Acute traumatic aortic rupture: a comparison of surgical and stent-graft repair.

OBJECTIVE: The study's objective was to comparatively evaluate surgery and stent-graft repair of acute or subacute traumatic aortic rupture. METHODS: A total of 76 patients (14-76 years old; mean, 37 years; male/female ratio, 63/11) with a traumatic aortic injury were admitted to our hospital between 1981 and 2003. Six patients died within 1 to 9 days of another associated severe traumatic lesion. The 70 remaining patients were divided according to the type of rupture repair. In group 1, 35 patients were treated surgically: 28 with immediate repair and 7 with delayed repair (average time interval 66 days, 5-257 days). In group 2, 29 patients were treated with stent grafting of the aortic isthmus. In group 3, 6 patients with minor aortic lesions were treated medically with a close follow-up. RESULTS: In the 28 patients treated surgically in the emergency department, the mortality and paraplegia rates were 21% and 7%, respectively. No death or paraplegia was observed in the group with delayed surgical repair. With stent grafting, complete exclusion of the pseudoaneurysmal sac was observed in all patients. Except for 1 iliac rupture treated during the same procedure, there was no major morbidity or mortality during the mean follow-up of 46 months (13-90 months). No major complication was observed in group 3. CONCLUSIONS: In stable rupture of the aorta, initial conservative treatment is safe and allows management of the major associated lesions. Stent grafting of the aortic isthmus is a valuable therapeutic alternative to surgical repair, especially in patients considered high risk for conventional thoracotomy.

Macroporous polyester-covered stent in an experimental abdominal aortic aneurysm model.

PURPOSE: To validate a recently described animal model of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and to assess a new macroporous polyester-covered stent for endovascular AAA exclusion. METHODS: Twenty adult sheep had AAAs surgically created by replacing a segment of the infrarenal aorta with an autologous jugular venous graft. Three months later, surviving animals underwent percutaneous implantation of macroporous polyester-covered nitinol stents; 3 animals with untreated AAAs served as controls. Follow-up surveillance included spiral computed tomography at 1 month and digital subtraction angiography at 3 and 6 months. Endografted animals were sacrificed at 1, 3, and 6 months after implantation; specimens from all animals were examined grossly and microscopically. RESULTS: Seven (35%) animals died within 24 hours of causes related to the technique; 1 animal developed paraplegia and was sacrificed on day 1. Three (25%) animals died of spontaneous aneurysm rupture at <10 days, and 6 received the stent-graft at 3 months. The macroporous cover did not prevent continued perfusion of the sac early after stent-graft deployment, but all aneurysms were excluded on the 1-month CT. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous AAA rupture occurred earlier and was not as frequent as previously described for this model. Implantation of the covered stent was feasible, but aneurysm exclusion was not immediate.

Pseudoaneurysm and aortobronchial fistula after surgical bypass for aortic coarctation: management with endovascular stent-graft.

PURPOSE: To report the endovascular repair of an aortobronchial fistula at the distal anastomosis of a complex thoracic graft. CASE REPORT: A 61-year-old man operated 18 years prior for aortic coarctation presented with hemoptysis. An aortobronchial fistula was suspected, but spiral computed tomography and angiography showed only a small pseudoaneurysm at the distal anastomosis without revealing the fistulous tract. A Talent stent-graft was successfully deployed through a femoral access, but the large delivery system injured the external iliac artery, producing a retroperitoneal hemorrhage. Prompt balloon occlusion of the aorta and subsequent bypass graft repair of the arterial injury prevented serious sequelae. The patient recovered without further complications. Follow-up imaging to 2 years has documented exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm with no hemoptysis or signs of new false aneurysm formation. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular exclusion of anastomotic pseudoaneurysms even in complicated cases can be an efficient treatment option, but the procedure must be carefully planned and executed in order to achieve good results.

