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Objective: The characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing vascular surgery hospitalised and managed in Lombardy are described with a comparison of patients tested positive for COVID-19 (CV19-pos) vs. those tested negative (CV19-neg). Methods: This was a multicentre, retrospective, observational cohort study which involved all vascular surgery services in Lombardy, Northern Italy. Data were retrospectively merged into a combined dataset covering the nine weeks of the Italian COVID-19 pandemic phase 1 (8 March 2020 to 3 May 2020). The primary outcome was freedom from in hospital death, secondary outcomes were re-thrombosis rate after peripheral revascularisation, and freedom from post-operative complication. Results: Among 674 patients managed during the outbreak, 659 (97.8%) were included in the final analysis: 121 (18.4%) were CV19-pos. CV19-pos status was associated with a higher rate of complications (OR 4.5; p < .001, 95% CI 2.64 – 7.84), and a higher rate of re-thrombosis after peripheral arterial revascularisation (OR 2.2; p = .004, 95% CI 1.29 – 3.88). In hospital mortality was higher in CV19-pos patients (24.8% vs. 5.6%; OR 5.4, p < .001;95% CI 2.86 – 8.92). Binary logistic regression analysis identified CV19-pos status (OR 7.6; p < .001, 95% CI 3.75 – 15.28) and age > 80 years (OR 3.2; p = .001, 95% CI 1.61 – 6.57) to be predictors of in hospital death. Conclusion: In this experience of the vascular surgery group of Lombardy, COVID-19 infection was a marker of poor outcomes in terms of mortality and post-operative complications for patients undergoing vascular surgery treatments.

BACKGROUND: To highlight clinical practice among referral (Hub, HH) or satellite (Spoke, SH) hospitals Vascular Surgery Units (VSUs) in Lombardy, during the COVID-19 pandemic "phase 1" period (March 8 - May 3, 2020). METHODS: The Vascular Surgery Group of Regione Lombardia Register, a real-word, multicenter, retrospective register was interrogated. All patients admitted with vascular disease were included. Patients' data on demographics, COVID-19 positivity, comorbidities and outcomes were extrapolated. Two cohorts were obtained: patients admitted to HH or SH. Primary endpoint was 30- day mortality rate. Secondary outcomes were 30-day complications and amputation (in case of peripheral artery disease [PAD]) rates. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to compare HH and SH groups and predictors of poor outcomes. RESULTS: During the study period, 659 vascular patients in 4 HH and 27 SH were analyzed. Among these, 321 (48.7%) were admitted to a HH. No difference in COVID-19 positive patients was described (21.7% in HH vs 15.9% in SH; p=.058). After 30 days from intervention, HH and SH experienced similar mortality and no-intervention-related complication rate (12.1% vs 10.0%; p=.427 and 10.3% vs 8.3%; p=.377, respectively). Conversely, in HH postoperative complications were higher (23.4% vs 16.9%, p=.038) and amputations in patients treated for PAD were lower (10.8% vs 26.8%; p

We describe the multidisciplinary work of nephrological realities belonging to two different Regional Health Systems, Lombardia and Lazio. The interventional nephrologist is a specialist in nephrology with ultra-specialist know-how for vascular access for dialysis. He is the coordinator of a team of vascular accesses and applies a team work with the other interventional nephrologists, with the vascular surgeon and the interventional radiologist, with whom he decides the diagnostic-therapeutic procedure to perform the best possible vascular access for that individual patient.

Background Hepatic artery aneurysms are rare but potentially fatal if undiagnosed or left untreated. Several open surgical and endovascular techniques for hepatic artery aneurysm (HAA) repair have been described. Splenic artery transposition has been reported in selected cases. Case Report We herein present the case of a 73-year-old man with asymptomatic HAA and concomitant occlusion at the most proximal tract. The aneurysm involved the common and proper hepatic artery and was supplied by the gastroduodenal artery. Aneurysmectomy was performed, and the arterial blood flow was restored to the liver by splenic artery transposition graft. No signs of liver or spleen ischemia were detected at control computed tomography angiography. The patient is doing fine 3 months after surgery. Conclusions This case presented multiple challenges because of HAA location and extension and lack of a traditional inflow site for hepatic revascularization. In such setting, splenic artery transposition was shown to represent a feasible and successful technique.

