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Thrombotic events are well-recognized complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The incidence of such complications is highly related to the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia. Recent evidence suggests that the coagulopathy of COVID-19 may persist for some period even after the full recovery from pneumonia. We report the case of a 35-year-old man who presented with a 10-day history of fever and cough. His plain radiograph showed bilateral peripherally located opacities suggestive of COVID-19. The diagnosis was confirmed by the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). He was placed on a non-invasive ventilator but it failed to maintain normal oxygen saturation. Hence, the decision for intubation was made. He was extubated after 10 days in the ICU. The patient had a complete recovery. One week after discharge, the patient presented with severe abdominal pain that was out of proportion to the physical examination findings. He had an abdominal CT scan, which demonstrated a large thrombus occluding the superior mesenteric artery. There was no bowel dilatation or focal mural thickening to suggest bowel ischemia. The patient was resuscitated with intravenous fluid hydration. Opioid analgesics were administered to control the pain. After stabilizing the patient, he underwent laparotomy with thrombectomy. The patient tolerated the operation with no complications and had an uneventful recovery. The patient was discharged in good condition with no active issues after four days of hospitalization. The superior mesenteric thrombosis is an unusual complication of COVID-19 pneumonia. This case provides further evidence on the possibility of thrombotic events following the recovery from COVID-19. There is a pressing need for future studies to investigate the role of prophylactic antithrombotic and anticoagulants in patients who recovered from severe COVID-19.

A 77-year-old woman who had experienced postprandial abdominal pain for four years was admitted to our institution presenting sudden and severe abdominal pain. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) demonstrated complete short-segmented occlusion in the orifice of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), and saccular aneurysms in the right hepatic artery and the anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery. She was diagnosed with abdominal angina due to occlusion of the SMA. The SMA was recanalized by stenting, and a CECT scan confirmed naturally shrunk aneurysms after eight months. The patency of the SMA was maintained at five years after endovascular treatment.

Background The novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which is caused by infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, has spread rapidly around the world and has caused many deaths. COVID-19 involves a systemic hypercoagulable state and arterial/venous thrombosis which induces unfavorable prognosis. Herein, we present a first case in East Asia where an acute superior mesenteric artery (SMA) occlusion associated with COVID-19 pneumonia was successfully treated by surgical intervention. Case presentation A 70-year-old man presented to his local physician with a 3-day history of cough and diarrhea. A real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction test showed positive for COVID-19, and he was admitted to the source hospital with the diagnosis of moderate COVID-19 pneumonia. Eight days later, acute onset of severe abdominal pain appeared with worsening respiratory condition. Contrast CT showed that bilateral lower lobe/middle lobe and lingula ground glass opacification with distribution suggestive of COVID-19 pneumonia and right renal infarction. In addition, it demonstrated SMA occlusion with intestinal ischemia suggesting extensive necrosis from the jejunum to the transverse colon. The patient underwent an emergency exploratory laparotomy with implementing institutional COVID-19 precaution guideline. Upon exploration, the intestine from jejunum at 100 cm from Treitz ligament to middle of transverse colon appeared necrotic. Necrotic bowel resection was performed with constructing jejunostomy and transverse colon mucous fistula. We performed second surgery to close the jejunostomy and transverse colon mucous fistula with end-to-end anastomosis on postoperative day 22. The postoperative course was uneventful and he moved to another hospital for rehabilitation to improve activities of daily living (ADLs) on postoperative day 45. As of 6 months after the surgery, his ADLs have completely improved and he has returned to social life without any intravenous nutritional supports. Conclusions Intensive treatment including surgical procedures allowed the patient with SMA occlusion in COVID-19 pneumonia to return to social life with completely independent ADLs. Although treatment for COVID-19 involves many challenges, including securing medical resources and controlling the spread of infection, when severe abdominal pain occurs in patients with COVID-19, physicians should consider SMA occlusion and treat promptly for life-saving from this deadly combination.

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of 13 patients with acute superior mesenteric artery (SMA) occlusion who underwent intra-arterial urokinase thrombolysis between 2008 and 2020. On angiography, seven presented with complete SMA occlusion versus six with incomplete occlusion. The median time from abdominal pain to attempting urokinase thrombolysis was 15.0 h (interquartile range, 6.0 h). After urokinase therapy, bowel perfusion was restored with bowel preservation in six patients; however, treatment failed in the other seven patients. The degree of SMA occlusion (complete vs. incomplete, p = 0.002), degree of recanalisation (p = 0.012), and length of stay (p = 0.032) differed significantly between groups. Of the seven patients with complete SMA occlusion, six underwent bowel resection, of whom three died, and the remaining patient died of shock due to delayed surgery. Among the six patients with incomplete SMA occlusion, no bowel resection was performed. In our experience, intra-arterial urokinase thrombolysis may serve as an adjunctive treatment modality, being a potential replacement for open thrombectomy that is able to preserve the bowel and obviate surgery in cases of incomplete SMA occlusion; however, its use is unsuitable in cases of complete SMA occlusion, for which surgery is warranted.

