About 40 years ago, reports of a rare vascular disease affecting young and otherwise healthy endurance athletes began to emerge, an entity coined external iliac artery endofibrosis (EIAE). We herein summarize the current knowledge pertaining to this disease, focusing on the important key facts that the vascular practitioners must be aware when dealing with these patients.

Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) is a well-known complication of both open and endovascular repair of the thoracoabdominal aorta. Perioperative maneuvers to increase spinal cord perfusion, including permissive hypertension and lumbar drain placement to control spinal pressure, are commonly used to reduce the risk of SCI. Additional perioperative measures to reduce the susceptibility of the spinal cord to ischemic insult include hypothermia, steroids, and naloxone infusion. Most cases manifest immediately or within days of surgery and improve with the aforementioned maneuvers. We describe a rare occurrence of delayed SCI 20 months after thoracic endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.

Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a rare congenital syndrome characterized by abnormal facies, short stature, cognitive impairments, and organ dysfunction. Vascular disease has rarely been observed in patients with KS, and, when reported, cases mostly involve the carotid arteries or the thoracic aorta. Peripheral arterial disease, however, has yet to be evaluated specifically in the KS population. This case report describes a patient with KS who presented with extremely difficult to manage lower extremity peripheral arterial disease, illustrating the challenging vasculopathy associated with this rare genetic syndrome. Endovascular management was a safe management option for this patient; open techniques are still unexplored.

Contemporary concepts in health care reform promote a shift in the provision of care away from hospitals in favor of the more cost effective and efficient use of outpatient facilities including ambulatory surgery centers and office-based procedure centers particularly in the care of cardiovascular disease. This article reviews the experience of patients and specialists in caring for patients with peripheral arterial disease in an office-based care setting.

Objective: Patients undergoing intervention for acute iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis (IFDVT) with May-Thurner syndrome (MTS) typically require inpatient (IP) hospitalization for initial treatment with anticoagulation and management with pharmacomechanical thrombectomy. Direct oral anticoagulants and percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy (PMT) devices offer the opportunity for outpatient (OP) management. We describe our approach with these patients. Methods: Patients receiving intervention for acute IFDVT from January 2020 through October 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients undergoing unilateral thrombectomy, venous angioplasty, and stenting for IFDVT with MTS comprised the study population and were divided into two groups: (1) patients admitted to the hospital and treated as IPs and (2) patients who underwent therapy as OPs. The two groups were compared regarding demographics, risk factors, procedural success, complications, and follow-up. Results: A total of 92 patients were treated for IFDVT with thrombectomy, angioplasty, and stenting of whom 58 comprised the IP group and 34 the OP group. All 92 patients underwent PMT using the Inari ClotTriever (Inari Medical), intravascular ultrasound, angioplasty, and stenting with 100% technical success. Three patients in the IP group required adjuvant thrombolysis. There was no difference in primary patency of the treated IFDVT segment at 12 months between the two groups (IP, 73.5%; OP, 86.7%; P 1/4 .21, log-rank test). Conclusions: Patients with acute IFDVT and MTS deemed appropriate for thrombectomy and iliac revascularization can be managed with initiation of ambulatory direct oral anticoagulant therapy and subsequent return for ambulatory PMT, angioplasty, and stenting. This approach avoids the expense of IP care and allows for effective use of resources at a time when staffing and supply chain shortages have led to inefficiencies in the provision of IP care for nonemergent conditions. (J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord 2024;12:101875.)

OBJECTIVES:A growing body of data indicates that extracranial carotid artery disease (ECAD) can contribute to cognitive impairment. However, there have been mixed reports regarding the benefit of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) as it relates to preserving cognitive function. In this work, diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) and neurocognitive testing are used to provide insight into structural and functional brain changes that occur in subjects with significant carotid artery stenosis, as well as changes that occur in response to CEA. MATERIALS AND METHODS:The study design was a prospective, non-randomized, controlled study that enrolled patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis. Thirteen subjects had severe ECAD (≥70% stenosis in at least one carotid artery) and were scheduled to undergo surgery. Thirteen had asymptomatic ECAD with <70% stenosis, therefore not requiring surgery. All subjects underwent neurocognitive testing using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test (MoCA) and high angular resolution, multi-shell diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) of the brain at baseline and at four-six months follow-up. Changes in MoCA scores as well as in Fractional anisotropy (FA) along the hippocampus were compared at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS:At baseline, FA was significantly lower along the ipsilateral hippocampus in subjects with severe ECAD compared to subjects without severe ECAD. MoCA scores were lower in these individuals, but this did not reach statistical significance. At follow-up, MoCA scores increased significantly in subjects who underwent CEA and remained statistically equal in control subjects that did not have CEA. FA remained unchanged in the CEA group and decreased in the control group. CONCLUSIONS:This study suggests that CEA improves cognition and preserves hippocampal white matter structure compared to control subjects not undergoing CEA.

