Endovascular Aneurysm Repair-First Strategy for Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Might Not Be Applicable to all Cases.

BACKGROUND: We evaluate the relationship between the hospital case volume (HCV) and mortality outcomes after open aortic repair (OAR) and endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) of intact (iEVAR) and ruptured (rEVAR) abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) using a contemporary administrative database. METHODS: The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Database for New York (2016) and New Jersey/Maryland/Florida (2016-2017) were queried using International Classification of Disease-10th edition to identify patients who had undergone OAR and EVAR. The hospitals were categorized into quartiles (Q) per overall (EVAR + OAR) volume, OAR-alone volume and EVAR-alone volume. Cox regression adjusted for confounding factors was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality. RESULTS: A total of 8,825 patients (mean age, 73.5 ± 9.5 years; 6,861 male [77.7%]) had undergone 1,355 OARs and 7,470 EVARs. Overall HCV had no impact on in-hospital mortality across quartiles after (iEVAR) (range, 0.7%-1.4%, P = 0.15), (rEVAR) (range, 20.5%-29.6%, P = 0.63) and open repair of intact AAA (iOAR) (range, 4.9%-8.8%, P = 0.63). However, the mortality rates after open repair of ruptured AAA (rOAR) in highest-volume (Q4) hospitals were significantly lower than those in the 3 lower quartile hospitals (23.1% vs. 44.7%, P < 0.001). When analyzed per OAR-alone volume, the same findings were observed (22.0% for Q4 vs. 41.6% for Q1-3, P < 0.001). Furthermore, in Q4 hospitals per the OAR-alone volume analysis, the mortality hazard was greater for rEVAR (39.0%) than for rOAR (22.0%) (HR = 2.3, 95% confidence interval, 1.02-5.34, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The mortality rates for iEVAR, rEVAR and iOAR were independent of HCV. However, after rOAR, mortality rates in high OAR volume hospitals were lower than those in the lower quartile hospitals, and, at least comparable to those of rEVAR. EVAR-first strategy for ruptured AAA might not be applicable to all cases. Patent-specific, individualized treatment should be the gold standard. For patients requiring rOAR, transfer to a regional center of excellence, when clinical safe, should be encouraged.

Impact of Care Fragmentation after Major Lower Extremity Amputation.

BACKGROUND: Care fragmentation (CF) is a known risk factor for unplanned readmission, morbidity, and mortality after surgery. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of CF on outcomes of major lower extremity amputation for peripheral vascular disease. METHODS: Health-care Cost and Utilization Project Database for NY (2016) and MD/FL (2016-2017) were queried using International Classification of Diseases 10thedition to identify patients who underwent above the knee-, through the knee-, and below the knee-amputation for peripheral vascular disease. Patients with CF were identified as those with admissions to ≥2 hospitals during the study period. We compared the postamputation outcomes of mortality, readmission rate, length of stay (LOS) and hospital charges. RESULTS: We identified a total of 13,749 encounters of 2,742 patients who underwent major lower extremity amputations. There were 1,624 (59.2%) patients with CF. Patients with CF were younger (68.4 years old vs. 69.7 years old, P = 0.005), with higher Charlson Comorbidity Indices (4.4 vs. 4.1, P < 0.001), and required more hospital resources on index admission ($113,699 vs. $91,854, P < 0.001). These patients were prevalent for higher 30-, and 90-day readmission rates (34.7% vs. 24.5%, P < 0.001 and 54.7% vs. 42.0%, P < 0.001, respectively). On their first postamputation readmission, LOS (16.3 days vs. 14.7 days, P = 0.004) and hospital charge ($48,964 vs. $44,388, P = 0.002) were significantly higher. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that the CF was an independent predictor for 30-day (hazard ratio (HR) 1.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39-1.96, P < 0.001) and 90-day (HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.42-1.95, P < 0.001) readmission after the major lower extremity amputation, but not for mortality (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.56-1.23, P = 0.36). CONCLUSIONS: CF after major lower extremity amputation is associated with higher readmission rate, LOS, and hospital charge. Collaboration of care providers to maintain continuity of care for peripheral vascular disease patients may enhance quality of care and reduce health care cost.

ICoRD: iterative correlation-based ROI detection method for the extraction of neural signals in calcium imaging.

