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Purpose: Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is almost always considered fatal without open surgical or endovascular repair. We report a case that has defied this norm and explore the possible factors involved in this exceedingly rare outcome. Case Report: An 87 year old gentleman presented with an acute ruptured AAA with left retroperitoneal hematoma. He was counseled for emergent repair, but opted for conservative management instead. He has remained well at the time of writing, 13 months from the rupture, with clinical resolution of symptoms along with radiological resolution of the hematoma. Conclusion: Timely repair remains the mainstay of management for ruptured AAA, although this rare case highlights that it is possible for ruptured AAA to seal spontaneously with patient surviving up to 13 months. We have sought to hypothesize the factors in this case that may have contributed to prolonged survival following untreated ruptured AAA. Clinical Impact Statement: While the overwhelming evidence is that a ruptured AAA left unrepaired is fatal, our case report illustrates a rare case that shows it is possible for ruptured AAA to seal spontaneously, with patient surviving up to 13 months. We seek to hypothesize the factors that may contribute to such prolonged survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the torsional resistance of three fixation techniques for spiral metacarpal fractures: screw-only fixation, screw plus neutralization plate fixation, and a locking plate construct. A spiral fracture was created on 18 cadaveric metacarpal bones by applying an axial and torsional loading force using an Instron 3343 mechanical tester. The failure strength was defined as the native torque strength. The fractures were divided into three groups and fixed using each of the three techniques. The repaired bones were loaded to failure to determine the post-repair strength. The neutralization plate group conferred a post-repair torque (278.6 Nmm) that was similar to the native torque (292 Nmm) with a diminution of only 4.5% and appeared to provide the best resistance to torsion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are debilitating to the patient and costly for the healthcare system. We set up the Diabetic Rapid Evaluation and lower limb Amputation Management (DREAM) clinic with the aim of providing early directed specialist care to patients with DFUs. With early management, we hope to treat DFUs in its early stages, reducing the need for and associated morbidity of major and minor lower limb amputations. Objectives: We evaluated the outcomes of the fast-access DREAM clinic with multi-disciplinary evaluation for patients with DFUs. Outcomes include time from the point of referral to DREAM clinic evaluation, amputation rates and wound healing rates. Design;: Patients presenting with DFU to the DREAM clinic were enrolled. A podiatrist made the first assessment, followed by immediate specialist consultation with Endocrinologists, Vascular surgeons or Orthopaedic surgeons as required. Methods: Data on baseline demographics and DFU characteristics were collected. Outcomes evaluated were wound healing at 12 weeks, wound salvage rates, time to DREAM clinic access and time to specialist referral. Results: Sixty-eight patients were enrolled, with 57.3% males, and mean age of 63 ± 13.0 years. Majority of ulcers were classified as neuropathic (41.3%) and located at the digits (40%). At 12-weeks follow-up, 1 had undergone major amputation, 9 minor amputations and 4 surgical debridements. The median time to DREAM clinic evaluation from first presentation was 3 days (IQR 7). Eleven (16.2%) required >1 specialist consult. Twenty (29.4%) were hospitalised for treatment. Twelve underwent revascularisation within 4 days (IQR 3.5). Twenty-four patients (35.3%) continued podiatry follow-up, having 28 DFUs in which 20 (71.4%) healed within 12 weeks. Conclusion: The fast-access multidisciplinary DREAM clinic shows promising outcomes with lower major amputation rates and exemplary DFU healing outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Results from the BIOLUX P-III registry have demonstrated favourable outcomes of Passeo-18 Lux™ (Biotronik®, Buelach, Switzerland) drug-coated balloon in treating obstructive infrainguinal peripheral artery disease, but it has not been established if Asians would benefit to the same extent as non-Asians. Methods: A subgroup analysis was performed on the 24-month data comparing the Asian cohort (AC) to non-Asian cohort (NAC). Results: AC included 49 patients with 77 lesions. AC was significantly younger (65.6 vs 70.3 years, p < 0.05), had more diabetes (87.8% vs 45.3%, p < 0.05), and was more likely to present with CLTI (73.5% vs 35.3%, p < 0.001) compared to NAC. They had significantly longer mean target lesions (115 vs 86.9 mm, p = 0.006), and received significantly higher paclitaxel doses (10.7 vs 7.2 mg, p = 0.0005). Device, technical and procedural successes were 125/125(100%), 95/97(97.5%) and 