Direct portal vein recanalization with stenting associated with embolization of esophagogastric varices in a patient with portal vein thrombosis.

Introduction: Chronic extrahepatic non-tumoral thrombotic portal vein occlusion in non-cirrhotic patients is a rare condition, affecting 5-10% of patients with portal hypertension. Presentation of case: The present study reports the case of a young patient without previous comorbidities who presented with portal hypertension secondary to chronic extrahepatic non-tumoral thrombotic occlusion of the portal vein. He underwent portal recanalization with a 12 × 80 mm nitinol self-expandable stent and embolization of esophagogastric varices with fibrous springs and cyanoacrylate via transparieto-hepatic access. Immediate resolution of the trans-lesion pressure gradient was obtained transoperatively, while complete remission of esophagogastric varices was verified by endoscopic control during outpatient follow-up. Discussion: Chronic portal vein occlusion is associated or not with liver cirrhosis. The chronic phase is characterized by cavernomatous transformation of the portal vein, which consists of the formation of multiple collaterals that bypass the lesion. This phase usually courses with portal hypertension and consequent variceal gastrointestinal bleeding. Decompression of the portal system through direct recanalization (angioplasty with stenting) is one therapeutic options. Conclusion: We conclude that, in the present case, resolving portal hypertension by direct portal recanalization was a good therapeutic option, as it decompressed the portal system while maintaining the hepatopetal flow.

Anaplastic thyroid tumor as an embolic source of metastasis.

Tumor-based arterial thromboembolism in patients with cancer is a poorly described concept that lacks evidence for surgical indications owing to its unusual occurrence. The study and understanding of this condition's etiology is, however, essential because it could constitute the initial presentation or determine the prognosis of oncologic disease. In the present report, we have described the case of a 77-year-old female patient with multiple cerebral, splenic, and upper limb arterial embolic episodes. Embolectomy for acute upper limb ischemia revealed the histopathologic diagnosis of an anaplastic thyroid tumor.

Impact of COVID-19 on the surgical profile of vascular surgery patients at a tertiary hospital in Curitiba, Brazil.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare services reduced the number of elective procedures performed. Vascular surgery patients are a group at risk of contracting severe forms of the infection, but are also susceptible to complications of their underlying diseases if they do not receive routine care. It is therefore necessary to understand the direct and indirect impacts and consequences of the pandemic on vascular patients. Objectives: To assess the impact of 1 year of the pandemic on a vascular surgery service and changes to the profile of surgeries during the same period. Methods: An analysis was conducted of the medical records of patients who underwent elective and emergency surgery from 2019 to 2021. A review of the literature was also conducted, using the search terms "vascular surgery", "COVID-19", and "amputations". Data were analyzed with Stata/SE v.14.1 (StataCorpLP, United States). Results: A total of 1,043 surgeries were identified during the study period, 51.6% conducted pre-pandemic and 48.4% performed during the pandemic. There was a reduction in the number of elective surgeries and an increase in the number of lower limb amputations and surgical debridements. Increases were also observed in the proportion of patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease with advanced Rutherford classifications and in the number of cases of diabetic foot. Conclusions: The reduction in elective care and patients' reluctance to seek health services during the pandemic are the probable causes of increased severity of patient status, with greater need for lower limb amputation and surgical debridement and changes to the profile of the surgery performed at the service.

Effect of COVID-19 on the Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Procedures Mix at a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Objective To assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cardiothoracic and vascular surgery procedures volume at a tertiary care hospital. Materials & Methods This cross-sectional retrospective study was carried out at a tertiary care hospital's Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery department. All the four-year surgical procedures data were reviewed from August 2017 to August 2021. After extracting data from the hospital database software, a databank was generated in SPSS version 24.0. Average cases per month were calculated, and the data were stratified into three groups, Pre-COVID, COVID, and Post-COVID. Tables and charts were generated for the representation of data. Results The total number of patients that underwent cardiovascular and thoracic procedures during the years 2017-2021 were 3,624, with male predominance (71.5%). Procedures were divided into Pre-COVID (68.5%), COVID (15.2%) and Post-COVID (16.3%) groups. Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) was the most common procedure throughout the study duration (56.8%) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (29 procedures/month). Congenital Heart Surgeries (16.6%) and Valvular surgeries (11.5%) were next on the list. However, congenital heart surgeries were most affected during the pandemic (16 to 5 procedures/month). The average number of surgeries per month peaked at 2017 (135 procedures/month) and after that declined to its low of 46/month during the COVID-19 pandemic (The year 2020). Conclusion Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeries have significantly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the Coronary Artery Bypass (CABG) and Congenital Heart Surgeries. CABG procedures, however, remained the highest performed surgery even during the pandemic due to their emergent nature. Thoracic, vascular, and combined surgeries have stayed almost constant. The year 2020 (COVID-19 year) saw the lowest number of surgeries performed per month. An uprising trend in the number of surgical procedures is seen in the post-pandemic time (2021).