Objective. In vivocalcium imaging is a standard neuroimaging technique that allows selective observation of target neuronal activities. In calcium imaging, neuron activation signals provide key information for the investigation of neural circuits. For efficient extraction of the calcium signals of neurons, selective detection of the region of interest (ROI) pixels corresponding to the active subcellular region of the target neuron is essential. However, current ROI detection methods for calcium imaging data exhibit a relatively low signal extraction performance from neurons with a low signal-to-noise power ratio (SNR). This is problematic because a low SNR is unavoidable in many biological experiments.Approach.Therefore, we propose an iterative correlation-based ROI detection (ICoRD) method that robustly extracts the calcium signal of the target neuron from a calcium imaging series with severe noise.Main results.ICoRD extracts calcium signals closer to the ground-truth calcium signal than the conventional method from simulated calcium imaging data in all low SNR ranges. Additionally, this study confirmed that ICoRD robustly extracts activation signals against noise, even withinin vivoenvironments.Significance.ICoRD showed reliable detection from neurons with a low SNR and sparse activation, which were not detected by conventional methods. ICoRD will facilitate our understanding of neural circuit activity by providing significantly improved ROI detection in noisy images.

Impact of interfacility transfer of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm patients.

OBJECTIVE: The interfacility transfer (IT) of patients with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) occurs not infrequently to allow for a higher level of care. In the present study, we evaluated, using a contemporary administrative database, the effects of IT on mortality after rAAA repair. METHODS: The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Database for New York (2016) and New Jersey, Maryland, and Florida (2016-2017) was queried using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition, to identify patients who had undergone open or endovascular repair of AAAs. The hospitals were categorized into quartiles (Qs) per overall volume. The mortality rates for IT vs nontransferred (NT) rAAA patients stratified by treatment modality (open aneurysm repair of an rAAA [rOAR] vs endovascular aneurysm repair of an rAAA [rEVAR]) were compared. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality. RESULTS: A total of 1476 patients had presented with a rAAA, of whom 673 (45.7%) were not treated. Of the remaining 803 patients, 226 (28.1%) were transferred, of whom 50 (22.1%) had died without repair after IT. The remaining 753 patients (IT, n = 176; NT, n = 576) had undergone rEVAR (n = 492) or rOAR (n = 261). The baseline characteristics were similar between the IT and NT patients, except for a greater proportion of black patients (P = .03), lower income families (P = .049), and rOAR (45.5% vs 31.4%; P = .001) for the IT patients. The overall mortality rates were similar between the NT (30.2%) and IT (27.3%) groups (P = .46). The subgroup analysis revealed that the operative mortality rates after rEVAR were similar between the NT and IT patients, without significant differences among the hospital quartiles. After rOAR, however, the operative mortality rates were lower for the IT patients, largely owing to improved outcomes in the Q4 hospitals (Q4 vs Q1-Q3, P = .001). Cox regression analysis demonstrated that age (HR, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.06; P = .02) and treatment at a low-volume hospital (Q1-Q3; HR, 1.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-3.51; P = .04) were predictors of mortality. The total charges were similar (IT, $286,727; vs NT, $265,717; P = .38). CONCLUSIONS: The results from the present study have shown that <30% of rAAA patients deemed a candidate for repair will be transferred. We found that IT did not affect the mortality rates after rEVAR, irrespective of the hospital volume. For rOAR candidates, however, regionalization of care with prompt transfer to a high-volume center could improve the survival benefits without increased healthcare costs.

Refined prefrontal working memory network as a neuromarker for Alzheimer's disease.

Detecting Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an important step in preventing pathological brain damage. Working memory (WM)-related network modulation can be a pathological feature of AD, but is usually modulated by untargeted cognitive processes and individual variance, resulting in the concealment of this key information. Therefore, in this study, we comprehensively investigated a new neuromarker, named "refined network," in a prefrontal cortex (PFC) that revealed the pathological features of AD. A refined network was acquired by removing unnecessary variance from the WM-related network. By using a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) device, we evaluated the reliability of the refined network, which was identified from the three groups classified by AD progression: healthy people (N=31), mild cognitive impairment (N=11), and patients with AD (N=18). As a result, we identified edges with significant correlations between cognitive functions and groups in the dorsolateral PFC. Moreover, the refined network achieved a significantly correlating metric with neuropsychological test scores, and a remarkable three-class classification accuracy (95.0%). These results implicate the refined PFC WM-related network as a powerful neuromarker for AD screening.

