Predictors of Intervention in Acute Type B Aortic Penetrating Ulcer and Intramural Hematoma.

We aimed to investigate predictors of intervention of acute type B aortic penetrating ulcer (PAU) and intramural hematoma (IMH). We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients admitted for acute type B PAU or IMH in a tertiary referral hospital. Indications to intervention were "complicated" (rupture, impending rupture, malperfusion) or "high risk for unfavorable outcome" (refractory hypertension and/or pain despite best medical treatment, morphologic aortic evolution, transition to a new aortic syndrome, or increase in IMH/PAU depth >5 mm) during the acute/subacute phase. The primary outcomes were overall mortality, aortic-related mortality, and freedom from intervention. Time-dependent outcomes were estimated with Kaplan-Meier curves. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify predictors of intervention and mortality. There were 54 acute aortic syndromes, 37 PAUs and 17 IMHs. Mean age was 69 ± 14 years and 33 patients (62.2%) were male. Six (11.5%) patients had complicated aortic syndromes and underwent urgent repair. Two (3.7%) additional patients developed an impending rupture during the acute phase. Eleven (21.1%) patients were classified as at "high risk" during the initial hospitalization. Overall, 22 (40.7%) patients required an aortic intervention during the initial admission (n = 16, 72.7% during the acute phase; n = 6, 27.3% during the subacute phase). In-hospital mortality was 5.5% (1 PAU and 2 IMH), and was aorta-related in all cases. For IMH, disease extension in >3 aortic zones (HR 1.94, 95%CI 1.17-32.6; p = 0.038) and presence of ulcer-like projections (ULPs) (HR 1.23, 95%CI 1.02-9.41; p = 0.042) were associated with the need for intervention. There were no aortic-related deaths or intervention during the chronic phase. PAU width >20 mm (HR 1.68, 95%CI 1.07-16.08; p = 0.014), PAU depth >15 mm (HR 6.74, 95%CI 1.31-34.18; p = 021), PAU depth/total aortic diameter >0.3 (HR 4.31, 95%CI 1.17-20.32; p = 0.043), and location at the level of the paravisceral aorta (HR 2.24, 95%CI 1.23-4.70; p = 0.035) were significantly associated with need for intervention. Six additional (16.2%) PAUs required intervention during the chronic phase owing to PAU growth. Maximum aortic diameter >35 mm was significantly associated with intervention (HR 1.45, 95%CI 1.00-2.32; p = 0.037). Acute symptomatic type B IMHs and PAUs are characterized by a high risk of complications during the first month from presentation. Morphologic features associated with intervention were IMH with ULPs or extension in more than 3 aortic zones, as well as PAUs with depth>15 mm, width >20 mm, or depth/aortic diameter ratio>0.3. A strict follow-up protocol or consideration for early intervention within 30 days from presentation should be taken into account for these high-risk patients. During the chronic phase imaging follow-up is particularly important for PAUs in order to identify progression to saccular aneurysms.

Propensity-Matched Comparison of Endovascular versus Open Reconstruction for TASC-II C/D AortoIliac Occlusive Disease. A Ten-Year Single-Center Experience with Self-Expanding Covered Stents.