45/49(91.8%), respectively. There was no significant difference in target lesion revascularization rates between groups (10.5% vs 12%, p = 0.91). However, the AC had more major adverse events (30.2% vs 16.1%, p = 0.001), amputations (26.3% vs 6.2%, p < 0.05) and mortality (37.9% vs 10.6%, p < 0.05) at 24 months. Conclusion: Passeo-18 Lux™ use was efficacious in Asians, but was associated with higher adverse events, amputations and mortality rates, likely attributable to poorer patient comorbidities and more extensive PAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to describe an efficacious method using Cleaner XT rotational thrombectomy with catheter-directed thrombolysis and drug-eluting balloon angioplasty for the salvage of thrombosed arteriovenous fistulae and grafts. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of all patients with thrombosed hemodialysis accesses who underwent endovascular salvage using the Cleaner XT rotational thrombectomy system at a single institution between June 2019 and September 2020 was performed. Patency was presented as Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and regression analysis was performed to examine predictors of postintervention primary patency and assisted primary patency based on Cox proportional-hazards model. Results: Thirty-four patients with thrombosed accesses underwent Cleaner XT rotational thrombectomy between June 2019 and September 2020. Technical and clinical success were both 100%. Mean procedure time was 62 ± 20 minutes. Mean postintervention primary patency time was 152 ± 51 days; 30, 90, 180, and 365 day postintervention primary patency rates were 89%, 80%, 68%, and 56%, respectively. Mean postintervention-assisted primary patency time was 157 ± 59 days; 30, 90, 180, and 365 day postintervention-assisted primary patency rates were 91%, 82%, 71%, and 59%, and 180 and 365 day secondary patency rates were 97.2% and 94.4%, respectively. Conclusion: The Cleaner XT rotational thrombectomy device demonstrates excellent clinical and technical success rates, with good patency results at all time points up to 12 months postintervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sirolimus coated balloon (SCB) is a promising treatment option to prevent restenosis for peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). This is a pilot first-in-human study of MagicTouch percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) SCB for treatment of PAOD for both femoropopliteal and below the knee arteries (BTK). Material and Methods: X treme To uch-Neo [MagicTouch PTA] Si rolimus Coated Balloon (XTOSI) pilot study is a prospective, single-arm, open-label, single-center trial evaluating MagicTouch PTA SCB for symptomatic PAOD. Primary endpoint was defined as primary patency at 6 months (duplex ultrasound peak systolic velocity ratio ≤2.4). Secondary endpoints included clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR), amputation free survival (AFS), all-cause mortality, and limb salvage success. Results: Fifty patients were recruited. The mean age was 67 (n=31 [62%] males). SCB was applied to femoropopliteal in 20 patients (40%) and BTK in 30 patients (60%). Majority of treatments (94%) were performed for limb salvage indications (Rutherford scores 5 or 6). This was a high risk cohort, in which 90% had diabetes, 36% had coronary artery disease, 20% had end stage renal failure, and American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) score was 3 or more in 80%. Mean lesion length treated was 227±81 mm, of which 36% were total occlusions. Technical and device success were both 100%. At 30 days, mortality was 2% and major limb amputation was also 2%. Six-month primary patency was 80% (88.2% for femoropopliteal; 74% for BTK). At 12 months, freedom from CD-TLR was 89.7% (94.1% for femoropopliteal; 86.3% for BTK), AFS was 81.6% (90.0% for femoropopliteal; 75.9% for BTK), all-cause mortality was 14.3% (10.0% for femoropopliteal; 17.2% for BTK), and limb salvage success was 92.9% (94.4% for femoropopliteal; 91.7% for BTK). There was a statistically significant increase between baseline and 6-month toe pressures for both femoropopliteal (57.3±23.3 mm Hg vs 82.5±37.8 mm Hg; p<.001) and BTK lesions (52.8±19.2 mm Hg vs 70.7±37 mm Hg; p<.037). At 12 months, wound healing rate was 33/39 (84.6%). Conclusions: MagicTouch PTA SCB in the XTOSI study showed promising 6-month primary patency and encouraging 12-month freedom from CD-TLR, AFS, and limb salvage rates. No early safety concerns were raised. Randomized trials are needed to investigate the safety and efficacy of SCB for treatment of PAOD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim was to evaluate the utility of frailty, as defined by the modified Frailty Index-1 1 (mFI-11) on predicting outcomes following endovascular revascularisation in Asian patients with chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI). Methods: CLTI patients who underwent endovascular revascularisation between January 2015 and March 2017 were included. Patients were retrospectively scored using the mFI-11 to categorise frailty as low, medium or high risk. Observed outcomes included 30-day complication rate and unplanned readmissions, 1-, 6- and 12-month mortality, and ambulation status at 6- and 12 months post-intervention. Results: A total of 233 patients (250 procedures) were included; 137 (58.8%) were males and the mean age was 69.0 (±10.7) years. 