In the past four decades, reports of an unusual vascular disease affecting young and otherwise healthy endurance athletes have begun to emerge. This rare entity has been coined as external iliac artery endofibrosis (EIAE). It has been primarily described in high-level competitive cyclists, suggesting a biomechanical etiology given the repetitive flexion and extension of the hip joint associated with cycling.1,2 Patients present with symptoms of claudication at peak levels of exertion, levels not usually achievable by the untrained individual. Lesions are predominantly isolated to the external iliac artery (EIA), and histologic examination reveals endothelial thickening and fibrosis without evidence of atherosclerosis.1–5 Cases of EIAE have been overwhelmingly described in male athletes, with a paucity of reports in females.2,3 We herein describe two cases of elite female athletes afflicted by EIAE and review the current literature pertaining to this entity in females. Both patients consented to publication of their case details and images.

Objective: To evaluate how access to an office-based laboratory (OBL) and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) impacted vascular care during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: Vascular procedures performed by our group during the 6-week period before COVID-19 restrictions (group 1) and in the first 6-week period during the COVID-19 restrictions (group 2) were reviewed. The number of procedures performed was categorized as hospital inpatient (HIP), hospital outpatient (HOP), OBL, ASC, and vein center (VC). The procedures were also grouped by type: aneurysm (AAA), carotid (CAR), peripheral arterial disease (PAD), amputation/wound care (AMP), vascular access (VA), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and venous reflux (CVI). The number of healthcare provider contact points for each patient undergoing care at the HOP, OBL, and ASC were also collected and compared between groups 1 and 2. Differences between groups were determined using the two-way ANOVA. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between groups 1 and 2 for procedure location or type of procedure (p > 0.05). Patient contact with healthcare providers decreased between groups 1 and 2 for ambulatory care. However, projecting the number of contacts for patients in group 2 if they had to have ambulatory care in the HOP setting (913) compared to contacts in the OBL and ASC setting (588) was statistically significant (p < 0.05). No patient or staff member at the OBL or ASC developed COVID-19 infection because of the care received at these venues. Conclusions: The ability to provide essential care for patients in an ambulatory environment was enhanced using our OBL and ASC without compromising safety, efficacy, or transmission of the virus to patients or staff during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and limited their contact with healthcare workers and therefore reduced the consumption of personal protective equipment by healthcare personnel.

BACKGROUND:Atherectomy is an important option for debulking atherosclerotic plaque from diseased arteries in patients with infrainguinal arterial disease. Laser atherectomy uses a high-powered laser to remove the plaque from the arteries to restore blood flow. AIMS:The Pathfinder multicenter registry was initiated to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the 355 nm laser atherectomy system in a real-world setting for the treatment of de novo, re-stenotic and in-stent restenosis (ISR) lesions in infrainguinal arteries of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). METHODS:The study was a prospective, single-arm, multicenter, open-label registry study for patients treated with the 355 nm laser system. Clinical and lesion characteristics, procedural safety and efficacy data, and baseline, 6-, and 12-month outcomes data, including Ankle Brachial Index (ABI), Rutherford class, and Walking Impairment Questionnaires (WIQ), were collected. The primary efficacy endpoint was the achievement of ≤30% final residual stenosis at the index lesion postatherectomy and adjunctive therapy evaluated by an angiographic Core Lab. The primary safety endpoint was the percentage of subjects who did not experience periprocedural major adverse events (PPMAEs) before discharge. RESULTS:One hundred and two subjects with 121 lesions treated with the 355 nm laser device at 10 centers were included in the analysis. Mean age was 68.4 ± 10.21 years, 61.8% of subjects were male, 44.6% had critical limb ischemia (CLI), and 47.3% had tibial lesions. The mean residual stenosis at the end of the procedure was 24.4 ± 15.5 with 69 lesions (69.0%) achieving technical procedural success (<30% stenosis); similar rates were observed for subjects with ISR (25.5 ± 14.9), chronic total occlusion (CTO) (28.1 ± 17.0), and severe calcification (36.5 ± 21.6) lesions. Mean ABI, Rutherford, and WIQ scores were improved at both 6 and 12 months. Ninety-seven of 102 subjects (95.1%) met the primary safety endpoint of not experiencing a PPMAE before discharge. CONCLUSIONS:The initial data from the Pathfinder Registry demonstrates the 355 nm laser system is safe and effective in a real-world setting for performing atherectomy in patients with infrainguinal PAD.

