Emergency Nightmares - Rupture of Type III Thoracoabdominal Aneurysm.

Introduction The rupture of thoracoabdominal aneurysms (rTAA) represents one of the major challenges to the vascular surgeon. Recent developments in the endovascular armamentarium and the high mortality from open surgery make endovascular treatment an attractive option. Devices to be used in an emergency environment should be "off-the-shelf" and include, among others, EVAR snorkel/chimney and branched endoprosthesis (T-branch, Cook®). METHODS: We describe the case of a 70-year-old patient who was admitted to the emergency room due continuous low back pain with 3 days of evolution. RESULTS: The tomographic computer angiography showed a type III thoracoabdominal aneurysm, with a transverse maximum diameter of 75x81mm in the infrarenal aorta and an exuberant hematoma in the left retroperitoneum, but no active extravasation of the contrast was observed (Figure 1). There was still marked tortuosity and moderate iliac calcification. It was decided to place a branched endoprosthesis (34 mm diameter at the top and 18 mm at the bottom). The branched endoprosthesis was extra-corporeally oriented, and introduced through a right femoral approach. The final position was verified with the digital subtraction angiography in anteroposterior incidence, ensuring that the distal border of each branch was 1.5 to 2 cm above the target vessel and that the stent marks presented the desired position. After the endoprosthesis was opened, the branches are catheterized by the left axillary access, however, it was verified that the endoprosthesis had an antero-posteriorly inverted implantation. It was possible to catheterize the superior mesenteric artery and the left renal artery (celiac trunk occlusion was documented intraoperatively); occlusion of the remaining endoprosthesis branches was performed with an Amplatzer. The patient evolved with multiorgan dysfunction and died at 24 hours post-operatively. CONCLUSION: Implantation of an off-the-shelf branched endoprosthesis requires specific anatomical criteria such as aortic diameter> 25mm to allow catheterization of the vessels, the possibility of incorporating each target vessel at a 90o angle in relation to each branch and visceral arteries with a diameter between 4 and 8 mm. Anatomy review is important to understand the lengths and positions of the branches. It should be borne in mind that it is possible that the device might have to be rotated during implantation to better align the marks and that both incidences (anteroposterior and profile) may be useful in confirming the position, something that should be thoroughly pursued to safeguard a correct implantation regardless of the initial stent position in your delivery system.

[TEVAR: a strategy for the diversity of thoracic aorta disease. Series of cases and national prospect]. / Tevar: uma solução para a diversidade de patologias da aorta torácica: revisão institucional e panorama nacional.

OBJECTIVE: To assess endovascular treatment of thoracic aorta diseases in a national centre of angiology and vascular surgery. To quantify the national registry of TEVAR's. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This unicentric and retrospective study included patients submitted to TEVAR until the end of 2012. Twenty-seven patients were considered high-risk for conventional surgery: 14 degenerative thoracic aorta aneurysms or pseudoaneurysms (10 assymptomatic), 1 ruptured thoracoabdominal aneurysm, 5 aortabronchial/aortoesophageal fistulas, 3 complicated dissections, 2 penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer/intramural hematoma, 1 traumatic laceration and 1 embolization from aortic plaque. Eighteen (67%) were emergent/urgent procedures. RESULTS: At the institutional level, immediate technical success was achieved in all cases; average follow up was 24 months (0-97). Thirty days and 24 months global mortality was, respectively, 4% (6% for emergent/urgent procedures and 0% for elective procedures) and 13%. Aortic-related mortality was similar. One case of paraplegia and 2 of case of stoke were registered. Endoleak was present in 4 patients. Survival free from aneurysmal sac expansion (aneurysm, pseudoaneurysm or dissection, n=16) was 88% at 30 days. Survival free from aortic reintervention was 93% at 30 days and 81% at 24 months. Nationally, TEVAR registries triplicated from 2007 top 2010. CONCLUSION: These results favour the actual tendency to consider TEVAR as a first-line solution for several thoracic aortic diseases.

[Endovascular managemente of an aorto-bronchial fistula secondary to a thoracic aortic aneurysm]. / Correcção endovascular de aneurisma da aorta torácica complicado por fístula aorto-brônquica primária.

OBJECTIVE: Presentation of a case of endovascular repair of aorto-bronchial fistula secondary to thoracic aortic aneurysm. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 67 years old male patient, former smoker, with a history of arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease, chronic renal insufficiency and carotid endarterectomy, followed in outpatient department with recent diagnosis of descending TAA. The patient presented to the emergency department due to 2 episodes of cough and self-limited abundant hemoptysis. The thoracic angio-CT revealed a rupture of the aneurysm, with 77mm, to the lung parenchyma with aorto-bronchial fistula to the left main bronchus. Patient was submitted to endovascular repair using a Valiant Thoracic endoprosthesis by Medtronic®, via right femoral approach. RESULTS: The procedure went without complications. There was no paraplegia or acute arterial lesion. Postoperatively, there were registed two episodes of self-limited hemoptysis and developed cough that progressively reversed after 2 months. The patient held antibiotic prophylaxis during hospitalization and for 2 months after discharge. 12 months after procedure, no complications were observed and patient remains asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: The advance of endovascular approach in the treatment of complicated AAT brought a new therapeutic solution, giving a reduction in morbidity and mortality (± 3%), particularly for control of active aorto-bronchial fistula. As regards to success rate and long-term antibiotic prophylaxis, present studies are inconclusive. Concerned to infection risk and fistula recurrence (± 10%), long-term antibiotic administration was the chosen treatment.

The need for reintervention is not higher after EVAR: an eight years single center experience.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the effectiveness and clinical outcomes of abdominal aortic aneurysm treatments. METHODS: The medical records of all patients who underwent elective open or endovascular repair of nonruptured infra-renal abdominal aortic aneurysm from January 2001 to April 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. The assessed outcomes were all-cause mortality, aneurysm-related mortality, incidence of perioperative complications and reinterventions. Patient demographics and procedure characteristics were also analysed. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty four consecutive patients were included: 107 ( 58 % ) had open surgery and 77 ( 42 % ) had endovascular repair ( EVAR ). Medical complications were more frequent after open surgery ( 24 % vs 10 %; p=0.025 ). There was no perioperative mortality in the EVAR group, whereas in open surgery 9 deaths occurred ( 8.4 % in-hospital mortality; p=0.011 ). At 7 years, all cause mortality was similar in the two groups ( 27 vs 30 %; p=0.34 ). There was, however, a persistent difference in aneurysm-related mortality ( Kaplan-Meier estimates were 9.5 % in the open repair group and 1.5 % in the EVAR group; p=0.023 ). Reintervention rates for EVAR were not higher than those for open surgery ( at 5 years, 21.2 % vs 21.4 %; p=0.70 ). CONCLUSIONS: In our institution, EVAR is associated with lower early mortality and morbidity compared to open repair. Despite equivalent late overall survival, endoluminal repair offers an aneurysm-related mortality 6 times inferior to open repair. The need for reintervention was similar after EVAR or open surgery. In this study setting, our findings support endovascular management of large AAAs, even in patients fit for open repair.