Femoral vein translocation for complex hemodialysis access.

OBJECTIVE: Vascular access is difficult in patients without suitable arm veins and prior graft infections. The use of femoral vein translocation (FVT) to the upper extremity or contralateral lower extremity for hemodialysis access may be associated with low infection rates and high patency rates. FVT is used for patients without central venous occlusion who have failed prior access either owing to graft infection or repetitive graft thrombosis. The largest case series consists of 30 cases. The objective of this study is to determine the infection incidence, primary patency, primary-assisted patency, and secondary patency rates among FVTs. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients who underwent FVT by a single vascular practice over a 10-year period (2013-2023). Study variables included length to last follow-up (months), prior access, prior graft infection, comorbid conditions, primary patency, primary-assisted patency, secondary patency, postoperative steal syndrome, postoperative graft infection, postoperative harvest site complication, and postoperative lower extremity compartment syndrome. RESULTS: A total of 131 FVTs were performed from 2013 to 2023; 126 patients (47% male, 53% female; 76% Black, 24% White) with a mean age of 52 ± 14 years and a mean body mass index of 29 ± 8 had at least 1 month of follow-up and were included for analysis. The median follow-up was 46 months (interqurtile range, 19-72 months). The mean number of prior permanent accesses was 2.5 ± 1.4. Forty-eight percent of patients had prior graft infections. The primary, primary-assisted, and secondary patency rates were 66%, 93%, and 98%, respectively, at 6 months; 43%, 85%, and 96% at 12 months; 25%, 70%, and 92% at 24 months; 16%, 61%, and 88% at 36 months; and 14%, 56%, and 82% at 48 months. Postoperative steal syndrome and postoperative access infection requiring excision was observed 16% and 5% of patients, respectively. Harvest site complications requiring an additional procedure occurred in 19% of cases. Three patients developed lower extremity compartment syndrome postoperatively, requiring fasciotomy. Six patients developed chronic lower extremity edema after femoral vein harvest. The mean procedure time and hospital length of stay were 197 ± 40 minutes and 3.5 ± 2.8 days, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: FVT is associated with low infection rates and high long-term patency rates. Significant postoperative complications include steal syndrome and harvest site complications. FVT remains a viable option for patients who have failed prior access owing to graft infection or repetitive graft thrombosis.

Point-of-care ultrasound for identification of ruptured infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAA) are associated with high mortality rates and require prompt diagnosis with subsequent intervention. CT scan is considered the gold standard for diagnosis, however, in the acute setting ultrasound may be a reasonable diagnostic test for certain patients. We report a case that demonstrates the utility of point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) in diagnosing rAAA for a patient in extremis. Also, we provide a brief review of literature for the diagnosis of rAAA with ultrasound.

Predictors of Inappropriate Helicopter Transport.

BACKGROUND: Helicopter transport (HT) is an efficient, but costly, means for injured patients to receive life-saving, definitive trauma care. Identifying the characteristics of inappropriate HT presents an opportunity to improve the utilization of this finite medical resource. METHODS: Trauma registry records of all HT for a 3-year period (2016-2018) to an urban Level I trauma center were reviewed. HT was defined as inappropriate for patients who were discharged home from the emergency department or had a hospital length of stay <1 day, and who were discharged alive. Chi-square analysis and Student's t-test were used for univariate analysis. Predictors with a P value of less than .15 were subject to binary logistic regression analysis. A P value ≤.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: There were 713 patients who received HT during the study period. One-hundred and forty-eight (20.8%) patients met the criteria as an inappropriate HT. In univariate analysis, Glasgow Coma Scale >8, Shock Index <0.9, and fall mechanism were found to be significantly associated with inappropriate HT. Age >55 was found to be associated with an appropriate HT. The average Injury Severity Score of the inappropriate HT group was 3.86 (±3.85) compared with 16.80 (±11.23) (P = .0001, Student's t-test). DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that there are evidence-based predictors of patients receiving inappropriate HT. Triage of HT using these predictors has the potential to decrease unnecessary deployments and reduce health care costs.

The pathway to a national vascular skills examination and the role of simulation-based training in an increasingly complex specialty.

The evolving demands of surgical training have led to the successful implementation of skills examinations in the areas of laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery. Currently, there is no similar formal skills assessment in vascular surgery, despite endovascular intervention replacing open surgery in treatment of many vascular conditions. The adoption of less invasive techniques to treat aneurysm and occlusive disease has resulted in new training paradigms and technical challenges for trainees. The duty hour restriction for trainees and declining numbers of complex open vascular interventions have added to the challenges of vascular surgery training. Simulation is a promising avenue for both skills training and assessment. The ability to evaluate the fundamental skills of trainees would be an important step to ensure a degree of uniformity in trainees' technical abilities. The role of simulation-based training in acquiring, testing, and refining these skills is still in its infancy in the vascular surgery training paradigm. This article aims to impart a deeper understanding of the conditions for developing and implementing the fundamentals of vascular and endovascular surgery, and to provide guidance regarding the role of simulation-based training in a rapidly evolving specialty. There are various forms of simulation available, including benchtop models, high-fidelity simulators, and virtual-reality simulators, and each requires a different method of proficiency assessment. Both open surgery and endovascular skills can be assessed and the application of successful implementation in academic vascular surgery training program is presented.