Matched-pair analysis of conventional versus endoluminal AAA treatment outcomes during the initial phase of an aortic endografting program.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether endovascular stent-grafts implanted during the early phase of an aortic endografting program have advantages over conventional surgical procedures for treatment of infrarenal aortic aneurysm (AAA). METHODS: In the first months of an endografting program, 37 patients (36 men; mean age 67.9 +/- 7.1 years, range 55 to 86) underwent AAA repair with endovascular implantation of a Vanguard (n = 17) or Talent (n = 20) bifurcated stent-graft. Data collected during the perioperative period and in follow-up were compared retrospectively to a matched group of 37 elective surgical patients. RESULTS: All endograft implantations were completed. Two type I and 6 type II endoleaks (21.6%) were seen postoperatively. Five type II sealed without intervention; 1 type I endoleak was corrected with an additional stent, but 1 type I and 1 type II endoleaks persisted despite attempts with coil embolization. Two (5.4%) endograft patients died during the perioperative period; however, this was not significantly different (p = 0.15) from the control group. In the mean follow-up of 12 +/- 6 months for both groups, 1 (2.7%) late conversion was necessary at 2 years for aneurysm expansion in an endograft patient with an unsealed type I endoleak. CONCLUSIONS: In our learning curve experience with aortic endografting, postoperative morbidity and mortality were higher in endograft patients compared to conventionally treated controls. Only in the endograft group was reoperation required during follow-up. Careful monitoring with periodic imaging studies is mandatory after endoluminal AAA treatment.

Simultaneous treatment of thoracic and infrarenal aortic aneurysm using a combination of conventional surgery and endoluminal stent grafting.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with multiple aortic aneurysms represent a small subgroup with the need for extensive surgical treatment at considerable risk. Endovascular treatment in combination with conventional operation is possible. We demonstrate a case with simultaneous exclusion of aneurysms of the descending thoracic and the infrarenal aorta to outline the technical obligations. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous exclusion of a thoracic and an abdominal aneurysm can be performed successfully by conventional infrarenal aortic replacement with bifurcated dacron prosthesis and endovascular implantation of a thoracic stent-graft within one operation.

Arterial hypertension in adults after surgical treatment of aortic coarctation.

Despite primarily successful surgical repair of aortic coarctation (CoA), postoperative persistent, recurring, or newly developing hypertension is regarded as a risk factor of earlier mortality compared with a normal population. The present study shows that even after surgical correction of CoA many patients have hypertension at rest or during exercise. Out of 44 patients, 72% had a pathological profile at rest, 20% during exercise, and 53% during ambulatory blood pressure measurement. Regular checks on blood pressure are therefore necessary, including measurements at rest, during exercise, and under ambulatory conditions. Since these processes yield very different answers they should be combined and evaluated critically for a proper assessment of the blood pressure situation and effective treatment. Ambulatory blood pressure measurement allows the recognition of round-the-clock behavior of blood pressure and of patients with 'occult' or 'white-coat' hypertension, and furthermore it helps to control the effectiveness of the treatment. It thus makes an essential contribution to the postoperative care of patients after surgical treatment of CoA.

[Value of the proliferation status (PCNA) and p53 immunohistochemistry as a prognostic factor for the clinical course of superficial cancer of the urinary bladder]. / Wertigkeit von Proliferationsstatus (PCNA) und p53- Immunhistochemie als Prognosefaktor für den klinischen Verlauf superfizieller Harnblasenkarzinome.

Although patients with superficial bladder cancer (Ta, T1) have a generally good prognosis, those of them who have tumours invading muscle or metastatic disease will have a poor clinical prognosis. In the current study, 41 patients undergoing complete transurethral resection for superficial transitional cell cancer of the bladder were investigated for different clinical and biological characteristics as possible prognostic factors: age, sex, previous instillation therapy, immunohistochemical determination of mutational inactivation of p53 tumour suppressor gene (monoclonal antibody pAb 1801) and proliferation rate determined immunohistochemically by staining for PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen; monoclonal antibody PC 10). After a median follow-up of 54 months 7 of 8 patients (87.5%) with more than 20% of cells positive for p53 had disease recurrence, as against only 1 of 33 patients (3%) negative for p53 detection (P < 0.01; Chi-square test). During univariate analysis histological grade (G1 vs G2; P = 0.007), positivity for PCNA (> 60% of cells; P = 0.003) and positivity for p53 (P = 0.001) were significant prognostic factors for disease progression (log rank test), while during multivariate analysis only positivity for p53 was a significant predictor for relapse of bladder cancer (P = 0.0035; multivariate Cox regression analysis).

[Diagnostic imaging in follow-up of surgically treated stenosis of the aortic isthmus in adolescents and adults]. / Bildgebende Verfahren in der Verlaufskontrolle operierter Aortenisthmusstenosen bei Adoleszenten und Erwachsenen.

Local abnormalities of the ascending aorta, especially at the site of correction are well known complications after surgical correction of aortic coarctation. Regular follow-up is therefore necessary. Besides chest X-ray, transesophageal-echocardiography and substraction angiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computertomography (CT) provide a complete and noninvasive examination of the great vessels. MRI and CT are ideally suited for this purpose.

[Evaluation of the aorta and supra-aortic vessels with spiral CT and 3-dimensional vascular reconstruction after operation of aortic isthmus stenosis]. / Beurteilung von Aorta und supraaortalen Gefässen mittels Spiral-CT und dreidimensionaler Gefässrekonstruktion nach Operation einer Aortenisthmusstenose.

Aneurysm formation, restenosis, and hypertension are well known complications after surgery for coarctation of the aorta (CoA). In order to assess long-term results, 46 patients were studied by spiral computed tomography and three-dimensional reconstruction after an interval ranging from 1 to 21 years (median 10 years) after surgery for coarctation. Spiral computed tomography showed pathological changes of the aorta in the majority of patients. Typical findings were ectasy or aneurysm formation of the ascending aorta, hypoplastic aortic arch, ectasy or aneurysm formation of the supraaortic vessels, circumscript aneurysm of the descending aorta at the side of surgery, restenosis of the descending aorta and malformations and anomalies of arterial vessels. In order to initiate adequate treatment of such specific complications as restenosis, aneurysm and/or arterial hypertension, regular controls are necessary in patients after surgery for aortic coarctation. In addition to clinical examination and besides magnetic resonance imaging and angiography, spiral computed tomography is an effective non-invasive imaging method for follow-up.