Hypersensitivity reactions after endovenous ablation with cyanoacrylate are relatively common, mild, and self-limited. However, rare cases of severe hypersensitivity reactions have occurred. To date and to the best of our knowledge, only two other cases requiring vein excision have been reported, and we present the third. Even rarer are cases with severe reactions featuring cyanoacrylate extravasation with skin perforation. In the present report, we describe the second case of skin perforation after successful cyanoacrylate endovenous glue embolization. The mechanism of these severe hypersensitivity reactions is unknown. Clinicians should to consider this as a possible complication when using cyanoacrylate. Although rare, patients should also be advised of this adverse event when considering this alternative.

An aberrant right subclavian artery, the most common anatomic variant of the aortic arch, occurs in 0.5% of the population. Symptoms generally result from compression of the esophagus and/or trachea as the aberrant vessel passes posteriorly in the mediastinum. Treatment includes revascularization of the right subclavian artery from the right common carotid artery using a cervical approach combined with occlusion of the origin of the aberrant vessel from the thoracic aorta. We describe a hybrid treatment approach for a symptomatic aberrant right subclavian artery using cervical revascularization and branched thoracic stent graft coverage of the origin of the aberrant vessel.

Published scientific evidence demonstrate the current spread of healthcare misinformation in the most popular social networks and unofficial communication channels. Up to 40% of the medical websites were identified reporting inappropriate information, moreover being shared more than 450,000 times in a 5-year-time frame. The phenomenon is particularly spread in infective diseases medicine, oncology and cardiovascular medicine. The present document is the result of a scientific and educational endeavor by a worldwide group of top experts who selected and analyzed the major issues and related evidence-based facts on vein and lymphatic management. A section of this work is entirely dedicated to the patients and therefore written in layman terms, with the aim of improving public vein-lymphatic awareness. The part dedicated to the medical professionals includes a revision of the current literature, summing up the statements that are fully evidence-based in venous and lymphatic disease management, and suggesting future lines of research to fulfill the still unmet needs. The document has been written following an intense digital interaction among dedicated working groups, leading to an institutional project presentation during the Universal Expo in Dubai, in the occasion of the v-WINter 2022 meeting.

Infra-inguinal arterial chronic total occlusions remain a challenging scenario for the endovascular practitioner. Retrograde access has quickly become an essential tool in approaching such lesions, increasing the chances of crossing success. When antegrade and retrograde access techniques fail in achieving lesion crossing, re-entry devices have proven to be useful. Their use is however, somewhat limited by the size of the sheaths required to accommodate their passage. As newer and slimmer profiled sheaths become available, the possibilities of interventions available from minimally invasive approaches increases. We present 2 complex arterial revascularization cases that required intravascular ultrasound-based re-entry devices utilizing a pedal retrograde access.

The authors report on a young patient with previous radiation to her pelvis who presented with acute limb ischemia following iliac vein stenting believed to be secondary to extrinsic iliac artery compression in the setting of a frozen pelvis. She underwent revascularization and a trans-femoral amputation, ultimately needing a femoral to femoral artery crossover bypass in order to achieve amputation stump healing. This case describes a potential arterial complication of venous stenting in a previously irradiated field.