202/233 (86.7%) were diabetic and 196/233 (84.1%) had a prior diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The mean mFI-11 score was 4.2 (±1.5). 28/233 (12.0%), 155/233 (66.5%), and 50/233 (21.5%) patients were deemed low (mF-11 score 0–2), moderate (mFI-11 score 3–5) and high (mFI-11 score 5–7) frailty risk, respectively. High frailty was associated with an increased 12-month mortality (OR 8.54, 95% CI 1.05–69.5; p = 0.05), 30-day complication rate (OR 9.41, 95% CI 2.01–44.1; p < 0.01) and 30-day unplanned readmission (OR 5.06, 95% CI 1.06–24.2; p = 0.04). Furthermore, a high score was associated with a significantly worse 6- (OR 0.320, 95% CI 0.120–0.840; p = 0.02) and 12-month (OR 0.270, 95% CI 0.100–0.710; p < 0.01) ambulatory status. Conclusion: The mFI-11 is a useful, non-invasive tool that can be readily calculated using readily available patient data, for prediction of medium-term outcomes for Asian CLTI patients following endovascular revascularisation. Early recognition of short- and mid-term loss of ambulation status amongst high-frailty patients in this challenging cohort of patients could aid decision-making for whether a revascularisation or amputation-first policy is appropriate, and manage patient and caregiver expectations on potential improvement in functional outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We present 12 months efficacy data from A Singapore VenaSeal™ real-world post-market evaluation Study (ASVS), a prospective single-arm Asian population registry aimed to evaluate cyanoacrylate glue (CAG) closure of refluxing truncal veins. Methods: Duplex ultrasound was used to assess truncal vein closure. The revised Venous Clinical Severity Score (rVCSS) and three quality of life (QoL) questionnaires were completed to assess improvement in venous disease symptoms. Results: 90/100 (90%) patients (136 legs; 140 truncal veins) completed evaluation at 6- and 12 months. The truncal closure rates at 6 and 12 months were 139/140 (99.3%) and 137/140 (97.9%), respectively. rVCSS and QoL questionnaires scores were sustained from the 3 to 12 months visits, although there were no futher significant improvement. No serious adverse events were reported between 3 and 12 months. Conclusions: CAG remains a safe and efficacious venous ablative technology at 12 months and is associated with a high rate of target vein occlusion and sustained QoL improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested the tensile strength of the proximal juncture of tendon grafts with Pulvertaft tendon repairs in 18 cadaveric digital flexor tendons. These tendons were divided into three groups of six: single, two, or three weaves. Each of the interlacing weaves was secured with eight anchoring sutures. The specimens were loaded in a biomechanical tester until failure. The ultimate tensile strength did not show any significant differences across all three groups with statistical power of 0.77. The mean tendon elongation before repair failure showed significant difference at 10 mm (standard deviation (SD) 2), 16 mm (SD 3), and 15 mm (SD 3), respectively. All specimens failed by intra-tendinous pull-out of the weaves. We conclude that the two-weave Pulvertaft construct demonstrated comparable tensile strength to three weaves and tendon elongation was similar when two or three weaves were used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The VenaSeal™ closure system (Medtronic, Galway, Ireland) is a novel non-thermal, non-tumescent ablative device that induces endovenous closure by inducing fibrosis of the truncal superficial vein. The conventional IFU antegrade technique is straightforward except when the great saphenous vein is small at the planned access site below the knee, deep, or steeply traverses the fascia making passage of the introducer wire to the groin difficult. We describe our technique for retrograde great saphenous vein puncture, which mitigated these access problems and assessed the effectiveness and outcomes. Methods: Fourteen patients (14 legs; 14 great saphenous vein) underwent VenaSeal™ ablation via a retrograde puncture, all for great saphenous vein incompetence; 10/14 (71.4%) had C4–C5 disease. Retrograde puncture introduces the VenaSeal™ catheter in a cranial-caudal manner, with the designated puncture site at the most proximal point of the great saphenous vein reflux. Patients were reviewed at 1 week, 3, 6 and 12-months post-procedure. Post-operative outcomes and complications were recorded, along with patient satisfaction. Results: The most common reason for a retrograde puncture approach was the small great saphenous vein calibre below the knee, in 9/14 (64.3%) patients. There was 100% technical success, with no major complications