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Bacground/Aim. Endovascular treatment of thoracic aortic diseases is an adequate alternative to open surgery. This method was firstly performed in Serbia in 2004, while routine usage started in 2007. Aim of this study was to analyse initial experience in endovacular treatment of thoracic aortic diseses of three main vascular hospitals in Belgrade - Clinic for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery of the Clinical Center of Serbia, Clinic for Vascular Surgery of the Military Medical Academy, and Clinic for Vascular Surgery of the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases “Dedinje”. Methods. Between March 2004. and November 2010. 41 patients were treated in these three hospitals due to different diseases of the thoracic aorta. A total of 21 patients had degenerative atherosclerotic aneurysm, 6 patients had penetrating aortic ulcer, 6 had posttraumatic aneurysm, 4 patients had ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm, 1 had false anastomotic aneurysm after open repair, and 3 patients had dissected thoracic aneurysm of the thoracoabdominal aorta. In 15 cases the endovascular procedure was performed as a part of the hybrid procedure, after carotidsubclavian bypass in 4 patients and subclavian artery transposition in 1 patient due to the short aneurysmatic neck; in 2 patients iliac conduit was used due to hypoplastic or stenotic iliac artery; in 5 patients previous reconstruction of abdominal aorta was performed; in 1 patient complete debranching of the aortic arch, and in 2 patients visceral abdominal debranching were performed. Results. The intrahospital mortality rate (30 days) was 7.26% (3 patients with ruptured thoracic aneurysms died). Endoleak type II in the first control exam was revealed in 3 patients (7. 26%). The patients were followed up in a period of 1-72 months, on average 29 months. The most devastating complication during a followup period was aortoesofageal fistula in 1 patient a year after the treatment of posttraumatic aneurysm. Conversion was performed with explantation of stent-graft and open aortic in situ recontruction, followed by esophagectomy and the creation of cervical and gastrical stoma. Conclusion. Having in mind initial results of the 3 main vascular clinics in Belgrade, Serbia, economical situation in our country, as well as the published international results, endovascular treatment of thoracic aortic diseases is indicated in hemodinamicaly unstable patients with acute traumatic aneurysm, or in stabile patients older than 65, as well as in case of chronic diseases of the thoracic aorta in patients with significant comorbid conditions or in patients older than 65 years. Endovascular procedures on the thoracic aorta could be performed, hower, only in high-volume centers with experience in routine open surgery of thoracic aorta.

Introduction. Combined endovascular interventions on carotid and coronary arteries are rare. Stenting of the unprotected coronary left main stem is a high risk procedure. We presented hemodynamically unstable patient with combined carotid artery and left main stem coronary artery stenting. Case report. A 78-year-old female patient was admitted to our institution for right carotid endaterectomy. The patient had 80% stenosis of the right carotid artery and occlusion of the left carotid artery. Coronary angiography revealed 70% ostial left main stenosis, occlusion of the right coronary artery and the left circumflex artery, and 80% stenosis of the left anterior descending artery. Simultaneous carotid artery endaterectomy and coronary artery by-pass grafting were considered. Due to high perioperative risk, surgery was rejected, and the patient was treated endovascularly with stenting of arteries occluded. The procedure was completed without complications and the patient was hemodynamically stabilised. Conclusion. This report illustrates simultaneous coronary and carotid stenting as a successfull lifesaving procedure.

Background. Arteriovenous malformations of the pancreas are very rare, most frequently congenital ones, but tending to increase frequency, predominantly due to the introduction and use of new diagnostic modalities. They usually present with gastrointestinal bleeding and abdominal pain. Case report. The autors presented a 52-year-old woman in whom, during the investigation for the abdominal pain and gastrointestinal bleeding, an ultrasonography showed a hypoechogenic lesion within the head of the pancreas 3 cm in diameter. Endoscopic ultrasound showed an irregular hypoechogenic lesion. Computed tomography showed a low density area within the lesion (< 10HU). At endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, a cystic lesion within the head of the pancreas was filled with contrast from the normal pancreatic duct. Angiography showed an arteriovenous malformation within the head of the pancreas. The patient underwent pylorus preserving cephalic duodenopancreatectomy. The diagnosis of arteriovenous malformation, probably of congenital origin, was confirmed on histology. Conclusion. Arteriovenous malformations should be considered in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding of unknown etiology. In this case, the lesion was taken into account preoperatively, based on color Doppler ultrasonography and angiography. The best results of treatment can be achieved with resection, but it has to be performed before an eventual portal hypertension takes place.