Aortoduodenal fistula after endovascular stent-graft of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Despite satisfying short- and middle-term effectiveness and feasibility, endovascular stent-grafting for abdominal aortic aneurysm is still under evaluation. We report a case of an aortoduodenal fistula after the use of this technique. Enlargement of the upper aneurysmal neck was followed by caudal migration of the major portion of the stent-graft, which resulted in kinking of the device in the aneurysmal sac. Ulcerations were found on adjacent portions of both the aneurysmal sac and the adjacent duodenum. Only the textile portion of the prosthetic contralateral limb separated the aortic lumen from the corresponding duodenal lumen. Early detection of complications after stent-grafting is essential to allow successful treatment, either surgical or endoluminal.

Aortic stent grafting and side-branch embolization in an expanding chronic type B dissection.

OBJECTIVE: This is a report of endovascular treatment of a case of type B thoracoabdominal aortic dissection in a patient with progressive dyspnea, dorsolumbar pain, and expanding aortic diameter over a 1-year period. METHODS: Pretreatment imaging evaluation showed that the false lumen supplied only the celiac trunk. Endovascular treatment combined (1) embolization of the first segment of the celiac trunk to avoid distal back-flow into the false lumen and (2) stent grafting to occlude the initial entry tear. RESULTS: The treatment resulted in technical and clinical success. The patient remains asymptomatic 12 months after treatment. CONCLUSION: Stent grafting offers an interesting therapeutic alternative to exclude the initial entry tear in aortic dissection and may be combined with other endovascular procedures.

[Renal adenocarcinoma with retrohepatic vena cava thrombus: role of extracorporeal circulation in a retrospective series of 10 cases]. / L'adénocarcinome rénal avec thrombus cave rétro-hépatique: place de la circulation extra-corporelle sur une série rétrospective de 10 cas.

INTRODUCTION: Renal cell carcinoma is accompanied by tumour thrombus in the inferior vena cava (IVC) in 4 to 10% of cases. Since the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), surgery for extensive thrombus has been improved by reduction of blood loss, facilitating complete resection of the kidney and thrombus and possible repair of the inferior vena cava. OBJECTIVES: To analyse a retrospective series of 10 cases and to compare the complications of CPB and conventional surgery by direct clamping. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From February 1985 to December 1997, 413 patients were operated for renal cancer, including 23 (5.6%) patients with tumour thrombus in the inferior vena cava. Ten of these 23 cases of inferior vena caval thrombus were retrohepatic. Group I (5 patients) was operated under CPB and profound hypothermia at 16 degrees C (mean duration of bypass: 30 min). Group II (5 patients) was operated by conventional surgery (CS) (mean clamp time: 12 min). RESULTS: No difference in terms of intraoperative complications was observed between the two groups, but 2 deaths occurred in group II due to respiratory decompensation, 1 and 2 weeks postoperatively. CONCLUSION: The level of the thrombus in the inferior vena cava determines the mode of vascular management. The presence of invasion of the inferior vena cava wall is difficult to predict because of the poor sensitivity of radiological examinations. CPB did not induce any excess morbidity in this series. The use of CPB in renal cancers with retrohepatic thrombus facilitates the resection procedure and allows inferior vena cava reconstruction in a bloodless environment.

[Diagnosis and endovascular treatment of thoracic aortic diseases]. / Diagnostic et traitement endovasculaire de la pathologie aortique thoracique.

Recent years have seen the emergence of non-invasive imaging techniques for the morphological assessment of the thoracic aorta. This evolution results in an important reduction of the role of diagnostic angiography. Simultaneously, thanks to a tremendous technologic development, endovascular treatment techniques concern nowadays some pathologic conditions of the descending aorta. A number of reports using a variety of devices have been published in the literature concerning the treatment of dissection and aortic aneurysm. Based on mid-term results, endoluminal repair with use of stent-grafts is a feasible and safe alternative to surgery with a low rate of morbidity and mortality. In type B dissections with end-organ involvement, interventional radiology can be used either to fenestrate the flap or to stent the flap in branch arteries. Proper selection of patients by non-invasive imaging is fundamental for successful endoluminal treatment. However, there is still major concern with respect to long term results of these new treatments.