We report the case of a 32-year-old man with severe polytrauma, submitted to urgent endovascular exclusion of a posttraumatic thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysm. Two years later, computed tomography scan showed asymptomatic mural atherothrombosis of the aortic stent graft in its middle-distal portion, and the patient was placed on oral anticoagulants. As subsequent computed tomography scan showed progression of the thrombosis, the patient underwent surgical conversion, with stent graft explantation and in situ aortic replacement. Gross examination revealed mural organized thrombosis and a significant infolding of the distal end of the stent graft. (J Vase Surg 2012;55:538-41.) We report the case of a 32-year-old man with severe polytrauma, submitted to urgent endovascular exclusion of a posttraumatic thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysm. Two years later, computed tomography scan showed asymptomatic mural atherothrombosis of the aortic stent graft in its middle-distal portion, and the patient was placed on oral anticoagulants. As subsequent computed tomography scan showed progression of the thrombosis, the patient underwent surgical conversion, with stent graft explantation and in situ aortic replacement. Gross examination revealed mural organized thrombosis and a significant infolding of the distal end of the stent graft. (J Vase Surg 2012;55:538-41.) OI tshomba, yamume/0000-0001-8316-4702

L'objectif de cette etude retrospective etait d'evaluer les performances des protheses en polytetrafluoroethylene expandable (ePTFE) bifurquees, extensibles en longueur (stretch), implantees chez des patients ayant une maladie occlusive atheromateuse aorto-iliaque ou aorto-femorale. D'octobre 1991 a decembre 2005, 822 patients consecutifs (708 hommes, 114 femmes; âge moyen 63,8 ans) eurent une reconstruction aorto-iliaque ou aorto-femorale avec une prothese bifurquee en ePTFE stretch. En pre-operatoire, tous les patients avaient une evaluation ultrasonographique et arteriographique puis etaient classifies suivant la classification morphologique TASC II des lesions iliaques. Soixante-dix-sept patients (9,4%) avaient des lesions de type B, 314 (38,2%) avaient des lesions de type C, et 431 (52,4%) avaient des lesions de type D. Une endarteriectomie de l'aorte etait requise chez 172 patients (21%); les arteres femorales etaient endarteriectomisees chez 222 (27%) patients. Un pontage femoro-poplite etait realise chez 18 patients, un pontage aorto-renal chez 12 patients, et un pontage mesenterique chez un patient. Un patient decedait au cours de la periode peri-operatoire d'un infarctus myocardique. La morbidite peri-operatoire etait cardiaque (2,2% des patients), respiratoire (0,9%), gastro-intestinale (1,2%), et renale (1,3%). Sept patients eurent un saignement necessitant un reprise chirurgicale dans les premiere vingt-quatre heures suivant l'intervention. Il y a eu quatre cas (0,5%) de thrombose prothetique precoce et cinq (0,6%) cas de thrombose unilaterale de jambage. Au cours d'un suivi moyen de 72 mois (range 28-170), 58 patients (7,1%) etaient perdus de vue et 205 patients (24,9%) decedaient. Les taux de permeabilites primaire et secondaire au cours de la periode d'observation etaient de 90,6% et 97,9%, respectivement. Douze occlusions tardives de protheses furent efficacement traitees par thrombectomie seule. Onze cas de thromboses unilaterales de jambages furent efficacement traites par thrombectomie et plastie de la femorale profonde. Le taux de sauvetage de membre chez les patients operes pour ischemie critique au cours de la periode d'observation etait de 84,5%. Il y avait neuf infections de protheses en postoperatoire (1,1% d'infections) dans cette serie. Notre experience a long terme avec les protheses en ePTFE stretch pour reconstructions aorto-iliaques et aorto-femorales montre que ces protheses ont un taux eleve de permeabilite et un faible taux de complications liees aux protheses elles-memes.