Background. To assess the early effects, possible risks, and long term results of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of brachiocephalic trunk (BT) and subclavian arteries (SA). Methods. During the period of 11 years, in 92 patients (57 males - 62%, mean age 53,5 ± 7,8 years) 93 PTA of SA/BT were performed; 70 (75%) lesions were stenosis, while 23 (25%) lesions were occlusions with mean diameter stenosis percent of 83,1 ± 6,2%. Clinical indications were: vertebrobasilar insufficiency (n=57), upper limb ischemia (n=40), coronary steal syndrome (n=4) and scheduled aorto-coronary bypass, using internal thoracic artery (ITA) (n=4 asymptomatic patients). Mean lesion length was 22 ± 8 mm. Results. Eighty one (87%) out of 93 lesions were successfully dilated; all of 12 (13%) failures were due to unsuccessful recanalisation of occluded arteries. In 10 patients 10 stents were implanted (2 in BT and 8 in left SA). There were 6 (6.5%) procedural complications: 1 dissection, 1 thrombosis of the left SA, transient ischemic attack in 2 patients, and 2 cases of dislocation of atheromatous plaque from the right SA into the right common carotid artery. During the follow-up of 48 ± 3 months, 16 (20%) restenoses were treated by PTA (n=7) or operatively (n=9). Primary and secondary patency for all lesions treated during 11 years was 87% and 80%, respectively (stenosis: 97% and 89%; occlusions: 58% and 58%). Conclusion. PTA with or without stenting was relatively simple, efficient and safe procedure. It required short hospitalization with low treatment costs. If any of suboptimal results or chronic occlusions were present, the implantation of endovascular stents should have been considered.

Introduction. Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) is pathological communication between pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein, in way that it shunts normal alveolar capillary membrane resulting in inadequate blood oxygenation in this part of the lung parenchyma Modern therapy of PAVMs includes surgical treatment or endovascular embolization. Case report. A 30-year-old female patient had signs of parestesia and weakness of the extremities on the left side of her body. On physical examination there was only cyanotic discoloration of her lips and clubbing fingers. On the chest x-ray, in the right hemithorax, in the inferior region of the lung, there was relatively homogeneous and well defined shadow, intensity of the soft tissue, which was about 35 mm. A multislice computed tomography pulmonary angiography was performed and showed, in lung parenchyma on both sides, many PAVMs, of which the largest (35 mm) was in inferior right region of the lung on crossing between apical and posterior basal lung segment with 7 mm diameter feeding artery and 9 mm diameter draining vein. The selective pulmonary angiography was per-formed by Seldingers technique. Through sheath, we placed a plug with a diameter of 10 mm. The plug was expanded and a complete occlusion of the final part of the feeding branch of this PAVM was achieved (confirmed by control angiography). In that way, the PAVM was fully shut off from the circulation. In 3 months follow-up, the patient was feeling well, without any recorded complication. Conclusion. Endovascular embolization is recommended as therapy of the first choice for all of PAVMs that have feeding artery greater than 2 mm. Endovascular embolization has high success rate with minimal complications.

Bacground/Aim. Vast majority of patients with corotid artery sclerosis do not have transitory ischemic attacks (TIA) as working to the persistent silent disease, but stroke is the first sign. Precise and early diagnosis of the carotid artery disease and plaques are very important. The aim of this study was to determine how the composition / identity of diagnostic methods, color-Doppler, ultrasonography (US) CT multidetector angio (MDCTA) scan and intraoperative (IO) findings, as well as the morphology of plaques in patients with haemodynamic significant stenosis of the internal carotid artery. Methods. Carotid plaques were observed by two diagnostic methods, US and MDCTA, and these findings were correlated with the IO findings. Results. In 62 patients both carotid artheries were examined and 83 plaques were observed. There were 68 surgical interventions. The structure of plaques was divided into four types: lipid, fibrous, fibrocalcified and calcified plaque. US showed: lipid plaques 10.8%; fibrous 1.2%; fibrocalcified 44.6% and calcified 43.4%, and the MDCTA lipid plaques 8.4%; fibrocalcified 48.2% and calcified 43.4%. Intraoperative findings were: lipid plaques 10.3%; fibrocalcified 41.2% and calcified 48.5%. A statistically highly significant agreement between the US and MDCTA in the diagnosis of plaque morphology was obtained (Cramer's V = 0.919, p < 0.01; Lambda = 0.921, p < 0.01) and also statistically significant agreement between US and IO findings (Cramer' s V = 0.831, p < 0.01; Lambda = 0.859, p < 0.01). A statistically highly significant agreement between MDCTA and IO findings in plaque morphology was found, as well (Cramer's V = 0.815, p < 0.01; Lambda = 0.829, p < 0.01). Conclusion. There is statistically highly significant correlation between US and MDCTA diagnostic methods in the evaluation of plaque morphology in surgically significant stenosis of internal carotid artery as well as their agreement with the intraoperative finding.