Subthreshold electrical stimulation as a low power electrical treatment for stroke rehabilitation.

As a promising future treatment for stroke rehabilitation, researchers have developed direct brain stimulation to manipulate the neural excitability. However, there has been less interest in energy consumption and unexpected side effect caused by electrical stimulation to bring functional recovery for stroke rehabilitation. In this study, we propose an engineering approach with subthreshold electrical stimulation (STES) to bring functional recovery. Here, we show a low level of electrical stimulation boosted causal excitation in connected neurons and strengthened the synaptic weight in a simulation study. We found that STES with motor training enhanced functional recovery after stroke in vivo. STES was shown to induce neural reconstruction, indicated by higher neurite expression in the stimulated regions and correlated changes in behavioral performance and neural spike firing pattern during the rehabilitation process. This will reduce the energy consumption of implantable devices and the side effects caused by stimulating unwanted brain regions.

Investigating factors affecting bus/minibus accident severity in a developing country for different subgroup datasets characterised by time, pavement, and light conditions.

Developing countries are primarily associated with poor roadway and lighting infrastructure challenges, which has a considerable effect on their traffic accident fatality rates. These rates are further increased as bus/minibus drivers indulge in risky driving, mainly during weekends when traffic and police surveillance is low to maximise profits. Although these factors have been mentioned in the literature as key indicators influencing accident severity of buses/minibuses, there is currently no study that explored the complex mechanisms underpinning the simultaneous effect of pavement and light conditions on the generation of accident severity outcomes while considering weekly temporal stability of the accident-risk factors. This study seeks to investigate the variations in the effect of contributing factors on the severity of bus/minibus accidents in Ghana across various combinations of pavement and light conditions and to identify the exact effects of weekdays and weekends on severity outcomes using a random parameter ordered logit model with heterogeneity in the means to account for unobserved heterogeneity in the police-reported data. Preliminary analysis demonstrated that accident-risk factors used in the models were temporally unstable, warranting the division of the data into both weekend and weekday time-periods. A wide variety of factors such as sideswipes, median presence, merging, and overtaking had significantly varying effects on bus/minibus accident severities under different combinations of pavement and light conditions for both weekdays and weekends. Insights drawn from this study, together with the policy recommendations provided, can be employed by engineers and policymakers to improve traffic safety in developing nations.

Tactile Avatar: Tactile Sensing System Mimicking Human Tactile Cognition.

As a surrogate for human tactile cognition, an artificial tactile perception and cognition system are proposed to produce smooth/soft and rough tactile sensations by its user's tactile feeling; and named this system as "tactile avatar". A piezoelectric tactile sensor is developed to record dynamically various physical information such as pressure, temperature, hardness, sliding velocity, and surface topography. For artificial tactile cognition, the tactile feeling of humans to various tactile materials ranging from smooth/soft to rough are assessed and found variation among participants. Because tactile responses vary among humans, a deep learning structure is designed to allow personalization through training based on individualized histograms of human tactile cognition and recording physical tactile information. The decision error in each avatar system is less than 2% when 42 materials are used to measure the tactile data with 100 trials for each material under 1.2N of contact force with 4cm s-1 of sliding velocity. As a tactile avatar, the machine categorizes newly experienced materials based on the tactile knowledge obtained from training data. The tactile sensation showed a high correlation with the specific user's tendency. This approach can be applied to electronic devices with tactile emotional exchange capabilities, as well as advanced digital experiences.

Thoracic outlet decompression for subclavian venous stenosis after ipsilateral hemodialysis access creation.

