[Endovascular treatment of atherosclerotic stenoses of the subrenal aorta]. / Endovaskulární lécba aterosklerotických stenóz subrenální aorty.

The authors present results of endovascular treatment of subrenal aortic atherosclerotic stenoses. Between 1996 and 2001 they treated 9 patients (5 men, 4 women, mean age 57.4 years). Aortic stenoses were caused by an atherosclerotic process in all cases. In addition, in three patients iliac arteries were affected by sclerotic lesions. The endovascular procedure consists of predilatation performed by a small calibre angioplasty balloon catheter and implantation of a stent. Three times a balloon expandable stainless steel stent was implanted and self-expandible nitinol stents were used in the six cases. The primary technical success rate was 100%, no major complications were observed. One distal embolization was successfully resolved by intraarterial thrombolysis. Only one stent restenosis occurred after 36 months. It was successfully treated by implantation of a longer stent. That means that the primary patency of stented subrenal aorta during a mean follow-up period of 19 months was 87.5%. The claudication interval improved in six patients and three patients were symptom free. Endovascular therapy can be recommended for short sclerotic stenoses of the infrarenal aorta. This miniinvasive technique has a high technical and clinical success rate, favourable long-term patency and low complication rate.

Endovascular brachytherapy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt.

Purpose: To evaluate the technical feasibility and efficacy of endovascular brachytherapy with Iridium-192 in the prevention of restenosis caused by neointimal hyperplasia of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS).Materials and Methods: The endovascular brachytherapy with high dose rate automatic afterloading system was performed in six patients with recurrent of stenosis of TIPS. We used a single dose fraction of 12 Gy delivered at 3 millimeter (mm) from the source axis to the stenotic vessel segment in five patients with spiral Z-stent, and 15 Gy at 5 mm in one patient with Wallstent.Results: Follow-up time ranged from 148 to 639 days. In one patient, restenosis occurred in the treated vessel segment, diagnosed 71 days after endovascular brachytherapy by doppler ultrasound. All other patients were, during the follow-up time, without restenosis in the irradiated vessel segment. Radiation-associated side effects were not observed.Conclusions: Endovascular brachytherapy of TIPS is technically feasible and may be done as a part of the percutaneous revision of the shunt. This pilot study may be the largest experience of treating TIPS restenosis in humans to date. For definitive conclusions, a lot of studies are needed.

Endovascular brachytherapy potentiated by hyperthermia in the prevention of vascular restenosis. A case report.

BACKGROUND: The combination of hyperthermia and radiotherapy has additive or synergistic effects. This combination has been studied extensively in radiation oncology, but not in the prevention of vascular restenosis. CASE REPORT: A patient with restenosis of cephalic vein underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) followed by endovascular irradiation with 192Iridium (12 Gy) using a high dose rate afterloading technique. After endovascular irradiation, one fraction of external ultrasound hyperthermia was administered to the irradiated segment. There was no restenosis in the treated vessel segment according to duplex sonography performed 192 days after treatment. No radiation or hyperthermia associated side effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Present observations suggest that endovascular brachytherapy of restenosis potentiated by hyperthermia is a technically feasible and well-tolerated treatment. The additive and synergistic effects of hyperthermia, in conjunction with radiation, could be of benefit in the prevention of vascular restenosis.

Endovascular brachytherapy in the prevention of vascular restenosis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the technical feasibility and efficacy of endovascular brachytherapy for prophylaxis of restenosis after femoropopliteal percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients with recurrence of stenosis in the femoropopliteal region underwent PTA followed by endovascular irradiation with Iridium-192 a high-dose rate after-loading technique. We used a single fraction of dose 12 Gy given in 3 mm from the source axis in the stenotic vessel segment. RESULTS: During follow-up of 59-580 days restenosis occurred in four patients 111, 460, 472 and 580 days after irradiation. All other patients are without restenosis. No radiation-associated side effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular brachytherapy of restenosis in the femoropopliteal region is technically feasible, and may be done as a part of the PTA. These encouraging results open the possibility of reduction of restenosis by the present method.

Endovascular brachytherapy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the technical feasibility and efficacy of endovascular brachytherapy with Iridium-192 in the prevention of restenosis caused by neointimal hyperplasia of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The endovascular brachytherapy with high dose rate automatic afterloading system was performed in six patients with recurrent of stenosis of TIPS. We used a single dose fraction of 12 Gy delivered at 3 millimeter (mm) from the source axis to the stenotic vessel segment in five patients with spiral Z-stent, and 15 Gy at 5 mm in one patient with Wallstent. RESULTS: Follow-up time ranged from 148 to 639 days. In one patient, restenosis occurred in the treated vessel segment, diagnosed 71 days after endovascular brachytherapy by doppler ultrasound. All other patients were, during the follow-up time, without restenosis in the irradiated vessel segment. Radiation-associated side effects were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular brachytherapy of TIPS is technically feasible and may be done as a part of the percutaneous revision of the shunt. This pilot study may be the largest experience of treating TIPS restenosis in humans to date. For definitive conclusions, a lot of studies are needed.

