Treatment of mycotic aortic aneurysms with endoluminal grafts.

PURPOSE: To report the benefit of endoluminal repair of mycotic aortic aneurysms and highlight the need for a registry. METHODS: Nine patients (five female) were identified over 5 years (1998-2003) as having presumed mycotic aortic aneurysms (12 in total) suitable for endoluminal grafting. A total of nine thoracic and three abdominal were grafted and followed up for a median of 36 months. RESULTS: Six of the aneurysms have resolved and one was converted to an open repair. There was one early death from rupture of a second undiagnosed aneurysm and two late deaths from rupture due to persistent inflammation. Long-term antibiotics have not been mandatory to ensure survival. CONCLUSIONS: Mycotic aortic aneurysms of the thoracic and abdominal aorta do benefit from endoluminal repair, particularly when arising in previously normal aortic tissue. Endoluminal grafting also has a role in the palliation of secondarily infected aortas and so to prove its efficacy in the treatment of all these rare cases a registry is required.

Mid-term results for second-generation thoracic stent grafts.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic stent grafts offer an alternative to open surgery for thoracic aortic disease, but their long-term durability is unknown. This report includes mid-term follow-up for commercially available thoracic devices. METHODS: Data were collected prospectively for a series of endoluminal grafts used to treat thoracic aortic pathology. RESULTS: Between July 1997 and October 2002, 67 patients received thoracic stent grafts. Elective procedures incurred a 30-day mortality rate of 2 per cent (one of 42 patients) and urgent repair 16 per cent (four of 25). Paraplegia affected three (4 per cent) of 67 patients and three patients had a stroke. The median follow-up was 17 (range 2-64) months; four patients were lost. There were six late deaths, two from aneurysm rupture (rupture of a mycotic aneurysm at 5 months and stent migration at 28 months). Other device-related complications comprised three proximal endoleaks, one of which required open surgical correction with removal of the stent graft, and two distal endoleaks, which were successfully treated with distal extension cuffs. CONCLUSION: In the mid term, endoluminal repair of thoracic aortic pathology appears to be a safe alternative to open surgery, but continued surveillance is essential.

Results of urgent and emergency thoracic procedures treated by endoluminal repair.

INTRODUCTION: emergency surgery on the thoracic aorta is associated with a high mortality. Endovascular treatment for these patients may offer a realistic alternative to open surgery. METHOD: between 1997 and 2002 data was collected prospectively on all patients who underwent urgent or emergency endoluminal repair for thoracic aortic pathology. All patients had ruptured or were at risk of rupture, and had been assessed as high risk for open surgery. RESULTS: twenty-four patients required urgent/emergency stent grafts. The median age was 74 (range 17-90). Indications included: trauma (transection in 3 and traumatic dissection in 1), acute symptomatic type B dissection (4), symptomatic degenerative aneurysms (7), false aneurysms associated with infection (6), Takayasu's vasculitis causing rupture of the descending thoracic aorta (1), symptomatic aneurysm associated with chronic dissection (1) and a secondary aorto-oesophageal fistula (1). The 30-day survival was 83.3% (20/24) and the survival at 1 year was 70.8% (17/24). The median follow-up was 13.5 months (range 2-57). The complications included: transient paraplegia (1), non-disabling stroke (1), distal endoleak treated with an extension cuff (1) and a proximal endoleak (1) which required removal of the graft at open surgery. CONCLUSION: endoluminal repair of thoracic aortic disease requiring urgent/emergency treatment has encouraging results with low morbidity and mortality rates compared with open surgery. Long-term follow-up is required to assess the durability of the grafts.

Correlation of intra-operative duplex findings during carotid endarterectomy with neurological events and recurrent stenosis at one year.

OBJECTIVES: Carotid endarterectomy has been used to treat both asymptomatic and symptomatic disease and this has meant that recurrent stenosis and its effect on late stroke risk have become increasingly important. In this study we compared anatomical defects and residual stenosis identified intra-operatively with recurrent stenosis and new symptoms developing in the first year after surgery. DESIGN, MATERIALS & METHODS: Two hundred and forty-four consecutive patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy were studied prospectively. Residual anatomical defects were noted; residual stenosis was defined by intra-operative duplex ultrasound as >50%. New stenoses and clinical events during the one-year surveillance period were documented. RESULTS: There was an increased incidence of recurrent stenosis at one year in vessels with residual stenoses (p<0.001) and in vessels containing a residual anatomical defect (p=0.037). There was no significant difference in recurrent stenosis rate with respect to closure (primary or patch) or seniority of surgeon but recurrent stenosis was increased in females (p=0.026). The majority (70%) of restenotic lesions were localised to the origin of the internal carotid artery. The late stroke rate was 0.9% and was not related to recurrent stenosis or symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Residual stenosis and intra-luminal defects at completion increase the recurrent stenosis rate at one year. The aetiology of recurrent stenosis is multi-factorial and further studies are required to determine whether it is justified to modify the criteria for re-exploration with a view to reducing recurrent stenosis.

Mildly anaemic toddlers respond to iron.

Thirty eight children with a haemoglobin concentration of 106-110 g/l were given either oral iron (n = 17) or placebo (n = 21) for two months. The treated group achieved a significantly higher rise in haemoglobin concentration; in a quarter it was greater than 20 g/l. While those with the lower mean corpuscular volume and ferritin showed greater rises in haemoglobin these indices were of little value in predicting response in an individual child.

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in milk.

Three separate outbreaks of gentamicin and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a special care baby unit are described. The outbreaks ceased only after a milk bank worker was identified as a carrier of the strain. It is postulated that the infant milk feeds served as a vehicle of spread.

Treatment with iron increases weight gain and psychomotor development.

Previous work at this hospital and elsewhere has shown that anaemia in toddlers is common and is associated with psychomotor delay. It seemed unclear, however, whether this association was cause and effect or merely due to the same underprivileged environment. A double blind randomised intervention study was, therefore, performed. After an initial assessment 97 children with anaemia (haemoglobin 8-11 g/dl) aged 17-19 months received either iron and vitamin C or vitamin C only (control group) for two months and were then reassessed. The children who received the iron had an increased rate of weight gain and more of them achieved the expected rate of development. While iron deficiency anaemia is unlikely to be the only factor in the slower development of children living in underprivileged circumstances, it can at least be easily identified and treated. Routine child health surveillance in such areas should include a haemoglobin determination.