OBJECTIVE: Central venous stenosis is one of the most challenging complications in patients requiring hemodialysis. Venous thoracic outlet syndrome is an underappreciated cause of central venous stenosis in patients requiring dialysis that can result in failed percutaneous intervention and loss of a functioning dialysis access. Limited data exist about the safety and outcomes of first rib resection in patients requiring hemodialysis, and the results have been confounded by the various surgical approaches used. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the safety, operative outcomes, and patency of the existing dialysis access after transaxillary thoracic outlet decompression. METHODS: A retrospective medical record review was performed from January 2008 to December 2019 of patients who had undergone thoracic outlet decompression for subclavian vein stenosis with ipsilateral upper extremity hemodialysis access. The baseline characteristics and comorbidities were reviewed. The operative and postoperative course were evaluated. The survival and patency rates were analyzed using the life-table method and Kaplan-Meier curve. RESULTS: A total of 18 extremities in 18 patients were identified. Their mean age was 59 ± 11 years, and 89% were men. A total of 13 fistulas and 5 grafts were included. All patients had undergone repair via a transaxillary approach. First rib resection, anterior scalenectomy, and circumferential venolysis were performed in all 18 patients. The mean operative time was 99 ± 19 minutes, with an estimated blood loss of 78 ± 66 mL. The median length of stay was 2 days. No patient had died at 30 days. The survival rate at 1 year was 83%. The primary, primary-assisted, and secondary patency at 1 year were 42%, 69%, and 93%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracic outlet decompression via the transaxillary approach is a technically feasible and safe operation in patients with ipsilateral upper extremity hemodialysis access. Patients with threatened dialysis access due to subclavian vein stenosis should be carefully evaluated for possible extrinsic compression at the costoclavicular junction. These patients might benefit from transaxillary first rib resection, scalenectomy, and venolysis.

Timing of repair of blunt thoracic aortic injuries in the thoracic endovascular aortic repair era.

OBJECTIVE: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is the preferred operative treatment of blunt thoracic aortic injuries (BTAIs). Its use is associated with improved outcomes compared with open surgical repair and nonoperative management. However, the optimal time from injury to repair is unknown and remains a subject of debate across different societal practice guidelines. The purpose of this study was to evaluate national trends in the management of BTAI, with a specific focus on the impact of timing of repair on outcomes. METHODS: Using the National Trauma Data Bank, we identified adult patients with BTAI between 2012 and 2017. Patients with prehospital or emergency department cardiac arrest or incomplete data sets were excluded from analysis. Patients were classified according to timing of repair: group 1, <24 hours; and group 2, ≥24 hours. The primary outcome evaluated was in-hospital mortality; secondary outcomes included overall hospital and intensive care unit length of stay. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of mortality. RESULTS: The analysis was completed for 2821 patients who underwent TEVAR for BTAI with known operative times. The overall mortality in the patient cohort was 8.4% (238/2821); 75% of patients undergoing TEVAR were repaired within 24 hours. Mortality was more than twofold greater in group 1 compared with group 2 (9.8% [207/2118] vs 4.4% [31/703]; P = .001). This mortality benefit persisted across injury severity groups and was independent of the presence of serious extrathoracic injuries. Logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age ≥65 years, Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤8, systolic blood pressure ≤90 mm Hg at admission, and serious extrathoracic injuries, showed a higher adjusted mortality in group 1 (odds ratio, 2.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.66-3.91; P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients with BTAI undergo endovascular repair within 24 hours of injury. Patients undergoing delayed repair have improved survival compared with those repaired within the first 24 hours of injury in spite of similar injury patterns and severity. In patients with BTAIs without signs of imminent rupture, delaying endovascular repair beyond 24 hours after injury should be considered.

Prefrontal functional connectivity analysis of cognitive decline for early diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Cognitive decline (CD) is a major symptom of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Patients with MCI have an increased likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although a cure for AD is currently lacking, medication therapies and/or daily training in the early stage can alleviate disease progression and improve patients' quality of life. Accordingly, investigating CD-related biomarkers via brain imaging devices is crucial for early diagnosis. In particular, "portable" brain imaging devices enable frequent diagnostic checks as a routine clinical tool, and therefore increase the possibility of early AD diagnosis. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate functional connectivity (FC) in the prefrontal cortex measured by a portable functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) device during a working memory (WM) task known as the delayed matching to sample (DMTS) task. Differences in prefrontal FC between healthy control (HC) (n = 23) and CD groups (n = 23) were examined. Intra-group analysis (one-sample t-test) revealed significantly greater prefrontal FC, especially left- and inter-hemispheric FC, in the CD group than in the HC. These observations could be due to a compensatory mechanism of the prefrontal cortex caused by hippocampal degeneration. Inter-group analysis (unpaired two-sample t-test) revealed significant intergroup differences in left- and inter-hemispheric FC. These attributes may serve as a novel biomarker for early detection of MCI. In addition, our findings imply that portable fNIRS devices covering the prefrontal cortex may be useful for early diagnosis of MCI.