OBJECTIVES:An evaluation of the 30-day safety and performance outcomes of the Phoenix atherectomy system (Philips Volcano Corporation) was performed in real-world patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). METHODS:The Phoenix Post-Approval Registry is an all-comer study that enrolled patients with infrainguinal PAD. Patients treated with the Phoenix atherectomy system were followed for 30 days to observe device-related complications. Outcomes evaluated include procedural (final target lesion(s) residual stenosis of ≤30% after treatment with Phoenix and any other adjunctive therapy) and technical success (defined as achieving a post-Phoenix [prior to any adjunctive therapy] residual diameter stenosis of ≤50%), target-vessel revascularization (TVR), target-lesion revascularization (TLR), target-limb amputation, ankle brachial index, Rutherford clinical category, and wound, ischemia, foot infection (WIfI) classification. RESULTS:Of the 500 patients enrolled, 259 had CLI, including 26.3% with Rutherford class 6. Procedural success rates were 97.3% for non-CLI patients and 98.2% for CLI patients. Technical success rates were 71.5% for non-CLI patients and 77.9% for CLI patients. Complication rates post Phoenix atherectomy were <1%. Through the 30-day follow-up, there were 6 patients (1.3%; 2 claudicants, 4 CLIs) who underwent TLR and 8 patients who underwent TVR. There were no major amputations in the non-CLI and CLI cohorts. In the CLI cohort, 16/235 (6.8%) underwent minor amputations. Higher stages of Rutherford class and WIfI classification were associated with amputations at 30 days. CONCLUSION:The Phoenix atherectomy system is a safe and effective treatment option in the acute setting for patients with PAD, including those with advanced Rutherford class. Randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these results.

Leiomyosarcomas are rare malignant tumors of smooth muscle cell origin with those originating from blood vessels accounting for <1%. We report the unusual case of a leiomyosarcoma originating in the wall of the common femoral artery, highlighting the management decisions for vascular tumors and providing a brief literature review for these unusual malignancies.

Background: Type Ia endoleaks after endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) almost always mandate secondary percutaneous reinterventions. Several patients, however, will require conversion to open surgical repair with complete graft explant, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We herein present 3 cases of hybrid surgical repair for type Ia endoleaks, using a limited open exposure for proximal stent graft edge revision to achieve graft preservation and effective aneurysm sac exclusion. Methods: Angiography was used to confirm type Ia endoleak in 3 patients (2 males) who had previous EVAR between October 2017 and October 2019. Time to the endoleak after the index EVAR was immediate in 1 patient during repair of a ruptured aneurysm, 2 months in 1 patient and 2 years in 1 patient. The aorta was exposed through a limited transabdominal (n = 1) or retroperitoneal (n = 2) approach and circumferential aortic control was achieved below the renal arteries. A row of interrupted horizontal mattress sutures of 3-0 polypropylene reinforced with Teflon pledgets was placed along the aortic neck circumference. Multi-planar angiography was then repeated to verify the absence of sac filling and successful type Ia endoleak exclusion. Follow-up abdominal duplex was obtained for all 3 patients after discharge to monitor the stent graft and confirm endoleak resolution. Furthermore, there were no instances of acute renal failure. Results: In the period of review, 77 patients underwent EVAR. In the 3 patients described, we were able to achieve complete aneurysm sac exclusion and stent graft preservation in all cases. Follow-up imaging was available on 2 patients at 4-6 weeks after surgery demonstrating sustained exclusion of the endoleak. Two patients died during follow-up: one from a myocardial infarction 7 weeks after surgery and one from metastatic lung cancer at 8 months after surgery. Follow up duplex imaging at one year on the single survivor demonstrated sac shrinkage and absence of endoleak. Conclusions: Type Ia endoleaks represent a significant source of morbidity and mortality after EVAR and typically require repair to avoid aneurysm rupture. Our use of limited proximal revision without explant provides an alternative approach to resolve the endoleaks while reducing the magnitude of physiological stress when compared to an open explant. It represents a feasible option for high-risk patients.