from the procedure; 11/14 (78.6%) patients tolerated the procedure under local anaesthesia without any sedation. There was 100% Duplex-occlusion rate at 1 week, 3, 6 and 12-months post-procedure. Conclusion: The retrograde puncture technique for the VenaSeal™ Closure system is safe and effective in ablating the great saphenous vein in patients who are not amendable to the conventional antegrade puncture approach. Patients tolerated this procedure without additional mean operative time and minimal complications. More extensive studies with longer follow-up periods are required to validate the long-term outcomes of this technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this prospective single-centre study is to assess the effectiveness and patient experience of the VenaSeal™ Closure System, a novel non-thermal, non-tumescent catheter technique, which uses cyanoacrylate glue to occlude the refluxing truncal superficial veins to treat varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency, in a multi-ethnic Asian population from Singapore. Methods: Seventy-seven patients (93 legs; 103 procedures) underwent VenaSeal™ Closure System ablation. Forty-nine (63.6%) for great saphenous vein incompetence, 16 (20.8%) bilateral great saphenous vein, 2 (2.6%) small saphenous vein and 10 (13.0%) combined unilateral great saphenous vein and small saphenous vein/anterior thigh vein reflux. In addition, 65/93 legs (69.9%) had C4–C6 disease. Patients were reviewed at 2 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months post-procedure. Results: There was 100% technical success. 28/77 (36.4%) underwent concomitant phlebectomies. All procedures were well tolerated with a mean post-operative pain score of 3.0 (range: 0–5). After three months, median patient satisfaction was 9.0 (interquartile range: 7.0–10.0). At two-week follow-up, the great saphenous vein was completely occluded in 88/88 (100%) veins and small saphenous vein completely closed in 11/11 (100%) veins. At three-month follow-up, the great saphenous vein was occluded in 51/53 (96.2%) veins and small saphenous vein completely closed in 5/5 (100%) veins. At six-month follow-up, the great saphenous vein was completely occluded in 42/45 (93.3%) veins and small saphenous vein completely closed in 5/7 (71.4%) veins. At one year, great saphenous vein and small saphenous vein occlusion rates were 54/59 (91.5%) and 5/8 (62.5%), respectively. There was one deep vein thrombosis. Transient superficial phlebitis was reported in 10/93 (10.8%) legs, which were all self-limiting. There were 9/103 (8.7%) anatomical recurrences, but no patients required re-intervention as they were asymptomatic. Conclusions: Cyanoacrylate glue is a safe and efficacious modality to ablate refluxing saphenous veins in Asian patients in the short term. There is a high satisfaction rate and peri-procedural pain is low. Early results are promising but further evaluation and longer term follow-up are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dear Editor, In our previous article 'A biomechanical study of strengths of one-, two-, or three-weave Pulvertaft tendon repair' ([1]), we ascertained that the two-weave Pulvertaft repair is a satisfactory choice for tendon reconstruction. Assuming the cost of the suture to be negligible in the overall cost of tendon reconstruction, all four suture materials are suitable for Pulvertaft tendon reconstruction. Each flexor tendon was divided into two separate lengths, where one end was made a donor tendon and another end was made a recipient tendon, in order to control for tendon dimensions. [Extracted from the article]

Objectives: To report outcomes following ligation and bypass (LGB) surgery for popliteal artery aneurysm (PAA) and study factors influencing patient and graft survival. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing LGB surgery for PAA between September 1999 and August 2012 at a tertiary referral vascular unit was performed. Primary graft patency (PGP), primary-assisted graft patency (PAGP), and secondary graft patency (SGP) rates were calculated using survival analyses. Patient, graft aneurysm-free survival (GAFS), aneurysm reperfusion-free survival (ARFS), and amputation-free survival (AFS) rates were also calculated. Log-rank testing and Cox proportional hazards modeling were used to perform univariate and multivariate analysis of influencing factors, respectively. Results: Eighty-four LGB repairs in 69 patients (mean age 71.3 years, 68 males) were available for study. The 5-year PGP, PAGP, SGP, and patient survival rates were 58.1%, 84.4%, 85.2%, and 81.1%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, the principal determinants of PGP were urgency of operation (P = .009) and smoking status (P = .019). The principal determinants of PAGP were hyperlipidemia status (P = .048) and of SGP were hyperlipidemia (P = .042) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) status (P = .045). The principal determinants of patient survival were previous myocardial infarction (P = .004) and CVD (P = .001). The 5-year GAFS, ARFS, and AFS rates were 87.9%, 91.6%, and 96.1%, respectively. Conclusion: This study has shown that traditional cardiovascular risk factors, such as a smoking and ischemic heart disease, are the most important predictors of early graft failure and patient death following LGB surgery for PAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on prevalence of venous leg ulceration (VLU) and that is occurs more in elderly and female populations. The treatment of VLU that has been compression bandaging that heals the ulcer but with recurrence rate is discussed. The combination of compression with d superficial venous surgery that reduced the recurrence rate is offered. Information on the trial Early Venous Reflux Ablation (EVRA) is discussed.