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Objectives This study describes our experience of total laparoscopic juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (JAAA) repair. Methods Between February 2002 and October 2007, we performed 148 total laparoscopic AAA repairs, including a subset of 13 patients who underwent a laparoscopic JAAA repair. Median age was 70 years (range, 50-81years). Median aneurysm size was 55 mm (range, 50-80 mm). Eight patients were in American Society of Anesthesiologist class II, and five were in class III. We used laparoscopic transperitoneal left retrorenal approaches and suprarenal clamping in all patients. Results We implanted tube grafts in nine patients and bifurcated grafts in four. No conversions to open repair were required. Median operative time was 260 minutes (range, 180-355 minutes). Total median aortic clamping time was 77 minutes (range, 36-105 minutes). Median suprarenal clamping time was 24 minutes (range, 9-37 minutes). Median blood loss was 855 mL (range, 215-2100 mL). No patients died. One patient had a postoperative coagulopathy with hemorrhagic syndrome. Five patients had moderate systemic complications, including four renal insufficiencies without dialysis and one grade I ischemic colitis. Liquid diet was reintroduced after 1 day (range, 1-7 days). Most patients were ambulatory by day 3 (range, 2-17 days). Median lengths of stay were 48 hours (range, 12-336 hours) in the intensive care unit and 10 days (range, 4-30 days) in the hospital. With a median follow-up of 19 months (range, 1-36 months), patients had complete recovery without graft anomalies. Conclusion Total laparoscopic JAAA repair is feasible and worthwhile for patients. Prior experience in laparoscopic aortic surgery is essential to perform these challenging procedures. Despite these encouraging results, a greater experience is required to ensure the benefit of this technique compared with open repair.

En todas las disciplinas, la cirugia videoscopica implica: una vision del campo quirurgico en dos dimensiones, la ausencia de sensacion tactil y una instrumentacion especifica Los cirujanos integran enseguida la vision bidimensional a medida que adquieren experiencia. Las principales dificultades surgen durante las suturas arteriales. La ausencia de sensacion tactil dificulta en gran medida la realizacion de los distintos tiempos quirurgicos. En las vias de acceso a la aorta abdominal, el cirujano debe orientarse solo en funcion de los planos y de las referencias anatomicas. Ya no es posible dirigir la diseccion hacia los troncos arteriales ayudandose de la palpacion de las estructuras y, sobre todo, de la palpacion de los latidos arteriales. Al contactar con los troncos arteriales, el cirujano no tiene el mismo control de las zonas de calcificacion o de fragilidad de la pared arterial antes de realizar los pinzamientos y las anastomosis. Otra especificidad del acceso aortico mediante videoscopia es la utilizacion de una tecnica para mantener la exposicion porque, al contrario de la cirugia tradicional, no se dispone de separadores o de valvas para mantener la masa visceral. En noviembre de 2000, los autores de este articulo desarrollaron una tecnica nueva totalmente videoscopica para el tratamiento de las lesiones oclusivas aortoiliacas (LOAI) graves. A partir de esta experiencia, se ha desarrollado el tratamiento totalmente videoscopico de los aneurismas de la aorta abdominal (AAA). La cirugia videoscopica de los AAA consta de dos etapas tecnicas esenciales: la exposicion de la aorta abdominal seguida del desbridamiento-injerto.

PurposeThis study was designed to identify differences in the per- and postoperative outcomes between total laparoscopic and open surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).MethodsWe reviewed 30 patients who underwent total laparoscopic AAA repair between July 2003 and December 2004 (group I). This group was matched in a case-control fashion by AAA morphology and American Society of Anesthesiologists class with a group of 30 patients who underwent conventional AAA repair between April 1997 and May 2004 (group II). Proportions and categoric data were compared with a χ2 test. Continuous data were compared with a Mann-Whitney test.ResultsThe two groups had comparable characteristics of age and cardiovascular risk factors. The number of tube and bifurcated grafts was 13 for group I and 17 for group II. Median operative time was 255 minutes (range, 170 to 410 minutes) in group I and 200 minutes (range, 130 to 410) in group II (P

An extra-anatomic bypass initiating from the ascending aorta, namely the ventral aorta, is a possible alternative for lower limb revascularization. However, acceptance of this technique is limited by the need of a median sternotomy and clamping of the ascending aorta. We report a new technique for the ventral aorta using a total videoscopic approach of the ascending aorta, which avoids the need for a median sternotomy. We discuss the advantages and perspectives of this new approach.

The primary difficulties with laparoscopic infrarenal aortic surgery are the exposure of the abdominal aorta and the performance of laparoscopic anastomoses. With training in videoscopic sutures, performance of laparoscopic anastomoses is possible. Sutureless anastomotic devices or Robot-assisted sutures are also promising techniques for the performance of laparoscopic anastomoses. Stable exposure of the abdominal aorta remains essential to perform total laparoscopic aortic repair. Laparoscopic transperitoneal left retrocolic approach allows a stable and reproducible aortic exposure during the performance of laparoscopic repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and aorto-iliac occlusive disease (AIOD). However, the left retrocolic approach is not always possible or could be difficult. In these cases, we use a transperitoneal left retrorenal approach.