Treating Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease and Acute Limb Ischemia During a COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020.

BACKGROUND: For many surgeons the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 meant a downscaling of surgical interventions. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the measures taken on the care for patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAOD) and acute limb ischemia (ALI). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the vascular practices of 2 major teaching hospitals in the Netherlands was performed. All interventions and outpatient visits for PAOD or ALI in 2020 were included. Patients treated in 2018 and 2019 were to serve as a control group. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: In 2020, a total of 1513 procedures were performed for PAOD or ALI. This did not differ significantly from previous years. Overall, Fontaine 2 and 4 were the most frequent indications for intervention. A significant increase in the number of major amputations was observed in 2020 compared to 2018 (P< 0.01). This was mainly due to patients suffering from PAOD Fontaine 4. Inversely, a reduction in the number of femoro-popliteal bypasses was observed between 2020 and 2018. The number of outpatient visit due to Fontaine 2 was significantly lower in 2020 compared to 2018. CONCLUSIONS: The vascular practices of our hospitals were minimally influenced by the measures taken due to the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2. There was an increase in the number of amputation but an enormous surge in patients presenting with critical limb ischemia was not observed.

What is the current practice for managing patients with chronic limb-threatening ischaemia in vascular surgery services? A survey of UK vascular surgeons.

INTRODUCTION: The Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland (VSGBI) Peripheral Arterial Disease Quality Improvement Framework (PAD QIF) stipulates targets for managing patients with chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI); however, it is unknown whether these are achievable. This survey aims to evaluate contemporary practice for managing CLTI in the UK. METHODS: A questionnaire was developed in conjunction with the VSGBI to survey the management of CLTI and canvass opinions on the PAD QIF. The survey was distributed to all consultant members of the VSGBI and through a targeted social media campaign. RESULTS: Forty-seven consultant vascular surgeons based at 36 arterial centres across the UK responded (response rate from arterial centres = 46%). Only 14.3% of centres provided outpatient consultation within the target of seven days from referral, with only one centre providing revascularisation within the target of seven days from consultation. For inpatient management, 31.6% provided surgical and 23.8% endovascular revascularisation within the target of three days from assessment. While 60% of participants believe the PAD QIF's 5-day 'admitted care' pathway is achievable, only 28.6% thought the 14-day 'non-admitted care' pathway was feasible. Challenges to meeting these targets include the availability of theatre space and angiography lists, and availability of outpatient appointments for patient assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The opinion of UK vascular surgeons indicates that achieving the targets of the PAD QIF represents a major challenge based upon current services. Adapting existing services with a greater focus on providing an 'urgent' model of care may help to potentially overcome these challenges.

[Operate, cancel, postpone or select?] / Operieren, Absagen, Verschieben oder Selektionieren?: Ergebnisse einer Umfrage unter gefäßchirurgischen Zentren während der Covid-19-Krise in Österreich.