BACKGROUND: To compare endovascular therapy (EVT) using kissing self-expanding covered stents, with open repair (OR) with aortobifemoral bypass (ABF), for reconstruction of the aortic bifurcation in Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus II (TASC-II) C/D aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD). METHODS: A single-center retrospective analysis of patients treated by EVT or ABF for TASC-II C/D AIOD (2009-2018) was carried out. The perioperative risk was quantified by the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores. Outcomes of interest were early (30 days) mortality and complication rates, length of hospitalization, and midterm patency that were compared between EVT and OR after propensity score matching. Follow-up results were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier curves. Cox proportional hazards were used to identify predictors of patency. RESULTS: Sixty-three EVT and 55 OR patients were treated; the EVT group had higher perioperative risk (ASA score, P = 0.012. SVS score, P = 0.012) and less advanced disease (TASC D lesions, 52.3% vs. 72.7%; P = 0.036. Iliac occlusion, 46.8% vs. 87.2%; P = 0.024). After propensity score matching, 148 limbs were selected (74 EVT and 74 OR), resulting in well-balanced groups regarding risk (ASA score, P = 0.514. SVS score, P = 0.373) and anatomical complexity (TASC D lesions, 60.4% vs. 63.0%; P = 0.516. Iliac occlusion, 47.3% vs. 59.5%; P = 0.187). Mortality was 0%. The EVT group showed significantly shorter hospital (4.5 ± 7.6 days vs. 9.9 ± 6.8 days; P < 0.001) and intensive care unit stay (0 ± 0.1 days vs. 1.7 ± 1.5 days; P = 0.046) and less surgical complications (4% vs. 14.8%; P = 0.046). Five-year primary patency was similar between EVT and OR (84.1% vs. 88.3%; P = 0.454); multivariate analysis showed that Rutherford category was the only predictor of primary patency (HR 4.1, P = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS: The endovascular kissing self-expanding covered stent technique for TASC-II C/D AIOD presented a primary patency equal to ABF at 5 years, with the advantage of less surgical complications and shorter hospitalization. Therefore, it may be considered as a valid option for complex atherosclerotic lesions involving the aortic bifurcation.

Open repair versus endovascular treatment of complex aortoiliac lesions in low risk patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to compare open surgical repair (OSR) versus endovascular repair (ER) using self-expanding covered stents for complex TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus II (TASC) class C or D aortoiliac lesions in low-risk patients, with a specific subanalysis for younger patients. METHODS: A single-center retrospective review of TASC C/D lesions treated from January 2008 to December 2017 was conducted. Patients with associated aortic aneurysm or lesions involving the entire infrarenal aorta were excluded. Thirty-day outcomes, long-term patency, limb salvage, and freedom from related reinterventions were compared between OSR and ER. "Low surgical risk" was defined as a Society for Vascular Surgery comorbidity score of ≤0.7 and age <75 years. Patients were considered "young" if aged ≤60 years. The follow-up results were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves. Major clinical and anatomic characteristics were evaluated for their association with patency using Cox proportional hazards. RESULTS: Overall, 114 patients (OSR, n = 56; ER, n = 58) were treated, of whom, 70 patients (63%) had bilateral iliac disease involvement, for a total of 182 limbs revascularized (OSR, n = 96; ER, n = 86). Iliac lesions were classified by limb as TASC C (n = 71; 39%) or D (n = 111; 61%). Their mean age was 61.4 ± 8.4 years, and the mean Society for Vascular Surgery comorbidity score was 0.51 ± 0.39, without statistically significant differences between the OSR and ER groups (0.48 ± 0.29 vs 0.56 ± 0.47; P = .357). At 30 days, the ER group had had a shorter length of hospitalization (8.5 ± 6.2 vs 2.6 ± 0.8 days; P < .001) and intensive care unit stay (0.1 ± 0.6 vs 0.9 ± 0.5 day; P < .001) than the OSR group. The cumulative medical (OSR, 7%; ER, 5%; P = .714) and surgical (OSR, 10%; ER, 8%; P = .759) complication rates were similar. At 5 years, the primary patency rate was similar between the two groups (OSR, 87.3%; ER, 81.4%; P = .317). This result was confirmed in the subgroup of "young" patients (OSR, 84.7; ER, 75.0; P = .272). The limb salvage (OSR, 98.9%; ER, 98.4%; P = .920) and freedom from related reintervention (OSR, 74.4%; ER, 73.0%; P = .703) rates were similar. This trend was also confirmed in the "young" patients for both limb salvage (OSR, 98.5%; ER, 97.6%; P = .896) and freedom from related reintervention (OSR, 76.9%; ER, 63.6%; P = .223). Multivariate analysis indicated that the only independent negative predictor of patency was female gender in the ER group (hazard ratio, 2.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.45-26.60; P = .024). CONCLUSIONS: In the case of severe aortoiliac obstructive lesions in low-risk and young patients, ER using a covered stent can be considered as valid as OSR. In addition, it allows for shorter hospitalization and maintains a similar patency rate in the long term. However, for female patients, OSR remains the reference standard of treatment.