We report our initial experience with total laparoscopic repeat aortic surgery between June 2002 and October 2003. There were 4 patients, 3 men and 1 woman, ages 83, 67, 49, and 61 years, respectively. First operations were performed to treat aortoiliac occlusive disease. Repeat aortic surgery was indicated to treat para-anastomotic aneurysms (n = 2) and graft occlusion (n = 2). All patients underwent total laparoscopic surgery. There were no postoperative deaths. Only 1 patient had postoperative complications that required complementary surgical treatment. All patients were alive with patent revascularization after a mean follow-up of 14, 17, 20, and 12 months, respectively.

Vascular complications after liver transplantation are relatively rare. Thrombosis of the host-transplant arterial anastomosis is the most frequently encountered vascular complication whereas only a few observations of infected anastomotic aneurysms, often leading to death by massive bleeding or loss of the transplant, have been reported. We report herein the case of a patient with an infected false anastomotic aneurysm of the hepatic artery associated with dissection of the celiac artery following orthotopic liver transplantation in a 35-year-old man who had received a liver transplantation for end-stage liver disease secondary to posthepatitis cirrhosis in March 1989. Starting at day 30, he had signs of infection associated with hemocultures positive for Staphylococcus aureus. A subhepatic collection was found on sonography and CT scan and also cultured positive for the same germ. Arteriograms demonstrated a celiac artery dissection associated with a false anastomotic aneurysm of the hepatic artery. Surgical treatment consisted of arterial reconstruction using a saphenous vein graft between the right renal artery and the hepatic artery of the transplant, followed by resection of the hepatic artery aneurysm and the celiac artery. Hepatic ischemia was 12 min. The immediate postoperative course was uneventful and postoperative angiograms showed that the reconstruction was patent at 5 years.

Objective We describe the laparoscopic transperitoneal direct approach to the abdominal aorta. Operative technique The patient is placed in the right lateral decubitus position, which allows dropping of the small bowel into right side of the abdomen. Anatomical exposure of the abdominal aorta follows the same steps as in open surgery. Discussion Laparoscopic transperitoneal direct approach allows a reproducible exposure of the abdominal aorta. This technique was useful when retrocolic and/or retrorenal approaches were not possible because of previous left nephrectomy.

Between January 1, 1979, and December 31, 1988, 149 infrapopliteal polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) bypasses were performed in 145 patients with chronic, critical, limb-threatening ischemia. These operations represented 27.9% of 534 infrapopliteal bypasses performed during the same period. There were 92 males and 53 females. Mean age was 71.8 +/- 12.3 years. Signs and symptoms of critical ischemia were gangrene, ulceration, and isolated rest pain in 101 (69%), 23 (15.3%), and 25 (16.7%) cases, respectively. A composite (PTFE-saphenous vein) graft was used in 53 (35%) cases. In 96 prosthetic bypasses the distal anastomosis was performed using vein patch angioplasty in 65 (44%) cases and directly in 31 (21%). The in-hospital mortality rate was 3.3%. Patency, limb salvage, and patient survival rates were plotted according to the actuarial method and the curves obtained were compared using the log-rank test. Actuarial survival rates were 68% +/- 5% and 57% +/- 7% at 3 and 5 years, respectively. Primary patency and lower limb salvage rates were 41% +/- 5% and 68% +/- 6% at 3 years and 35% +/- 9% and 65% +/- 10% at 5 years, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference noted in primary patency rates at 3 years according to the type of bypass (composite or all-prosthetic: 36% vs. 44%), the type of distal anastomosis (direct or vein patch angioplasty: 43% vs. 45%), the site of distal anastomosis (upper or lower half of the leg: 38% vs. 46%), lateral or medial placement of the bypass (39% vs. 43%), or according to whether or not it was a repeat operation (40% vs. 44%). In conclusion, patency rates using infrapopliteal PTFE bypasses are low. Certain technical approaches, although they do not seem to improve patency, definitely increase the feasibility of bypass and in our opinion decrease the risk of early failure in unfavorable anatomic settings. The limb salvage rates following infrapopliteal PTFE and composite bypass are encouraging and justify the use of routine distal revascularization, even in the absence of autogenous vein graft.

Between 1984 and 1989, 29 iliac renal artery bypasses were performed in 29 patients (mean age 67.8 years) with severe renovascular disease due to atheroma. The indication for renal artery reconstruction was hypertension in all patients, which was associated with kidney failure in 16 cases. In six cases, reconstruction was performed after failure or complications of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. The bypass was constructed with polytetrafluoroethylene in 24 cases (83%) and vein graft in five cases (17%). There was no postoperative mortality. All bypasses were found to be patent on duplex scanning or digital subtraction arteriograms. One patient was lost to follow-up. Mean follow-up was 23.2 months. One patient died of acute kidney failure, probably related to occlusion of the bypass. Hypertension improved in 22 cases (79%), was cured in two cases (7%), and remained unchanged in four (14%). Renal function remained unchanged in six cases (40%) and improved in nine (60%). Iliac-to-renal artery bypass seems to be the surgical renal revascularization modality best adapted to high-risk patients or those who have severe atheroma. Additionally, this technique enables rapid treatment of failures or complications of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the renal artery.