Surgical reconstruction of central venous obstruction in salvaging upper extremity dialysis accesses.

BACKGROUND: Central vein thrombosis or obstruction is a common complication associated with central venous catheters placed for intermittent hemodialysis. The reported outcomes of percutaneous catheter-based interventions reveal high rates of lesion recurrence with varying and frequently limited patency intervals. We present the case of open venous bypass in the treatment of catheter-associated chronic central vein occlusion. METHODS: We report a case of symptomatic arm swelling secondary to central vein stenosis and failed endovascular venous intervention treated by central vein bypass with prosthetic graft through median sternotomy. RESULTS: Patient had an open axillary to innominate venous bypass via median sternotomy incision, which resulted in resolution of patient's symptoms and uninterrupted patency of the pre-existing vascular access. CONCLUSIONS: Open venous bypass is a reliable alternative to endovascular intervention in the symptomatic patient with extensive central vein occlusion as a primary intervention or in whom prior endovascular therapy has failed.

Mechanochemical ablation for symptomatic great saphenous vein reflux: A two-year follow-up.

Background Several studies have shown comparable early efficacy of mechanochemical ablation to endothermal techniques. The goal of this report was to show if early efficacy is maintained at 24 months. Methods This was a two-year analysis on the efficacy of mechanochemical ablation in patients with symptomatic C2 or more advanced chronic venous disease. Patients with reflux in the great saphenous vein involving the sapheno-femoral junction and no previous venous interventions were included. Demographic information, clinical, and procedural data were collected. The occlusion rate of treated veins was assessed with duplex ultrasound. Patient clinical improvement was assessed by Clinical-Etiology-Anatomy-Pathophysiology (CEAP) class and venous clinical severity score. Results Of the initial 126 patients, there were 65 patients with 24 month follow-up. Of these 65 patients, 70% were female, with a mean age of 70 ± 14 years and an average body mass index (BMI) of BMI of 30.5 ± 6. The mean great saphenous vein diameter in the upper thigh was 7.6 mm and the mean treatment length was 39 cm. Adjunctive treatment of the varicosities was performed in 14% of patients during the procedure. Closure rates were 100% at one week, 98% at three months, 95% at 12 months, and 92% at 24 months. There was one patient with complete and four with partial recanalization ranging from 7 to 12 cm (mean length 9 cm). There was significant improvement in CEAP and venous clinical severity score (P < .001) for all time intervals. Conclusion Early high occlusion rate with mechanochemical ablation is associated with significant clinical improvement which is maintained at 24 months, making it a very good option for the treatment of great saphenous vein incompetence.