CEA versus CAS: short-term and mid-term results.

AIM: Ischemic stroke represents a major health problem and it is an important cause of long-term disability. The aim of this study was to compare short-term and mid-term results of carotid endarterectomy and stenting. METHODS: During a three-year period, we enrolled 300 patients with carotid stenosis that fit with Stroke Prevention and Educational Awareness Diffusion (SPREAD) guidelines and we performed 150 carotid endarterectomy operations (CEA) and 150 carotid artery stenting procedures (CAS) with distal protection devices. All patients underwent preoperative and postoperative: neurological examination, ultrasound imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive tests; moreover all patients were submitted to preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative Transcranial Doppler (TCD) monitoring, in order to detect microembolic signals (MES). RESULTS: Mortality was zero; two patients developed myocardial infarction in the CEA group during follow-up. The main post-operative results after endarterectomy versus CAS were respectively: neurological deficit: 1.3% vs. 3.3%, embolic lesions at postoperative MRI: 4% vs. 34% and worsening of cognitive tests: 4% vs. 25.3%. CONCLUSION: CEA seems to be the treatment of choice for carotid stenosis, due to its low rate of mortality and morbidity, especially in asymptomatic patients; CAS should be carried out only in particular subgroup of cases, such as: restenosis, previous neck surgery or radian therapy, anatomical high bifurcation or extended lesions. Ongoing multicenter randomized trials may give a definitive answer to this matter.

Tibioperoneal true aneurysm: case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: The true aneurysms of the infrapopliteal arteries are an unusual pathology with low incidence in the general population. They appear in the literature only as isolated case reports. True aneurysms of the infrapopliteal arteries represent a surgical problem, especially when a bifurcation is involved and when the distal vessels are affected by occlusive disease. CASE REPORT: A 67 year old man with an aneurysm which involved the tibioperoneal trunk and the origin of peroneal and posterior tibial arteries was surgical treated. At three months follow up, a duplex ultrasonography (DUS) control showed the bypass patency and the total exclusion of the aneurismal sac. DISCUSSION: Although the aneurysms of the infrapopliteal arteries are very uncommon and often asymptomatic, their associated vascular lesions and/or ischemic complications can lead to high risk of limb loss. When the aneurysm is large and/or symptomatic, the surgical treatment becomes mandatory. A conservative treatment and DUS follow up could be reserved to elderly patients and when the aneurysm is small and asymptomatic.

Transcarotideal access for endovascular repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysm with intentional coverage of celiac artery.

Endovascular treatment of thoracic and thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm with celiac artery ostium coverage, seems to be safe according to the literature. We present a case in which the endograft deployement was achieved through a right common carotid artery access because four years before the patient was submitted to an axillo-bifemoral bypass with aortic graft removal and aortic stump ligature for infection. After endovascular repair the patient suffered from spinal cord ischemia, acute pancreatitis and spleen infarction. Probably, the new pancreatic event has been triggered by temporary visceral ischemia, acting on a pancreas damaged by a previous acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis.

Classic and endovascular surgical management of isolated iliac artery aneurysms.

AIM: Isolated iliac artery aneurysm is a rare pathology that is often asymptomatic for long periods; this late diagnosis exposes patients to a high risk of death following aneurysm rupture. The aim of this study was to establish the most suitable diagnostic approach, the correct indications for treatment, and the most appropriate tactics and surgical technique. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients were observed over 13 years. Aneurysmal involvement was unilateral in 22 cases and bilateral in the remaining 6 patients. Preoperative diagnostic tests included eco-colour Doppler (ECD) and angio-CT in all cases, with angio-MR and angiography as more selective procedures. Seventeen patients underwent conventional open surgery with prosthetic replacement of the aneurysmatic tract, 7 patients were treated using endovascular exclusion, and lastly 4 were monitored over time. RESULTS: There was no perioperative mortality for either treatment. During the postoperative period following conventional open surgery, complications included one case of severe respiratory failure, one microembolism of the lower limb, and 2 periprosthetic hematoma. During the follow-up, we observed one pseudo-aneurysm, 3 cases of retrograde ejaculation and one patient with erectile dysfunction after traditional surgery; there was one minor endoleak after endovascular exclusion. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience suggests that ECD is a useful method for arriving at an early diagnosis, while angio-CT imaging is essential for a correct preoperative study. Aneurysms with a diameter equal or greater than 3 cm or that present annual increases in excess of 5 mm represent a correct indication for treatment. Conventional open surgery is the treatment of choice for young patients in good general conditions. Endovascular exclusion is indicated when the patient's clinical conditions contraindicate open surgery and the morphology of the aneurysmal arterial district allows the endoprosthesis to be safely implanted.