The Human Acellular Vessel (HAV) as a vascular conduit for infrainguinal arterial bypass.

Autologous vein is the optimal conduit for peripheral arterial bypass surgery, a standard recently highlighted by findings from the BEST-CLI trial. The Human Acellular Vessel is a novel biologic conduit produced using regenerative medicine technologies with structural and mechanical properties like a human blood vessel. Not yet approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, the Human Acellular Vessel is being studied as an alternative bypass conduit in patients with peripheral arterial disease, vascular injury, and those in need of arteriovenous access for hemodialysis. This report describes and illustrates the technical aspects of intraoperative handling specific to the use of this new and innovative technology.

Asymptomatic myocardial injury identified on postoperative troponin testing after open or endovascular surgical procedures is a predictor of mortality.

OBJECTIVE: Elevated troponin (TnT) levels after open or endovascular surgical procedures have been previously shown to correlate with significantly higher postoperative and short-term mortality. The incidence of asymptomatic myocardial injury after vascular surgical procedures has also been shown to be high. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the utility of routine postoperative TnT screening and long-term outcomes for patients with postoperative TnT elevation. METHODS: Data from consecutive patients who had undergone open or endovascular surgery on an emergent or elective basis with routine postoperative TnT testing from January 2010 to December 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Elevated postoperative TnT was considered >0.01 ng/mL. Patients with no documented postoperative TnT levels, those who had denied research authorization, and those with elevated TnT levels secondary to renal insufficiency alone were excluded. Patients were also excluded if they had required a dialysis access procedure, varicose vein procedure, or any procedure performed on an outpatient basis, because these were considered nonmajor surgeries. The end points were all-cause mortality at 30 days and 1, 2, 4, and 8 years postoperatively. Mortality data were retrieved from the electronic medical records and the Social Security Death Index and Accurint Death database. RESULTS: During the 3-year study period, 1632 patients with postoperative TnT levels available had met the inclusion criteria (70% men; 30% women; mean age, 69.7 years). Postoperatively, 410 patients (25.1%) had had elevated TnT levels (TnT+) and 1222 (74.9%) had had nonelevated TnT levels (TnT-). Of the 410 TnT+ patients, 261 had undergone open, 143 had undergone endovascular, and 6 had undergone hybrid procedures. These included 180 aortic, 128 infrainguinal, 22 cerebrovascular, and 80 upper extremity or miscellaneous procedures. Of the 410 TnT+ patients, 168 had experienced asymptomatic myocardial injury. The 30-day mortality was significantly higher for the TnT+ patients than for the TnT- patients (3.9% vs 0.8%; P < .001). The cumulative probability of death for the TnT+ patients remained significantly higher than that for the TnT- patients at 1 (13% vs 3.2%), 2 (17.8% vs 4.8%), 4 (43% vs 18.5%), and 8 (81.4% vs 48.6%) years (P < .0001). The difference held true even for the 168 asymptomatic TnT+ patients compared with the TnT- patients at 30 days (2.4% vs 0.8%) and 1 (7.6% vs 3.2%), 2 (13.3% vs 4.8%), 4 (43.6 vs 18.5%) and 8 (80.8 vs 48.6%) years (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, patients with elevated TnT levels after vascular surgery had had significantly higher early and late all-cause mortality compared with those with normal postoperative TnT levels. This was true even for patients with asymptomatic TnT elevation, suggesting a role might exist for routine postoperative TnT screening to allow for long-term risk stratification and targeted medical management.

Comparison between partial and full coverage repair in massive rotator cuff tears. A minimum five year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Massive rotator cuff surgical management can be challenging. Controversy exists in the literature regarding the potential benefit of full head coverage for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. The purpose of this study was to compare re-tear rate and clinical outcome of arthroscopic repair of massive rotator cuff tears in relation to the achievement of full humeral head footprint coverage or not. Hypothesis We hypothesized that there will be no difference in re-tear rate and clinical outcomes between full and partial coverage rotator cuff repairs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all adult patients with a massive rotator cuff tear who underwent arthroscopic repair with a minimum five years follow-up was performed. Outcomes analyzed included re-tear rate, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Shoulder Score, and the Penn Shoulder Score. Correlation and subgroup analyses were performed in order to evaluate whether age, symptom duration, tear size, coverage percentage, and fatty infiltration had any effect in outcome. RESULTS: The average ASES score was 76.3±25.2, and average Penn Shoulder Score was 75.8±23.1 at 7.9 years mean follow-up in 27 patients analyzed. Re-tear rate was similar between full and partial footprint coverage repair with 2 versus 4 failures, respectively (p=0.64). ASES and Penn Shoulder scores were 84.2 and 83.7 for full rotator cuff repair versus 70.6 and 71.1, for partial coverage repair (p=0.20 and p=0.22, respectively). The percentage of head coverage and the tear size were both found to be significantly correlated with outcome, with coefficient of determination R2 of 0.40 and 0.217, respectively, while a global fatty degeneration index GFDI <1.5 was associated with improved functional outcome. DISCUSSION: No difference in failure rate and functional outcome was detected between full and partial coverage rotator cuff repair. The size of the tear and fatty infiltration were inversely correlated with functional score while the percentage of coverage achieved was positively correlated with favorable outcome. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III; retrospective comparative study.

Pulmonary Metastasectomy for Germ Cell Tumors.

Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are the most common malignancy among young men in the United States. Although prognosis is favorable and response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimens is good, 10%-20% of patients with thoracic metastases require surgical management following completion of chemotherapy. Pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) has been employed for GCT patients with lung metastases for several decades. Outcomes have been excellent thus far. However, there have been no randomized controlled trials of PM in GCT and, as new surgical techniques are developed, there is variability in management. This article reviews the existing data on current management of pulmonary metastases in GCT, with attention paid to timing of surgery, surgical approaches, and complications.