Predictors of hemorrhagic complications from endovascular treatment of cerebral arteriovenous malformations.

Post-embolization hemorrhage is the most severe, dramatic and morbidity-mortality-related complication in the treatment of endovascular arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). The objective of this study was to determine predictive factors of post-embolization hemorrhage. This is a retrospective study in 71 patients with cerebral AVMs having undergone 147 embolization sessions with n-butyl cyanoacrylate (n-BCA), carried out between 2006 and 2011. Clinical-demographic, morphological and treatment data as well as results were recorded. The relationship of post-procedure hemorrhage with demographic and morphological factors, percentage devascularization per session, venous drainage and whether or not post-procedure hypotension had been induced was investigated. Six post-embolization hemorrhages occurred, all in sessions characterized by extensive devascularization without the induction of post-procedure hypotension; which disappeared after a limit to the extent of devascularization per session and post-procedure hypotension were introduced. In the multivariate analysis, hemorrhage predictors were: nidus diameter < 3 cm (OR= 45.02; CI=95%:1.17-203.79; P=0.005); devascularization > 40% (OR=32.4; CI=95%: 3.142- 518.6; P=0.009) per session; intranidal aneurysms (OR=7.5; CI=95%:1.19-341.3; P=0.041) and lack of post-procedure hypotension (OR=16.51; CI=95%:1.81-324.4; P=0.049) and the association of sessions with devascularization exceeding 40% with lack of post-procedure hypotension, showed an increase in the risk of hemorrhage (OR=36.4; CI=95%:3.67-362.4; P=0.002). Extensive devascularization and the absence of post-procedure hypotension increase the risk of hemorrhage. We suggest partial, 25-30%, devascularization per session and the induction of post-procedure hypotension, which produces a 20% decrease of the basal mean arterial pressure (MAP).

Efficacy of Essure hysteroscopic sterilization--5 years follow up of 1200 women.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of the Essure hysteroscopic birth control device after 5 years follow up. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of case series. SETTING: Outpatient hysteroscopy facility in a large teaching hospital. SUBJECTS: One-thousand three-hundred and twenty-one women who underwent hysteroscopic sterilization with Essure device (Conceptus, Inc., Mountain View, CA) between January 2003 and May 2005. INTERVENTION(S): Hysteroscopic tubal sterilization using Essure system. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Efficacy/effectiveness, failure rate. RESULTS: Satisfactory insertion was accomplished in the first attempt in 1166 women (97.16%). After the second attempt, successful insertion rate rise to 98.6%. (n = 31, 2.6%). Three pregnancies had been reported after 5 years follow up, which implies an overall absolute rate of 0.25%. This represents a Pearl index of 0.05 after 72,000 months of surveillance. All of them occurred in the first year of use of the microinsert. There has been no unintended pregnancy in the next 4 years. CONCLUSION(S): Essure has the lowest Pearl index never published being the most effective permanent birth control system to date. Unintended pregnancies tend to occur in the first year after the insertion, and can be avoided encouraging women to accomplish the protocol.