Background: The purpose of the AXCELERATE study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the AXERA® 2 vascular closure device in patients undergoing endovascular therapeutic arterial interventions. Methods: A single-center, single-operator, prospective observational study was performed over 15-months in consecutive patients undergoing outpatient-based, endovascular procedures using the AXERA® 2 device. Diagnostic procedures only were excluded. The primary endpoints were hemostasis success, time to hemostasis (TTH), early (< 60 minutes) sit up time (TTS), time to ambulation (TTA), time to discharge (TTD) and access-related complications. Results: A total of 105 arterial consecutive procedures were included. The mean age was 73.8 years (55.2% males). The vast majority of procedures were performed by using 6- and 7-French sheaths (48.6% each) and mostly due to ischemic rest pain (35.2%). Heparin was given in all cases and 85.7% were taking an antiplatelet or anticoagulant agent at procedural time. The median TTH was 14.8 minutes of manual compression. Early sit up was accomplished in 80.2% of patients with no complications. The average TTA was 2.4 hours and the TTD was 3.8 hours. A total of 97.1% of patients were discharged without access-related problems and in good clinical condition upon procedural completion. Fourteen complications were seen (13 patients), all of them hematomas > 6-cm (13.3%). Four patients required hospital admission after their interventions (3.8%), 2 required blood transfusions (1.9%) and 2 developed pseudoaneurysms (1.9%). No infectious, vascular thrombotic or other access-related complications were seen during a median follow-up of 117 days. When complications were analyzed with respect to the quartile of occurrence, no statistical differences where found (p>0.05 for all quartiles). Conclusions: The AXCELERATE trial shows that the use of the AXERA® 2 device reduces TTS, TTA and TTD, while being a safe and effective method of hemostasis for outpatient-based interventions.

Endovascular therapy is a common approach for superficial femoral artery (SFA) symptomatic disease, commonly accessing the contralateral femoral artery, crossing the aortic bifurcation. Occasionally, antegrade recanalization is not feasible secondary to causes such as ostial SFA occlusion, wire perforation or inability to obtain distal re-entry. The authors report a 66-year-old woman with lifestyle-limiting claudication caused by aortoiliac and SFA atherosclerosis, who was previously treated with an iliac stent and a femoropopliteal bypass prosthetic graft. When her prosthetic graft occluded about one year after its construction, an antegrade approach to the SFA via retrograde puncture to the contralateral femoral artery was used for revascularization. After initial attempts to recanalize the occluded SFA, they used the prosthetic graft as a conduit to enter the occluded artery distally, eventually converting the retrograde access into antegrade. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in the use of this technique. Using a failed femoropopliteal bypass as a conduit to access the SFA in a retrograde manner can be safely and effectively performed especially in flush occlusions when there is no SFA proximal stump for recanalization.

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of retrograde arterial recanalization of infrainguinal CTOs in the OBL setting. Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent interventions for lower extremity CTOs in the OBL setting by a single vascular surgeon were evaluated (January 2013-November 2017). If antegrade crossing was not possible, then a retrograde distal approach was used. Patient characteristics, CTO location, procedural time, contrast, anticoagulation and radiation doses and costs were recorded. Post-procedural complications were documented on post-procedure day 1 and 10-14 days post procedure. Three groups were compared: group 1—antegrade approach for femoropopliteal CTOs; group 2—antegrade approach for tibial CTOs, and; group 3—retrograde approach for femoropopliteal and tibial CTOs. Results: Two hundred and thirty-seven patients were studied. In 39 (16.5%), the lesions could not be crossed. A successful antegrade approach was used in 185 of them, of which 69% ( group 1, n = 128) patients had femoropopliteal CTOs and 31% ( group 2, n = 57) had tibial CTOs. Fourteen patients (5.9%, group 3) were treated by retrograde distal approach. Group 3 patients received higher contrast doses than groups 1 and 2 ( p = 0.01). However, patients in groups 1 and 2 received similar contrast doses. Group 3 patients had the highest operative time and treatment costs followed by group 1 and then group 2 ( p = 0.01). Three femoral pseudoaneurysms were noted in group 1, and 2 in group 2. No complications were seen in group 3. Conclusions: Although the operative times, costs, radiation and contrast dose are higher with retrograde arterial access, it represents a safe and effective method for the crossing of CTO infrainguinal lesions in an ambulatory venue.