43% continued to smoke at the time of their femoral anastomotic aneurysms operation. The mean delay between the initial surgery and the repair of the femoral anastomotic aneurysms was 74.5 months (range 1-228). The diagnosis was made because of a painless pulsatile mass (91/142), acute leg ischaemia (27/142), a painful pulsatile mass (12/142), haemorrhage (10/142), pseudo-post-phlebitic oedema (1/142) and microemboli of the toes (1/142). The operative mortality was 2.7% (3/112) of which two-thirds were patients with infected grafts. Two subgroups were distinguished: 10 patients with an infected femoral anastomotic aneurysm and 12 patients with recurrent femoral anastomotic aneurysms, 11 with a single recurrence and one with a double recurrence. In the infected group, the time to development of anastomotic aneurysm was shorter than for the group with non-infected femoral anastomotic aneurysms (41 versus 74.5 months) and the operative mortality was 20% (2/10). One patient developed a recurrent femoral anastomotic aneurysm and another was lost to follow-up. Two subsequent deaths occurred, which were unrelated to the femoral anastomotic aneurysms. In the group of recurrent femoral anastomotic aneurysms one patient was lost to follow-up and two patients died, but not as a result of recurrent femoral anastomotic aneurysms. A total of 122 cases underwent interposition of a new prosthetic segment between the proximal prosthesis and the distal artery (89 at the common femoral, 21 at the femoral profundis, eight at the superficial femoral and four at an existing femoro-popliteal graft). [less ▲]

Cardiac Risk Assessment before Vascular Surgery: A Prospective Study Comparing Clinical Evaluation, Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography, and Dobutamine Tc-99m Sestamibi Tomoscintigraphy

in Cardiovascular Surgery (1997), 5(1), 54-64

Preoperative evaluation for cardiac risk assessment before peripheral vascular surgery remains controversial. Between January and June 1994, a prospective open study was carried out in 156 patients ... [more ▼]

Preoperative evaluation for cardiac risk assessment before peripheral vascular surgery remains controversial. Between January and June 1994, a prospective open study was carried out in 156 patients scheduled for elective vascular procedures (63 carotid endarterectomies, 34 abdominal aortic aneurysms, 29 aortoiliac and 30 infrainguinal reconstructions) to compare the ability of clinical data, dobutamine stress echocardiography, and dobutamine Tc-99m sestamibi tomoscintigraphy to predict postoperative cardiac events. Pharmacological stress testing consisted of incremental dobutamine infusion (+/-1 mg atropine to achieve 85% of age-predicted maximal heart rate, with continuous echocardiographic monitoring, and injection of Tc-99m sestamibi after dobutamine infusion). Dobutamine echocardiography was abnormal in 36 patients (worsening resting wall motion abnormality in 11; new induced wall motion abnormality in 25). Dobutamine Tc-99m sestamibi tomoscintigraphy revealed a reversible perfusion defect in 34 patients, indicating the presence of myocardial ischaemia. As a result, eight patients underwent myocardial revascularization (n = 5) or the proposed operation was cancelled (n = 3). In the remaining 142 vascular procedures, there were eight (5.6%) adverse cardiac events: three myocardial infarctions (two fatal), three prolonged myocardial ischaemia, one acute congestive heart failure and one sustained ventricular arrhythmia in the post operative period. Univariate analysis selected unstable angina (relative risk (RR) 11.6), previous congestive heart failure (RR 6.4), Detsky's score of > or = 15 (RR 3.0), positive dobutamine stress echocardiography (RR 3.7), and positive dobutamine tomoscintigraphy (RR 7.4) as significant predictors of postoperative cardiac events. In patients without clinical markers of coronary artery disease (n = 66), non-invasive cardiac testing did not predict cardiac complications (n = 2; one prolonged myocardial ischaemia; one infarction). In the subset of 76 patients with definite clinical or electrocardiographic evidence of ischaemic heart disease, dobutamine stress testing provided additional information, and optimized risk stratification: five of six patients who suffered a cardiac complication had a pathologic dobutamine stress test. Furthermore, a negative dobutamine stress test was characterized by a high negative predictive value (0.96 for echocardiography; 0.97 for tomoscintigraphy). The study further demonstrated that the cardiac response (ischaemic versus non-ischaemic) to dobutamine stress was concordantly classified by echocardiographic and tomoscintigraphic techniques in 96% of cases. It is concluded that complementary non-invasive cardiac stress testing by dobutamine is indicated only in patients with clinically apparent coronary artery disease. [less ▲]

