Localization of the superior laryngeal nerve during carotid endarterectomy.

Knowledge of the topographic anatomy is essential to prevent iatrogenic damage of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) in carotid endarterectomy (CEA). The purpose of this study was to analyze the anatomic relationship between the SLN and carotid arteries in order to prevent iatrogenic nerve injury. Anatomic dissections similar to CEA were performed bilaterally in 50 fresh human adult cadavers. The topography of the SLN was analyzed regarding its relationship with the carotid arteries. Furthermore, the distance between the external branch of the SLN and the point of bifurcation of the common carotid artery (dCAB) was analyzed regarding effects of gender, ethnicity, individual stature and side of the neck. The SLN was always located adjacent and posterior to the carotid arteries.The dCAB ranged from 20.3 mm below the point of bifurcation of the common carotid artery to 50.9 mm above this level (average 10.3 mm above). Most dissections (75%) showed the external branch of the SLN emerging from behind the carotid artery above the arterial bifurcation; in only 10% of cases did this nerve emerge from the artery below that anatomic reference. Based on Student's t-test, there were no significant differences in the dCAB between genders ( P=0.237), ethnicities ( P=0.410) and sides of the neck ( P=0.872). Moreover, tall stature was not significantly correlated with a shorter dCAB (linear regression: R(2)=0.009, P=0.357). We conclude that most SLNs were located above the carotid artery bifurcation, but anatomic variations occurred in 25% of the dissections. The dCAB was unaffected by gender, ethnicity, individual stature and side of the neck.

[Risk factors of stroke in carotid endarterectomy]. / Fatores de risco de acidente vascular cerebral na endarterectomia de carótida.

In order to find risk factors of carotid endarterectomy related stroke (CERS), 102 consecutive carotid endarterectomies, performed within two years on 95 patients were analyzed. Age, sex, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, degree of the operated and non operated carotid stenosis, previous neurological symptoms, anesthesia, protamine, cerebral monitoring, shunt, patch, post op. hypertensive crisis and clamping time were compared with the incidence of CERS. Four patients had major neurological deficits, two of which were fatal (3.92%). Six patients had minor transitory neurological deficit (5.8%). The use of patch and a long clamping time were the only identifiable statistically significant factors (p = 0.016 and p = 0.0053 respectively) that increase the odds of a CERS.

[Survival after aorto-femoral shunt with Dacron prosthesis]. / Sobrevivência após derivação aorto-femoral com próteses de Dacron.

The purpose of this paper is to establish the survival rate of patients submitted to aorto-femoral bypass grafting and compare it with the general mortality rate of the population in the State of São Paulo. The records of 210 patients with aorto-femoral bypass grafts and mean age of 54 years were analysed according the Kaplan and Meyer method. The survival curves of the normal population with the age of 55 and 70 years were used for comparison. Our results are comparable with those reported in the international literature. The aorto-femoral atherosclerotic disease Hás the same features wherever lives the patient. The death is caused mainly by cardiac disease. In our patients, however, the infection of the prosthesis was also an important factor in the fatal outcome of the disease. After ten years about half of the patients submitted to an aorto-femoral bypass grafting are still alive.

[Surgical treatment of infections involving arterial prosthesis in aorto-femoral position]. / Tratamento cirúrgico de infecções comprometendo próteses arteriais em posição aorto-femoral.

This article is to evaluate the results of surgical treatment of aorto-femoral graft infections. The records of 20 patients with aorto-femoral graft infections were reviewed. The patients were submitted mostly to a combination of surgical procedures. They were: a) conservative treatment; b) partial removal of the infected graft and c) total removal of the infected graft. The removal of the prosthesis, partial or total, was followed by a new arterial reconstruction in some patients. The final treatment was: total removal of the infected graft in 11 (55%) patients, total removal plus arterial reconstruction in six, partial removal in two and partial removal plus arterial reconstruction in one. The results of treatment were presented as the survival rate and the effective palliation (patient alive, lower limbs preserved and infection cured). The survival rates after one month, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months were respectively: 80%, 60%, 53%, 42% and 27%. The effective palliation rates after one month and after 48 months were respectively 50% and 27%. The highest effective palliation rate was obtained when the infected prosthesis was removed and a new arterial reconstruction performed. We conclude that the treatment of choice of aorto-femoral graft infections seems to be the total removal of the graft followed by new arterial reconstruction.

[Vascular complications of the Ilizarov method]. / Complicações vasculares no método de Ilizarov.

Between 1987 and 1991, 209 patients were operated by the Ilizarov method in the Department of Orthopaedic and Traumatologic Surgery of the University of São Paulo Medical School. Five of them presented vascular complications during the treatment. All were adults treated for long bone pseudarthrosis. The vascular lesion occurred in the femoral superficial artery (one case), in the popliteal artery (one case), and in the posterior tibial artery (one case); in the remaining two patients it was not possible to determine the exact site of the lesion. The clinical manifestation of the vascular problem was bleeding at the cutaneous point of the Kirschner transfixation wires. Arteriography was done in all cases but its interpretation was difficult because of the presence of the external fixator. The treatment of the vascular complications was following: in the case of injury in the femoral artery, the external fixator was taken off and a by-pass with an inverted graft of the saphenous vein was made the same procedure was done in the popliteal artery but in this case it was not necessary to remove the external fixator; the remaining case with the lesion in the posterior tibial artery was treated by ligature. In two cases where the artery involved was not determined--one in the upper extremity with the external fixator applied to the femur--the bleeding stopped after the removal of wires.