Delayed treatment of traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta with endoluminal covered stent.

BACKGROUND: Stent grafting is emerging as a new treatment for several pathological conditions involving the thoracic aorta. We studied the feasibility and safety of this technique for delayed treatment of ruptures of the aortic isthmus. METHODS AND RESULTS: Nine patients (14 to 76 years old; mean, 37 years; male/female ratio, 8/1) underwent stent grafting of the aortic isthmus in subacute (n=5) or chronic (n=4) aortic traumatic rupture after a motor accident. In subacute ruptures, this treatment was delayed (1 to 8 months; mean, 5.4 months) because of the severity of other associated injuries. Stent grafting was technically successful (defined as complete exclusion of the pseudoaneurysmal sac) in all patients. Short-term fever and biological inflammatory syndrome occurred in 3 patients. Two major complications occurred: in 1 patient, an early occlusion of the left subclavian artery was treated by placement of 2 Palmaz stents. In another patient, an atelectasis related to an increase of preexisting compression of the left main bronchus by the pseudoaneurysmal sac was successfully treated by temporary placement of an endobronchial silicone stent. Mean follow-up was 11.6 months (range, 3 to 21 months). Thrombosis of the pseudoaneurysmal sac was found in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of available extended follow-up about the safety and effectiveness of endovascular grafting, this approach seems to be a viable therapeutic option for traumatic rupture of the aortic isthmus, but appropriately controlled prospective studies are needed before we can recommend its widespread use.

[Intra-aortic covered endoprosthesis]. / Endoprothèses couvertes intra-aortiques.

Because of the risk and complications related to surgery of the aorta, the development of new, less invasive endovascular techniques has resulted in a certain enthusiasm for these new treatments on the part of physicians and industry. The insertion of aortic stents allows the treatment of almost one half of aneurysm of the infrarenal abdominal aorta and descending aorta. The results appear to demonstrate the medium-term reliability and efficacy of these new techniques with a lower morbidity-mortality rate than that of conventional surgery. However, preoperative and intraoperative imaging plays an essential role in the success of these new methods. Finally, although the medium-term results are encouraging, the long-term outcome of these new materials is unknown, which justifies close surveillance of these patients and prospective comparative studies.

Endovascular retrieval of two migrated venous stents by means of balloon catheters.

The usefulness of vascular stenting was demonstrated in both arterial and venous applications to restore patency and improve suboptimal results after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. Dislodgment of venous stents with an embolization into the right cavities or the pulmonary artery, however, is one of the most feared complications of this procedure. Percutaneous removal of these migrated stents is an appealing method of replacing more invasive operative intervention with cardiopulmonary bypass, which may be very hazardous in these often severely ill patients. We describe the cases of two patients with stents that migrated into the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. In one patient, we were able to successfully remove these stents by using an angioplasty balloon with an operative extraction from the iliac vein, thereby obviating the need for a major operative procedure.

[Heart valve diseases specific in rheumatoid polyarthritis. Apropos of 2 cases]. / Les cardiopathies valvulaires spécifiques dans la polyarthrite rhumatoïde. A propos de deux observations.

Rheumatoid nodules represent a rare cardiac valvular involvement in rheumatoid arthritis. Patients are usually asymptomatic. We report two cases of such involvement: one presented as a tumour implanted on the mitral valve, with systemic embolisation; the other presented as aortic regurgitation with acute heart failure. Surgical treatment was performed in both cases. Histological examination revealed typical rheumatoid nodules. The authors discuss valvular involvement in rheumatoid arthritis.

A rare case of embolizing cardiac tumor: rheumatoid nodule of the mitral valve.

We report the case of a 65-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis who was admitted with a stroke. Echocardiographic examination revealed a multilobule, highly mobile tumor on the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve. Surgical exploration showed a tumor infiltrating the valve, the annulus, and the adjacent left ventricular wall, which required complete valve resection. Histologic study demonstrated typical characteristics of a rheumatoid nodule.