Impact of posthospital syndrome on outcomes of elective endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: Posthospital syndrome (PHS) is an acquired, transient period of health vulnerability after a hospital admission for acute illness. It is characterized by physiologic deconditioning secondary to stressors from disruption in circadian rhythm, depletion of nutritional and physiologic reserve as well as the pain and discomfort associated with hospitalization. PHS is reported as an independent risk factor for readmission and adverse postoperative outcomes. The aim of this study is to investigate whether preoperative hospitalization affects outcomes of elective endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (EVAR). METHODS: The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database for California (2009-2011) were queried using International Classification of Disease Codes, Ninth Edition, codes of 441.4 (abdominal aneurysm without mention of rupture), 397.1 (EVAR with graft), and 397.8 (EVAR with branching or fenestrated graft). PHS exposure is defined as any inpatient admission 30 or fewer days before elective EVAR. Primary outcomes are all-cause mortality and overall complications. Secondary outcomes include length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmission, and hospital charge. RESULTS: A total of 6155 patients were identified. of which 327 patients (5.6%) had more than one episode of hospital admission 30 days or less before elective EVAR. In-hospital mortality was comparable after PHS exposure (P = .09). However, PHS exposure was associated with increased 30-day readmission (9.5% vs 18.4%; P < .001), LOS (3.0 vs 4.5 days; P < .001), and overall complications (14.8% vs 24.5%; P < .001). Risk adjustment was made based on age, sex, race, baseline comorbidities, and reason for preoperative admission. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that PHS exposure was a predictor for longer LOS (odds ratio [OR], 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0-3.2; P < .001), higher incidence of 30-day readmission (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.4-2.6; P < .001), and overall complications (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3-2.2; P < .001). Additional cost associated with increased 30-day readmission attributable to PHS exposure was estimated at $448,302 per 100 cases. CONCLUSIONS: PHS is an independent risk-adjusted predictor for increased LOS, 30-day readmission, and overall complications after elective EVAR. Recent hospital admission should be assessed carefully before elective EVAR. Medical optimization with an attempt to delay elective surgery by up to 30 days may help to improve surgical outcomes and decrease unnecessary health care expenditures.

A Hybrid Internal Iliac Artery Reconstruction for Open Common Iliac Artery Aneurysm Repair.

Common iliac artery (CIA) aneurysms present across a spectrum of anatomic variants that can pose unique operative challenges. A wide variety of procedural approaches have been described in the literature with current therapeutic options including both open and endovascular repair. These techniques may involve either ligation or embolization of the internal iliac artery (IIA) with reliance on collateralized blood flow to the pelvis to mitigate postoperative complications. However, preservation of the IIA is often preferred. This case report describes a hybrid surgical approach for treating CIA aneurysms while preserving IIA perfusion. Our technique mitigates the risks of hypogastric artery dissection (including hypogastric vein injury) in the presence of a large CIA aneurysm.

Medical therapy does not confer stroke prevention for all patients: identification of high-risk patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis is still needed.

BACKGROUND: Recent advances in best medical therapy (BMT) has been associated with reduced risk of stroke similar to that observed following surgical carotid revascularization (CR). Thus, it remains uncertain which subset(s) of patients would benefit from prophylactic CR+BMT for asymptomatic carotid stenosis (ACS) over BMT alone. The purpose of this study was to analyze the contemporary experience in the management of >70% ACS in an academic institution, to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of BMT alone against CR+BMT, and to identify risk factors for the development of future cerebrovascular events. METHODS: A retrospective review of all patients with severe ACS between January 2005 and December 2012 at Loyola University Medical Center and its affiliated Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital was conducted. Baseline patient characteristics, medications, and follow-up data were collected from electronic medical records, and treatment outcomes were compared. The random forest method was performed to select potential important variables for the development of late stroke. The recursive partitioning regression analysis (RPRA) was performed to identify the patient subgroup at increased risk of future stroke. RESULTS: Of 409 patients identified; 247 were treated with CR and 162 with BMT. Between these groups with CR+BMT and BMT alone, the mean age was 69.1±8.2 versus 75.5±9.0, respectively (P<0.01). Mean follow-up was 60.7±37.5 months. Early (30-day) outcomes of stroke, acute myocardial infarction or mortality did not differ between the treatment modalities (2.0% CR vs. 0.6% BMT, P=0.41). Probability of freedom from ipsilateral stroke, and any stroke at 1- and 5-year follow-up were also comparable between CR+BMT and BMT alone. However, random forest method and RPRA demonstrated that patients with history of diabetes and remote stroke treated with BMT alone were at a high risk for future stroke (36.4% in total, 7.2% per year). The diabetics with contralateral carotid stenosis >50% who are active smokers are at the highest risk for stroke after CR (20.0% in total, 4.0% per year). CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic CR+BMT does not provide overall late stroke prevention compared with BMT alone. Diabetics with a history of stroke, in particular, are at an increased risk of stroke despite BMT. Timely CR+BMT for high-risk patients is still indicated.