In acute mesenteric ischemia, early diagnosis should optimally be followed by either open or endovascular intestinal revascularization. All too often, diagnosis is delayed and diagnosis and treatment are performed at the same time during explorative laparotomy. The majority of patients will be diagnosed when transmural intestinal infarction has developed and at this time point damage control strategies involving intestinal revascularization, bowel resection, open abdomen and second look may be necessary to salvage the patient. This review outlines the principles of the damage control surgery approach in acute mesenteric ischemia and the rationale for temporary open abdomen. In patients in need of long-term open abdomen therapy, negative pressure wound therapy with continuous fascial traction is a preferred technique achieving a high delayed fascial closure rate.

Background Thromboembolic occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is a serious event in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Extensive bowel resection is frequently required, and the resulting short bowel syndrome hampers the intake of anticoagulant or anti-arrhythmic medication. Case summary We report the case of thoracoscopic surgery consisting of stapler-closure of the left atrial appendage and bilateral epicardial clamp-isolation of the pulmonary veins performed in a 66-year-old male patient with symptomatic persistent non-valvular AF who became unable to take in anticoagulants or anti-arrhythmic drugs because of thromboembolic SMA occlusion and subsequent total resection of the small intestine. The patient has been free from thromboembolic or arrhythmic symptoms during 6 months of follow-up despite taking no anticoagulant or anti-arrhythmic drugs. Electrocardiographic monitoring demonstrated a stable sinus rhythm for 48 h at postoperative Months 3 and 6. Echocardiography manifested an improvement of the left ventricular ejection fraction from a preoperative value of 44–69% at postoperative Month 6. Discussion The present technique may contribute to treating patients with symptomatic non-valvular AF and a complication similar to that of the present case.

KISA, Ucler/0000-0002-8131-6810; Aydin, Oktay/0000-0001-5728-0128 WOS: 000417692500005 PubMed: 29089696 Anastomotic leakage is more frequently reported in colonic anastomoses. Ischemia reperfusion injury is one of the main reasons for anastomotic leakage. Simvastatin is known to prevent tissue damage induced by free oxygen radicals after ischemia reperfusion injury. The effect of simvastatin on colonic anastomosis impaired by ischemia reperfusion injury is investigated. Single layer, end-to-end colocolic anastomosis after 0.5-cm colon resection was performed in Wistar Albino rats. In Group 1 (control) (n= 10), colonic anastomosis without I-R was performed. In Group 2 (n = 10), the superior mesenteric artery was clamped for 10 min followed by 60 min of reperfusion after which resection anastomosis was performed. In Group 3 (n= 10), 10 mg/kg simvastatin was given by gavage for 7 days after I-R and resection anastomosis. In Group 4 (n = 10), the rats received 10 mg/kg simvastatin by gavage 7 days before and 7 days after ischemia reperfusion and surgery. All of the rats were sacrificed 8 days after surgery. Anastomotic bursting pressure and tissue hydroxyproline levels were measured. Postoperative administration of simvastatin restored the anastomotic bursting pressure and hydroxyproline levels to that of control group thus overcoming the effect of ischemia reperfusion injury. Simvastatin administered postoperatively in an experimental model of colonic resection anastomosis impaired by ischemia reperfusion injury increased anastomotic bursting pressures and tissue hydroxyproline levels. Further experimental and clinical studies will show whether administration of simvastatin will increase reliability of the anastomosis and decrease postoperative morbidity and mortality in colonic anastomosis after ischemia reperfusion injury.

OBJECTIVES: Acute superior mesenteric artery (SMA) occlusion can be diagnosed in an early phase by computed tomography (CT) angiography, which is also a prerequisite for endovascular intervention. However, the issue of development of postoperative permanent renal failure due to contrast-induced nephropathy has not been evaluated. DESIGN: Retrospective MATERIALS: A total of 55 patients with acute SMA occlusion were retrieved from the in-hospital register during a 4-year period between 2005 and 2009. METHODS: Glomerular filtration rate was calculated as a simplified variant of Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study Group (MDRD). RESULTS: Preoperative renal insufficiency was found in 52%; advanced state in one patient. Creatinine was lower (p = 0.018) at discharge (median: 71 mumol L(-1)), compared to admission (median: 76 mumol L(-1)), in the 32 survivors exposed to repeated iodinated contrast media (median: 54.7 g iodine). No patient died due to renal failure or needed dialysis after endovascular intervention. Endovascular intervention was associated with a higher survival rate (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Serious acute contrast-induced nephropathy was not found in patients diagnosed by CT angiography and treated by endovascular procedures for acute SMA occlusion. Elevated serum creatinine levels should not deter the clinician from ordering a CT angiography in patients with suspicion of acute SMA occlusion.