Saphenous vein patch (SVP) is superior to direct closure (DC) for long-term patency of carotid endarterectomy (CEA)

in Cardiovascular Surgery (1995, September), 3(Suppl. 1), 44

Valve Replacement for Acute Left Heart Endocarditis

in Cardiovascular Surgery (1995), 3(5), 529-35

Between January 1982 and June 1993, 66 patients (48 men and 18 women of mean (range) age 50 (21-77) years) underwent valve replacement for acute infective endocarditis. There were 45 aortic valve and 17 ... [more ▼]

Between January 1982 and June 1993, 66 patients (48 men and 18 women of mean (range) age 50 (21-77) years) underwent valve replacement for acute infective endocarditis. There were 45 aortic valve and 17 mitral valve infections. Four patients had bivalvular involvement. Fifty-three patients suffered from native valve endocarditis, with underlying valvular lesions documented for 31 patients. Staphylococci and Streptococci spp. were responsible for 68% of infection, and 20% of blood and valve cultures were negative. Refractory congestive heart failure was the leading surgical indication in 86% of patients. The mean follow-up period was 44 months. The perioperative mortality rate was 6%. Actuarial survival rates were 88.5% at 1 year and 83% at 3 years. No early recurrence of infection was noted. Six patients (9%) needed reoperation. Satisfactory results confirm that early surgical management should be considered in patients with complicated infective endocarditis. [less ▲]

In Vivo Free Radical Production after Cross-Clamping and Reperfusion of the Renal Artery in the Rabbit

in Cardiovascular Surgery (1993), 1(4), 343-9

Postischaemic reperfusion injury is often attributed to the generation of oxygenated free radicals which may subsequently promote lipid peroxidation in cell membranes. Electron paramagnetic resonance ... [more ▼]

Postischaemic reperfusion injury is often attributed to the generation of oxygenated free radicals which may subsequently promote lipid peroxidation in cell membranes. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy in association with the spin trap molecule alpha-phenyl-N-tert-butyl-nitrone allowed direct confirmation of lipid free radical production after renal ischaemia-reperfusion in an in vivo rabbit model. A 60-min period of ischaemia followed by reperfusion caused free radical production twofold greater than after 15 min of ischaemia. Glutathione and alpha-tocopherol have been measured in renal tissue, as indirect markers of lipid peroxidation. After 15 min of ischaemia followed by 10 min of reperfusion, the mean(s.e.m.) glutathione content of the ischaemic kidney was slightly but significantly reduced by 11.9(2.5)% (P < 0.003). The content of alpha-tocopherol was unchanged. However, 10 min of reperfusion following 60 min of ischaemia led to significant decrease in mean(s.e.m.) content of both glutathione (30.4(3.7)%) (2.23(0.2) versus 3.14(0.18) mumol/g wet tissue, P < 0.001) and alpha-tocopherol (46.1(7.8)%) (0.57(0.10) versus 1.09(0.14) micrograms/g wet tissue, P < 0.001) when compared to the control kidney. Under these experimental conditions, desferrioxamine (15 mg/kg administered intravenously before inducing ischaemia), a drug known to limit free radical production, significantly limited the decrease of alpha-tocopherol to 20.8(6.4)% (0.83(0.08) versus 1.05(0.04) micrograms/g wet tissue, P < 0.05), but did not prevent glutathione consumption in the reperfused kidney. [less ▲]