Endovascular repair of an actively hemorrhaging aortoduodenal fistula.

Aortoenteric fistulae require urgent definitive intervention and traditionally carry a high mortality. We describe a patient who suffered a traumatic aortic dissection following an auto versus pedestrian collision. He underwent open fenestration of his infrarenal aorta and visceral resection, complicated by abdominal sepsis and enterocutaneous fistulae. One month later he developed massive hematemesis, and endoscopic examination revealed an aortoduodenal fistula. Due to an impassable abdominal wall, a stent-graft repair was performed. This report describes the successful use of endovascular techniques to achieve immediate hemostasis in an actively hemorrhaging aortoduodenal fistula. An endovascular approach provides a valuable option in settings where a hostile abdomen precludes the traditional open technique and may serve as a bridge to later definitive repair.

Combined peripheral and coronary artery percutaneous intervention in patients with significant coronary and peripheral vascular disease. Case reports and review.

Combined percutaneous coronary and peripheral intervention in patients with coronary and peripheral vascular disease can be time and cost saving. Despite the potential benefit, such hybrid procedures have been rarely reported. We report two cases of hybrid peripheral and coronary intervention that were performed at our institution with excellent outcomes. This is followed by a review of the literature.

Aortic graft infection: update on management and treatment options.

Replacement of the abdominal aorta, whether by autogenous or prosthetic conduit, has been an a priori requisite in the vascular surgeon's armamentarium since its technical feasibility was described in the early 1950s. The Achilles' heel of this operation, in spite of the progress made over the last half century, is still, however, aortic graft infection. Though survival and limb salvage rates have improved over time-commensurate with advances in surgical technique, critical care, and antimicrobial agents-the prevention and treatment of aortic graft infection remains a formidable challenge to the vascular surgeon. The authors herein review the current literature on this topic with an emphasis on the surgical management options available and suggest an individualized operative strategy based on patient as well as microbial factors to attain the best possible outcome.

Superiority of autogenous arteriovenous hemodialysis access: maintenance of function with fewer secondary interventions.

The National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (NKF K/DOQI) guidelines have advocated autogenous arteriovenous fistulae as a primary procedure for hemodialysis access. This study compared the clinical outcomes between autogenous and prosthetic arteriovenous hemodialysis accesses, determining factors contributing to primary and secondary patency and function. Associated risk factors and number of interventions required to maintain secondary patency in each cohort were also assessed. A vascular database review of consecutive hemodialysis access procedures performed during a 36-month period (January 1999 to December 2001) at an academic institution was conducted. Life-table and log-rank analyses were used to analyze patency rates. Univariate and multivariate analysis was used to analyze risk factor influence on patency and function. A total of 231 upper extremity arteriovenous access procedures were performed in 209 patients during this period. One hundred autogenous accesses were created in 100 patients, 68 being forearm Brescia-Cimino arteriovenous fistulae. A total of 131 prosthetic accesses (ePTFE) grafts were also placed during this period in 109 patients. The demographic profiles of both cohorts were similar. Primary patency at 1 and 2 years was 56% (CI 45-76%) and 39% (CI 28-50%), respectively, in the autogenous group, and 36% (CI 26-45%) and 9% (CI 3-14%), respectively, in the prosthetic group. Differences in secondary patency at 1 year and 2 years were not significant (64% [CI 54-74%] and 53% [CI 42-65%] in the autogenous group vs. 65% [CI 55-73%] and 46% [CI 36-55%] in the prosthetic group). Secondary interventions were required in 87% of the prosthetic cohort (average 0.92 procedures/patient/year) and 57% of the autogenous cohort (average 0.53 procedures/patient/year). Multivariate analysis of associated risk factors demonstrated no significant effects on either primary or secondary patency in both groups. Autogenous accesses have superior primary patency and maintain equal secondary patency with significantly fewer interventions. These data strongly support the NKF K/DOQI guidelines recommending creation of autogenous access whenever possible. These outcomes can provide significant health-care cost benefits when using an algorithm favoring primary creation of autogenous access for hemodialysis.

Internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysms: treatment with the Wallgraft endoprosthesis.

PURPOSE: To report several cases illustrating the feasibility and mid-term efficacy of deploying a self-expanding stent-graft to treat traumatic ruptures, pseudoaneurysms, and a spontaneous dissection of the internal carotid artery (ICA). CASE REPORTS: One patient suffered a stab wound and another developed a large pseudoaneurysm years after a gunshot to the neck. The third patient presented with a spontaneous rupture in the setting of fibromuscular dysplasia, and the final patient developed a pseudoaneurysm following carotid endarterectomy in an irradiated neck. All 4 patients were successfully treated with Wallgrafts deployed in the ICA using either an open carotid (first 3 cases) or percutaneous approach (fourth patient). There were no adverse neurological events. During a mean 16-month follow-up (range 6-24), duplex ultrasound and CT scanning found no evidence of restenosis, occlusion, or persistent perfusion of the pseudoaneurysm, which was noted to decrease in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: The thin-walled fabric of the Wallgraft appears capable of completely excluding the pseudoaneurysm, resulting in decreased aneurysm size over time.