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate outcomes following endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) in patients with dilated but not aneurysmal common iliac arteries. Methods: Data prospectively collected from 342 elective EVARs were analyzed retrospectively. Dilated common iliac anatomy was defined as 21 to 24 mm. Patients with iliac aneurysms or external iliac artery (EIA) extension were excluded. Patients were followed up using clinical review, plain radiographs, duplex imaging, and selective computed tomography scanning. Results: Median age was 75 years with a mean follow-up of 3.6 years. In all, 33 patients had dilated common iliac arteries (DCIAs) and 309 had non-dilated common iliac arteries (NDCIA). There was no difference in aneurysm diameter or neck characteristics (length, diameter, angulation, thrombus, and flare) between the subgroups. There was no significant difference in technical success, 30-day mortality, late mortality, aneurysm-related mortality, 30-day reinterventions, stent graft migration, limb occlusion, sac expansion, graft rupture, type 1 endoleaks, type 3 endoleaks, and total reinterventions (all Ps > .05). There was a significant decrease in type II endoleaks in patients with DCIA compared to NDCIA (NDCIA 12.9% and DCIA 0.0%; P = .02). Conclusion: Patients presenting with abdominal aortic aneurysms with DCIA can be successfully treated with EVAR with no increase in complications without extension into the EIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Crossing the limbs of the stent during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is often used to aid cannulation of the contralateral limb. This study assessed outcomes following the use of this technique. Methods: Retrospective review of crossed (n = 43) and uncrossed (n = 269) EVARs was performed at a tertiary vascular center over 5 years. Primary end points were graft limb occlusion (GLO), endoleak, and sac expansion rates. Indications for limb crossing were also assessed. Results: Two-year GLO (P = .34) and type 1 endoleak (P = .413) rates were similar between groups. Patients undergoing crossed EVAR experienced more type 2 endoleaks (P = .002) at 24 months but no increase in sac expansion rates was observed (P = .275). Thirty-day (P = .57) and late (P = .268) mortalities were similar between groups. The main indication for limb crossing was distal aortic angulation (48.8%). Conclusions: Crossed EVAR does not increase the risk of GLOs or clinically significant endoleaks. Further studies are needed to determine the effect on type 2 endoleak rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To report a systematic review and meta-analysis of outcomes following endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) in patients with hostile neck anatomy (HNA) vs. those with favorable neck anatomy (FNA). Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis of data on EVAR in patients with HNA and FNA was performed by 2 reviewers in February 2013. An eligible study was required to have at least 50 participants and to incorporate one or more of the HNA criteria of neck length <15 mm, neck diameter >28 mm, and/or angulation >60°. Of the 24 full-length articles ultimately reviewed, 8 were excluded, resulting in 16 articles that were suitable for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The study size ranged from 55 to 5183 participants, with a total of 8920 patients in the FNA group and 3039 patients in the HNA group. Mean follow-up ranged from 9 to 49 months. Results:Analysis of the pooled data revealed a significant increase in 30-day mortality (2.4% FNA vs. 3.5% HNA; OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.27; p<0.01), intraoperative adjuncts (8.8% FNA vs. 15.4% HNA; OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.15 to 3.07; p=0.01), and 30-day migration (0.9% FNA vs. 1.6% HNA; OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.20 to 3.62; p=0.009) in patients with HNA. A decrease in primary technical success (97.5% FNA vs. 93.8% HNA; OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.93; p=0.03) was significant when all 3 criteria were used to define HNA. For outcomes at >30 days, the increase in secondary interventions (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.66; p=0.05) approached