Regional centers performing vascular surgery in Austria (n = 15) were invited in mid-April 2020 by the Austrian Society of Vascular Surgery (ÖGG) to participate in a nationwide survey about implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, a total of 12 centers (80%) answered the questionnaire.All centers were confronted with patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and 75% also had medical personnel who were positive. In contrast, only 25% of the departments of vascular surgery had positively tested patients and 33% had positive staff members. In all departments of vascular surgery elective vascular procedures were either stopped (cancelled or deferred) or selectively limited, including patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis, aortic aneurysms smaller than 7 cm, peripheral arterial aneurysm, peripheral artery occlusive disease Fontaine stage II and varicosities. All centers continued to carry out operations for all types of vascular surgical emergencies. The strategies of the centers were heterogeneous for patients with chronic ulcers, chronic mesenteric insufficiency, asymptomatic aortic aneurysms larger than 7 cm and shunt surgery.Decisions on surgery cancellation seemed to be particularly problematic due to the uncertain time period of the COVID-19 measures. As a consequence, the risk associated with cancellation or delayed treatment was difficult to assess. At present, especially indications with nonuniform management strategies need selective attention and additional analysis in single center and multicenter studies. In addition, patients might suffer from relevant psychological problems because of surgery cancellations. Changes in the daily routine due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have a long-term impact on health status and may show significant demographic and geographic variations.

Reassessing the operative threshold for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in the context of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: The worldwide pandemic involving the novel respiratory syndrome (COVID-19) has forced health care systems to delay elective operations, including abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, to conserve resources. This study provides a structured analysis of the decision to delay AAA repair and quantify the potential for harm. METHODS: A decision tree was constructed modeling immediate repair of AAA relative to an initial nonoperative (delayed repair) approach. Risks of COVID-19 contraction and mortality, aneurysm rupture, and operative mortality were considered. A deterministic sensitivity analysis for a range of patient ages (50 to >80), probability of COVID-19 infection (0.01%-30%), aneurysm size (5.5 to >7 cm), and time horizons (3-9 months) was performed. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted for three representative ages (60, 70, and 80). Analyses were conducted for endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) and open surgical repair (OSR). RESULTS: Patients with aneurysms 7 cm or greater demonstrated a higher probability of survival when treated with immediate EVAR or OSR, compared with delayed repair, for patients under 80 years of age. When considering EVAR for aneurysms 5.5 to 6.9 cm, immediate repair had a higher probability of survival except in settings with a high probability of COVID-19 infection (10%-30%) and advanced age (70-85+ years). A nonoperative strategy maximized the probability of survival as patient age or operative risk increased. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses demonstrated that patients with large aneurysms (>7 cm) faced a 5.4% to 7.7% absolute increase in the probability of mortality with a delay of repair of 3 months. Young patients (60-70 years) with aneurysms 6 to 6.9 cm demonstrated an elevated risk of mortality (1.5%-1.9%) with a delay of 3 months. Those with aneurysms 5 to 5.9 cm demonstrated an increased survival with immediate repair in young patients (60); however, this was small in magnitude (0.2%-0.8%). The potential for harm increased as the length of surgical delay increased. For elderly patients requiring OSR, in the context of endemic COVID-19, delay of repair improves the probability of survival. CONCLUSIONS: The decision to delay operative repair of AAA should consider both patient age and local COVID-19 prevalence in addition to aneurysm size. EVAR should be considered when possible due to a reduced risk of harm and lower resource utilization.

Diagnosis and rational approach to emergency vascular surgery in the shadow of novel coronavirus pneumonia / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective@#To explore a safe, effective and rapid rescue method and key points for the management of vascular surgical emergencies in an area under guaranting Covid-19 (corona virus disease 2019) .@*Methods@#Under the guidance of COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment guidelines , 4 cases of vascular surgical emergency patients admitted to our department from Feb 1 to Feb 10, 2020 were screened for COVID-19 and given emergency vascular surgical treatment.@*Results@#Two patients had acute thoracic aortic dissection, one patient had acute left foot ulcer with infection, one patient had severe carotid artery stenosis and frequent TIA. All patients were diagnosed quickly according to the three-level triage process. Endovascular repair (TEVAR) was performed in 2 cases, carotid stenting in 1 case, and left foot amputation in 1 case. Two patients running postoperative fever below 38℃ were safely excluded COVID-19 and cured. There were no other major morbidities nor mortality.@*Conclusions@#Under the COVID-19 prevention and control guidelines, the establishing of a comprehensive prevention and control system of patient-medicine-care-management helps to perform confine operation on vascular surgical emergency.