[Percutaneous therapy of obliterative disease of the femoropopliteal arteries using stents--2 years' experience]. / Perkutánní lécba obliterujících onemocnení femoropopliteálních tepen pomocí stentu--2leté zkusenosti.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical results and short and mid-term stent patency in patients with femoropopliteal stent placement. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-one patients (42 limbs) underwent stent placement--27x into superficial femoral artery, 15x into popliteal artery. There were inserted 44 self-expandable stents. In 3 cases PTA of stents and in 2 cases local endovascular brachytherapy were performed because of restenosis. The mean follow-up is 12.9 months (1-24 months). RESULTS: Stents were successfully inserted in all cases. Clinical improvement at the time of latest follow-up occurred in 77% of patients, no improvement in 13% and clinical worsement in 10% of patients. Primary patency rates at 6 months, 12 an 24 months were 83.8%, 67.7% and 67.7%, respectively. Primary assisted patency were 90.3% at 6 months, 77.4% at 12 months and 77.4% at 24 months. CONCLUSION: Stents implantation in femoropopliteal arteries is a method of choice after suboptimal angioplasty results in patients with critical limb ischemia for whom no reasonable surgical alternative exists.

[Revascularization of the aortoiliac arteries using stents]. / Revaskularizace v aortoilických tepnách pomocí stentu.

The authors summarised their three year experience with endovascular treatment of the aortoiliac artery obstructive lesions using stents and transluminal angioplasty. Fifty-seven patients (61 limbs) underwent stent implantation to treat claudications (n = 50 limbs), rest pain (n = 6), non-healing defects (n = 4) and one patient was asymptomatic (n = 1). After stent placement patients were followed-up using clinical and duplex ultrasound examinations at 3 months and 6 months thereafter. Immediate angiographic success was achieved in all cases. Three serious complications were observed. Percutaneous reinterventions because of stenosis inside the stent were performed in 7 patients (7 limbs). The primary patency rates were 92% at 1 year, 88% at 2 years and 86% at 3 years. Cumulative primary assisted patency were 98% (mean follow-up 15.8 months, range 3-47 months). Regular clinical and ultrasound follow-up examinations can reveal the asymptomatic instent stenosis and percutaneous reinterventions can improve long-term stent patency.

[Interventional procedures in patients after vascular reconstructive surgery of the lower extremities]. / Intervencní výkony u nemocných po cévních rekonstrukcních operacích na dolních koncetinách.

This study reports the results and complications of local thrombolysis therapy of recently occluded grafts manifested by acute ischemia in comparison with transluminal angioplasty of graft stenoses. Stenoses were diagnosed by means of ultrasound (asymptomatic patients) or manifested by claudications. The aim of our study is to emphasize the difference between efficacy of these two kinds of treatment and their difficulties. Fourty three patients were treated in the period of 39 months (March 1994-June 1997). Sixty seven interventional procedures were done, including 32 local thrombolysis in 20 patients and 35 angioplasties in 23 patients. Types of grafts were: aortofemoral (n = 8), ilicofemoral (n = 4) and one aortotibioposterior, femoropopliteal vein (n = 18) and synthetic (n = 9) and two distal tibioposterior bypasses. Fourty one bypasses were created due to arteriosclerotic occlusion, one for traumatic amputation and one due to stenosis after perinatal catheterization. The period between surgery and intervention varied from 1 month to 11 years (mean 33 months), the mean follow up period was 13 months. Technical success rate in patients treated by local thrombolysis was 69% (n = 22). Midterm graft patency in the this group is 40% (n = 8) with 95% (n = 19) limb salvage. In patients treated by transluminal angioplasty was technical success rate 97% (n = 34). In this group is patent 96% (n = 20) bypasses with 31% (n = 4) restenoses. All patients with patent grafts have a good run-off with at least 2 patent calf arteries. Six complications occurred during local thrombolytic therapy. Our results indicate that despite of the high initial success rate are the late results poor in the group treated by thrombolysis because of the high rate of rethromboses. The result depends on number of patent calf arteries. Results in patients treated by angioplasty only are much better with lower risk of complications during procedure. Our results prove that it is better to follow patients after lower limb bypass surgery by ultrasonography and perform angioplasty when stenoses occur.