[Infection involving arterial prosthesis: clinical picture, etiology, and predisposing factors]. / Infecção comprometendo próteses arteriais: quadro clínico, etiologia e fatores predisponentes.

Thirty patients were operated for arterial reconstruction with synthetic grafts. They presented one of the following complications: 1) prosthesis exposed by a cutaneous fistula; 2) prosthesis in communication with a hollow viscus; 3) prosthesis involved by pus; 4) positive culture of a fragment of the prosthesis or of the surrounding secretion. The clinical manifestations were cutaneous fistula in 21 patients (70%), external bleeding in 14 (47%), exposition of the prosthesis in five (17%), anastomotic aneurysm in five (17%), and enteric fistula in four (13%). The infection became evident during the first postoperative year in half of the patients. The most important agents of infection were staphyilococci and Gram negative bacteria.

[Abdominal aortic mycotic aneurysm due to Salmonella: case report and review of literature]. / Aneurisma micótico da aorta abdominal provocado por salmonela: descrição de caso e revisão de literatura.

A 59 year old female patient was admitted to the hospital complaining of lower back pain and fever for four months, with worsening of symptoms during the last two weeks. A painful pulsatile abdominal mass was the only positive sign at her physical examination. Her CT-Scan showed a periaortic hematoma and a rupture of the aortic wall while the Aortography disclosed a false aneurysm below the renal arteries. All blood cultures were negative. The patient was operated on and had her aneurysm resected and her aorta reconstructed with an in situ bifurcated aorto-femoral Dacron graft. The bacteriological examination of the aortic wall revealed a Salmonella type B, which confirmed the clinical hypothesis of abdominal aortic mycotic aneurysm. It was not possible to maintain a prolonged antibiotic therapy and the patient had to be submitted to a second operation three months later because of an infected graft; when the aorto-femoral graft was removed and an axillobifemoral bypass prosthesis was done. After a three years follow-up period the patient is doing well and has no signs of recurrences. We conclude, based on the literature review and our personal experience, that: 1) the symptomatologic triad presented by the patient is highly suggestive of those diagnosis; 2) blood cultures may not be positive; 3) the CT-Scan and aortography are the best examinations for the diagnosis of abdominal aortic mycotic aneurysm; 4) either the in situ or the extra-anatomical arterial reconstruction may be employed with good results. Higher infection rates are reported with the in situ grafts; 5) life-long antibiotic therapy is recommended whatever reconstruction procedure is selected.

[Diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis of the lower limbs by computed tomography]. / Diagnóstico de trombose venosa profunda de membros inferiores por tomografia computadorizada.

In the CT scan of a patient with knee tumor and deep vein thrombosis confirmed by phlebography, the casual observation of a thrombus image in the vein was made, characterized by wall contrastation in opposition to a lack of luminar contrastation. Then, CT scans of the lower limbs and the pelvic region were performed in 14 patients with suspected DVT, who were followed consecutively. Diagnosis of ruptured Baker cyst was made in one patient and DVT in 13 patients. DVT was demonstrated in both lower limbs of three patients. Diagnosis of DVT was confirmed in six of seven exams involving the legs. CT scan could detect thrombi in muscular veins and in deep femoral and internal iliac veins. In six patients with suspected pulmonary embolism, CT scan was also made of the thoracic region and showed pleuropulmonary involvement concomitant with lower limb DVT. The characteristic image of DVT in CT is that of a contrasted ring. Its brightness may be due to contrastation of the venous wall through its vasa vasorum, whereas the thrombus obstructs the luminar flow of the contrast medium. Reproducibility of the characteristic image of thrombus presence in the vein at different levels of the lower limbs and pelvic region gives CT the status of alternative diagnosis means for DVT. False negatives and false positives should be evaluated.

[Arterial reconstruction of the iliofemoral segment by eversion endarterectomy]. / Reconstrução arterial do segmento iliacofemoral através de endarterectomia de eversão.

From October 1985 to December 1988, 31 iliofemoral eversion endarterectomies were performed in 29 patients with arteriosclerosis. The surgical procedure was carried out for trophic lesions in 74% of the patients and for ischemic rest pain in the remaining 26%. In 11 operations the endarterectomy was associated with profundoplasty, and in eight with saphenous vein femoropopliteal bypass. There were six immediate failures, four of them submitted to successful reoperations, and two to above knee amputations. In cases with good immediate patency no complications occurred during the follow-up periods which ranged from one to 34 months. With one post-operative death the mortality rate was 3.2%. Two patients displayed later severe ischemic manifestations in the opposite limbs and were both submitted to the same type of operation with good result. It may be concluded that iliofemoral eversion endarterectomy is an appropriate alternative procedure to the aortoiliofemoral reconstruction surgery in patients with severe ischemia of the lower limbs.