Open aortic surgery volume experience at a regionalized referral center and impact on Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education trainees.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to review our institute's open aortic surgery volume experience and its impact on Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education trainees. METHODS: A review was conducted of the vascular surgery department's operative database for all cases that underwent aortic aneurysm repair, whether open aortic repair (OAR), endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), or fenestrated EVAR (FEVAR). We also reviewed our graduating trainees' case logs. In the setting of our regionalized referral center, all patients who underwent open or endovascular aortic intervention between 2010 and 2014 at our main campus were included. The total number of aortic procedures performed by our graduation trainees was determined. All aortic aneurysm interventions, both open and endovascular (both EVAR and FEVAR), were included. The main outcome measures were the total number of aortic interventions, any change in trends of intervention, and the total number of open aortic cases that our graduation trainees had. RESULTS: During the 5-year period analyzed, a total of 1389 abdominal aortic aneurysm repair procedures were performed by OAR, EVAR, and FEVAR. Of those, 462 were OARs, representing 33.2% of the total; 440 were EVARs, representing 31.6%; and 487 were FEVARs, representing 35.2%. For all OAR procedures, there was a significant increase in the proportion of these cases over time (P = .014). The total number of EVAR and FEVAR cases performed annually during this time did not change, whereas the number of OAR cases has increased. Of the OARs, 59.3% were performed for juxtarenal aneurysms, whereas 22.9% involved type IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. On average, graduating vascular surgery trainees performed 23.1 OARs before graduation (range, 19-26). CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to the documented national trend of decreased OAR, our institute continues to see increased OAR relative to EVAR and FEVAR. Moreover, we theorized that the preservation of OAR volume in our program and other similar institutions might offer a practical solution to the challenge of addressing vascular surgery training in aortic surgery by OAR, EVAR, and FEVAR. Inclusive discussions at the national and international levels are needed to reach consensus regarding the future of vascular surgery training and key issues, such as additional, mandatory, subspecialized training in OAR and FEVAR for both residents and fellows who wish to receive certification in OAR; creation of centers of excellence for open aortic surgery that would centralize OAR and direct trainees to those centers for their needed training; and possibly development of new training strategies whereby single cases can be shared among trainees with alternating roles as exposure and closure vs repair.

Long-Term Hemodynamic Effects After Carotid Artery Revascularization.

OBJECTIVE: The baroreceptor at the carotid body plays an important role in hemodynamic autoregulation. Manipulation of the baroreceptor during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or radial force from carotid artery angioplasty and/or stenting (CAS) may cause both intraoperative and postoperative hemodynamic instability. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term effects of CEA and CAS on blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and subsequent changes on antihypertensive medications. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed to identify patients who underwent CEA or CAS between 2009 and 2015 at a single tertiary care institution. Baseline demographics and comorbidities were recorded. Operative details of the carotid artery endarterectomy and the use of balloon angioplasty during the CAS were analyzed. Hemodynamic parameters such as BP, HR, and antihypertensive medication requirement were evaluated at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. RESULTS: A total of 289 patients were identified. The average age was 70.6 years old, and males constituted 64.0%. All patients had moderate (>50%) to severe (>70%) carotid stenosis. Of those, 111 (40.5%) patients were symptomatic. Systolic BP (mm Hg) of CAS and CEA were similar over the entire follow-up period. Heart rate (beats/min) remained stable postoperatively. A reduced number of antihypertensive medications was observed in the CAS cohort during the first postoperative year when compared to the preoperative baseline: 2.03 at preop, 1.77 ( P < .01) at 3 months, 1.78 ( P = .02) at 6 months, 1.77 ( P = .02) at 12 months, 1.86 ( P = .09) at 24 months, and 2.03 ( P = =.50) at 36 months. Logistic regression analysis identified that CAS (odds ratio [OR]: 2.52, confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-5.83) and multiple (>2) antihypertensive medication use at baseline (OR: 5.89, CI: 2.62-13.26) were predictors for a reduction in the number of antihypertensive medications following carotid revascularization. CONCLUSION: Surgical intervention for carotid stenosis poses a risk of postoperative hemodynamic dysregulation. Although postoperative BP and HR remained relatively stable after both CAS and CEA, the number of postoperative antihypertensive medications was reduced in the CAS cohort for the first postoperative year when compared to baseline. Patients with multiple antihypertensive agents undergoing CAS should have close postoperative BP monitoring and should be monitored for a possible reduction in their antihypertensive medication regimen.