significance, but aneurysm-related mortality, all-cause mortality, migration, and aortic rupture did not achieve statistical significance. There was no difference in rates of sac expansion. Analysis of endoleak rates revealed a significant increase in 30-day type I endoleaks (OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.61 to 5.30; p<0.001) and late type I endoleaks (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.31 to 2.23; p<0.0001) in patients with HNA. Conclusion: These results suggest that performing EVAR in patients with HNA increases the technical difficulty and results in poorer short-term outcomes. The higher rates of early and late type I endoleaks, along with secondary interventions, suggest that increased monitoring should be performed in this category of patient to ensure rapid treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To report a systematic review and meta-regression of the association between the threshold for intervention in patients with isolated type II endoleak after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and the fate of the aneurysm sac. Methods: Medline, trial registries, conference proceedings, and article reference lists were searched to identify case series reporting sac outcomes following a specific treatment threshold for isolated type II endoleak. Articles were classified by the threshold for intervention as conservative, selective (intervention for >5-mm sac expansion or persistent type II endoleak >6 months), or aggressive (any type II endoleak or persistent for >3 months) and sac outcomes were extracted for review. Standard meta-regression to estimate the pooled odds ratios (OR), presented with the 95% confidence interval (CI), was performed to identify whether an aggressive, selective, or conservative threshold for intervention was associated with sac expansion or sac regression. Results: Ten series were analyzed that reported the outcomes of isolated type II endoleak in 231 patients; of these, 56 patients were treated at an aggressive threshold, 104 at a selective threshold, and 71 at a conservative threshold. The majority (194/231, 84.0%) demonstrated either stable or shrinking sacs during follow-up. No ruptures occurred. Meta-regression demonstrated no evidence that any strategy, compared to using a conservative approach, reduced sac expansion (aggressive estimated OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.15 to 3.31, p = 0.60; selective estimated OR 1.72, 95% CI 0.49 to 6.00, p = 0.34) or improved sac regression (aggressive estimated OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.02 to 16.94, p = 0.69; selective estimated OR 5.54, 95% CI 0.39 to 79.21, p = 0.17). Conclusion: There is inadequate information to support any one threshold for intervention. The rarity of rupture and sac expansion confirms the predominantly benign nature of isolated type II endoleak. In the absence of statistical support for a uniform approach to this problem, patient and physician preference remain key. Prospective data are still needed to investigate whether an optimum management algorithm can be devised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To synthesize the available evidence regarding the diagnostic accuracy of color duplex ultrasonography (CDU) versus the accepted gold-standard of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) for the detection and classification of endoleaks after aortic endografting. Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted using electronic bibliographical databases and other means to gather articles published between 1991 and 2004. Articles were scrutinized against inclusion/exclusion criteria that broadly followed the QUADAS quality assessment guidelines. The results of diagnostic CDU were expressed for each study as a 2x2 contingency table, and summary statistics (sensitivity/specificity with 95% confidence intervals [Cl]) were calculated. Pooled and random effects meta-analyses were performed. Results: Eight published studies and 2 unpublished studies from Charing Cross and St. George's Hospitals (711 patients, 1355 paired scans performed ≥ month after endografting) were eligible for inclusion. From meta-analyses, the pooled sensitivity of CDU (versus CT as the gold standard) was 69% (95% Cl 52% to 87%) and the specificity of CDU was 91% (95% Cl 87% to 95%). These parameters did not appear to vary over time when a smaller dataset of 117 patients with 239 paired scans was used to compare CT and CDU specifically at 3, 12, and 24 months after endografting. Endoleak classification data, which was derived from only 5 small studies, indicated that CDU appeared to have better diagnostic accuracy in detecting type I or type III endoleaks compared with type II endoleaks; however, the data were insufficient for statistical analysis. Conclusions: CDU currently does not have sufficient diagnostic accuracy for the detection of all endoleaks in routine clinical practice. The diagnostic accuracy of CDU may improve if type II endoleaks are ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]