[Long-term results of the surgical treatment of acute type A thoracic aortic dissection]. / Résultats à distance du traitement chirurgical des dissections aiguës de l'aorte thoracique de type A.

Out of a population of 110 patients operated as an emergency for acute Stanford type A dissection of the thoracic aorta between 1985 and 1994, there were 84 survivors. Seventy-nine were assessed after a mean follow-up period of 47.3 months. The corrected 1 year, 5 year and 10 year survival rates were 69 +/- 5.1%, 53.1 +/- 6% and 42.1 +/- 7.1% respectively. There were 19 deaths during the study period: in two thirds of cases death was due to cardiovascular complications related to the aortic pathology or hypertension. There were 13 reoperations in 12 patients for complications on the initial site of repair or for progression of the pathological process. The average time to reoperation was 21.5 months with an operative mortality of 3 patients (25%). Predictive factors of reoperation were young age (52 +/- 4.4 years vs 60.1 +/- 1.4 years; p = 0.037), the persistence of a patent false lumen (p = 0.033) and the initial surgical techniques as the incidence of reoperation seemed to be higher after treatment with biological glue alone or resuspension of the aortic valve compared with replacement of the ascending aorta or Bentall's procedure (p = 0.08). The incidence of reoperation also varies with time as it was 1.8 +/- 0.7% at 1 year, 18.5 +/- 6.5% at 5 years and 26% +/- 7.8 at 10 years. In spite of improvements in surgical technique and postoperative care, acute type A dissection of the aorta carries a poor prognosis in both the short and the long-term with a notable number of cardiac or other complications related to repair of the initial aorta. Analysis of these and other reported results suggest that initial surgery should be as complete as possible with extension to the aortic arch when involved: this more aggressive attitude should improve the long-term results by reducing the risk of reoperation responsible for a high mortality rate.

[Traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta]. / Roturas traumáticas de la aorta torácica.

This is a retrospective analysis of 50 postraumatic aortic rupture (1968-1996, 39 males, mean age: 34.5). Group A is composed of 35 patients with an acute aortic rupture and a prompt diagnosis. Group B includes 13 patients with a chronic rupture. All patients from group A had a severe politraumatism with abdominal, cranial, extremities or hip fractures. Mediastinal thickening with or without hemothorax indicated an angiography or a transesophageal echocardiography lately. In group A, 36 patients have been operated on urgently (12-24 hours); cardiopulmonary bypass was performed on 20 patients; an aorto-aortical bypass was done in 27 cases and a direct suture in the remaining 9. In group B, cardiopulmonary bypass was performed on 9 patients; a aorto-aortical bypass was done in 11 cases and a direct suture in 2. Overall hospital mortality was 16%; 19% in group A and 7.6% in group B. Ischemic paraplejia appeared in 5 patients (10%), all from group A. No false aneurysm developed after 4.5 years of follow-up (3-135 months) in the 38 survivors. The usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography, the importance of medular protection and the utility of several interventionist radiologic techniques are discussed.

[Treatment with endoprosthesis of the pathology of the descending thoracic artery]. / Tratamiento con endoprótesis de la patología de aorta torácica descendente.

Surgery and medical treatment have been classically accepted as the therapy of choice in some diseases of the thoracic aorta. Recently, treatment with endoprosthesis has emerged as a useful technique in the pathology of the descending thoracic aorta. The type of endoprosthesis, indications and experimental and clinical results are discussed.

[Ureteral involvement in an inflammatory aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. (Apropos of a case. Review of the literature)]. / L'atteinte urétérale dans les anévrysmes inflammatoires de l'aorte abdominale (A propos d'un cas. Revue de la littérature).

Diagnosis and treatment of ureteral obstruction secondary to perianeurysmal retroperitoneal fibrosis are controversial. Diagnosis includes the use of computed tomography and abdominal ultrasound, surgical treatment combines prosthetic graft with preoperative ureteral stenting. Ureterolysis is not always necessary, because aneurysm repair promotes resolution of the inflammatory process and relieves the ureteric obstruction. However radiologic survey is essential as in the case report.