Contemporary Management of Acute Mesenteric Ischemia in the Endovascular Era.

OBJECTIVE:: Acute mesenteric ischemia is a rare disease entity associated with high morbidity and mortality. Disparate etiologies and nonspecific symptoms make the diagnosis challenging and often result in delayed diagnosis and intervention. Open laparotomy with mesenteric revascularization and resection of necrotic bowel has been considered the gold standard of care. With recent advances in percutaneous catheter-directed techniques, multiple retrospective studies have demonstrated the outcomes of endovascular therapy. Herein, we review the etiology, presentation, and diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia with contemporary outcomes associated with both open and endovascular treatments. METHODS:: The PubMed electronic database was queried in the English language using the search words mesenteric, acute ischemia, embolism, thromboembolism, thrombosis, revascularization, and endovascular in various combinations. Abstracts of the relevant titles were examined to confirm their relevance and the full articles then extracted. References from extracted articles were checked for any additional relevant articles. This systematic review encompassed literature for the past 5 years (between 2011 and 2016). RESULTS:: Early diagnosis and intervention improves acute mesenteric ischemia outcomes. Early restoration of mesenteric flow minimizes morbidity and mortality. In comparison to open laparotomy with mesenteric revascularization and resection of necrotic bowel, several retrospective studies using administrative data and single-center chart reviews demonstrate noninferior outcomes of an endovascular first approach in acute arterial mesenteric occlusion. CONCLUSIONS:: For acute mesenteric arterial occlusive disease, both endovascular and open revascularization techniques are viable options. Although there is lack of level 1 evidence, single-center retrospective studies and administrative database studies demonstrated that an endovascular first approach may have improved outcomes in the immediate postoperative period. However, selection and other bias in these studies necessitate the need for definitive randomized prospective studies between endovascular and open mesenteric intervention. In contrast, mesenteric venous thrombosis may be treated with systemic anticoagulation without surgical revascularization. Catheter-directed thrombectomy and thrombolysis can be considered at the discretion of the clinician.

Through-knee amputation is a feasible alternative to above-knee amputation.

OBJECTIVE: Through-knee amputation (TKA) is a rare amputation performed in <2% of all major lower extremity amputations in the United States. Despite biomechanical benefits and improved rehabilitation compared with above-knee amputation (AKA), TKA has largely been abandoned by vascular surgeons because of concerns for poor wound healing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate surgical outcomes of TKA. METHODS: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program between 2005 and 2012 was queried using Current Procedural Terminology codes indicating AKA and TKA. Baseline characteristics were reviewed, and logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of 30-day mortality. Propensity score matching was used to balance comorbidities between AKA and TKA. Operative variables and postoperative complications were compared between the groups. RESULTS: A total of 7469 AKA and 251 TKA patients were identified among 15,932 major lower extremity amputations. Baseline characteristics were examined. White race, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dyspnea, emergent operation, steroid use, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, high American Society of Anesthesiologists score, old age, preoperative sepsis or septic shock, and dialysis dependency were associated with increased 30-day mortality. Independent lifestyle and smoking (within 1 year) were protective against early death. Baseline comorbidities were not statistically significant after 1:1 propensity score matching. Operative outcomes were similar in both groups (AKA vs TKA). Wound infection (7.2% vs 11.2%; P = .16), dehiscence rate (1.2% vs 0.8%; P = 1.0), and 30-day mortality (9.6% vs 11.2%; P = .66) were comparable. Other outcome parameters, including cardiopulmonary and genitourinary complications, were similar except for a higher likelihood of return to the operating room in the TKA group (27.9% vs 12.4%; P < .01). Postoperative mortality was not associated with TKA (P = .77) or reoperation (P = .42), but it was associated with the patients' physiologic conditions (dyspnea, sepsis, emergent operation, high American Society of Anesthesiologists score, and dependent lifestyle). Predictors of reoperation were contaminated wound (hazard ratio [HR], 2.19; confidence interval [CI], 1.17-3.23; P = .015), sepsis or septic shock (HR, 2.63; CI, 1.37-5.05; P = .004), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR, 2.81; CI, 1.23-6.42; P = .014), and wound infection (HR, 4.91; CI, 2.06-11.70; P < .001). Presence of peripheral vascular disease was not associated with post-TKA reoperation (P = .073). CONCLUSIONS: TKA demonstrated similar postoperative morbidity and mortality compared with AKA. Wound infection and risk of dehiscence were equivalent. TKA did demonstrate a higher rate of reoperation; however, neither TKA nor reoperation predicted postoperative mortality. Patients in stable physiologic condition without active infection can safely undergo elective TKA to maximize rehabilitation potential.

Epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes of acute limb ischemia in the pediatric population.

OBJECTIVE: Acute limb ischemia (ALI) in a pediatric patient is a rare condition but may result in lifelong disability. A paucity of evidence exists to derive treatment guidelines; some surgeons advocate conservative management over invasive measures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of surgical revascularization in the pediatric population and outcomes of conservative vs surgical management. METHODS: The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database (California, Iowa, and New York) between 2007 and 2013 was queried using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. Patients were stratified into two cohorts: conservative management and surgical management. Each group was further subdivided into three age groups: infant (<24 months), child (<12 years), and adolescent (<18 years). Outcome variables included mortality, amputation status, length of hospital stay, and hospital charge. RESULTS: A total of 1576 pediatric patients with ALI were identified among 6,122,535 pediatric admissions (26 per 100,000 admissions). Average age was 9.9 ± 7.1 years. There were 263 patients who underwent surgical revascularization. The conservative management group was younger (5.8 ± 6.2 vs 9.2 ± 6.1 years; P < .01). Otherwise, baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. Overall, the amputation rate was low (<2%; n = 28), especially in the upper extremities (<0.2%). Outcomes of conservative management and surgical revascularization were similar for mortality (5.0% vs 3.4%; P = .34), amputation (1.9% vs 1.1%; P = .46), length of hospital stay (15.4 vs 12.9 days; P = .07), and hospital charge ($281,794 vs $288,507; P = .28). In subgroup analysis, infants had less concomitant orthopedic injury than other age groups. Children demonstrated a higher likelihood of associated upper extremity injury and operative revascularization (P < .01) than infants or adolescents. In infants, mortality was higher and surgical intervention was associated with longer hospital stay (29.5 ± 34.4 days vs 45.6 ± 31.6 days; P = .02) and larger health care expenditure ($467,885 ± $638,653 vs $1,099,343 ± $695,872; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric ALI is a rare entity and is associated with low amputation and mortality rates. Among the pediatric age cohorts, infants with ALI are at higher risk of in-hospital mortality than older age groups are. Surgical intervention is not associated with improved limb salvage or mortality. Nonoperative management may be considered an initial treatment modality, but further research is needed to elucidate which important subset of pediatric patients benefit from open or endovascular operative intervention.

Iliac Stent Migration during Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair Resulting in Functional Coarctation.

Iliac arterial disease, unfavorable anatomy, and prior stenting all pose challenges to access in endovascular abdominal aortic repair (EVAR) and thoracic aortic repair (TEVAR). Iliac access injury during T/EVAR may lead to rupture, dissection, thrombosis, or distal ischemia. Some have advocated iliac stent prior to T/EVAR in patients with suboptimal iliac access. The rate of complication and iliac stent migration during subsequent T/EVAR is undocumented. This case report describes a unique instance of self-expanding iliac stent migration during TEVAR which pinched the thoracic aortic endograft causing functional aortic coarctation.