Objective: Hybrid thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair, consisting in re-routing of abdominal aortic visceral branches followed by TAAA endograft exclusion has been shown to be a feasible strategy, especially appealing in high-risk patients. Patients and methods: We analysed 31 high-risk patients who underwent hybrid TAAA repair in our centre with a variety of visceral re-routing configuration and of commercially available thoracic endografts. Twenty-three simultaneous (74.2%) and eight staged procedures (25.8%) were performed with a four-vessel re-vascularisation in 10 cases (32.3%), a three-vessel in six (19.4%) and a two-vessel in 15 (48.4%). We also performed a literature review of major single-centre series of TAAA hybrid repair. Results: No intra-operative deaths were observed in our series, with a technical success in endovascular TAAA repair of 100%, an overall perioperative mortality of 19.4% and a perioperative morbidity of 35.5%, including one case (3.2%) of permanent paraplegia. At a median follow-up of 11.9 months, we observed a visceral graft occlusion rate of 6.8%, one type II endoleak and one endograft migration. From the literature review, six other single-centre series with more than 10 hybrid TAAA repairs were found. From data available of 107 patients, we observed a mean perioperative mortality of 15.6%, the rate of primary endoleaks was 17.9%, paraplegia/paraparesis 7.2% and renal failure 9.9%, with other major perioperative complications reported in the 50.6% of cases. At the follow-up period visceral graft occlusion rate was 5.1%. Conclusion: Typical complications of conventional TAAA open surgery have been not eliminated by hybrid repair and significant mortality and morbidity have been reported till date. The fate of visceral bypasses and incidence of endoleak and other endograft-related complications need to be carefully assessed. Hybrid TAAA repair should nowadays be limited as alternative to simple observation in patients unfit for the conventional open repair. (C) 2009 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Objective: Hybrid thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair, consisting in re-routing of abdominal aortic visceral branches followed by TAAA endograft exclusion has been shown to be a feasible strategy, especially appealing in high-risk patients. Patients and methods: We analysed 31 high-risk patients who underwent hybrid TAAA repair in our centre with a variety of visceral re-routing configuration and of commercially available thoracic endografts. Twenty-three simultaneous (74.2%) and eight staged procedures (25.8%) were performed with a four-vessel re-vascularisation in 10 cases (32.3%), a three-vessel in six (19.4%) and a two-vessel in 15 (48.4%). We also performed a literature review of major single-centre series of TAAA hybrid repair. Results: No intra-operative deaths were observed in our series, with a technical success in endovascular TAAA repair of 100%, an overall perioperative mortality of 19.4% and a perioperative morbidity of 35.5%, including one case (3.2%) of permanent paraplegia. At a median follow-up of 11.9 months, we observed a visceral graft occlusion rate of 6.8%, one type II endoleak and one endograft migration. From the literature review, six other single-centre series with more than 10 hybrid TAAA repairs were found. From data available of 107 patients, we observed a mean perioperative mortality of 15.6%, the rate of primary endoleaks was 17.9%, paraplegia/paraparesis 7.2% and renal failure 9.9%, with other major perioperative complications reported in the 50.6% of cases. At the follow-up period visceral graft occlusion rate was 5.1%. Conclusion: Typical complications of conventional TAAA open surgery have been not eliminated by hybrid repair and significant mortality and morbidity have been reported till date. The fate of visceral bypasses and incidence of endoleak and other endograft-related complications need to be carefully assessed. Hybrid TAAA repair should nowadays be limited as alternative to simple observation in patients unfit for the conventional open repair.

Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) hybrid repair consists of aortic visceral branch rerouting followed by TAAA endograft exclusion. This technique has been shown to represent a technically feasible strategy in selected patients.We analyzed 52 high-risk patients who underwent hybrid TAAA repair between 2001 and 2012 in our centre with a variety of visceral rerouting configurations and of commercially available thoracic endografts. Thirty-seven simultaneous (71.2%) and 15 staged procedures (21.8%) were performed with a four-vessel revascularization in 18 cases (34.6%), a three-vessel revascularization in 11 cases (21.2%) and a two-vessel revascularization in 23 cases (44.2%).No intraoperative deaths were observed. We recorded a perioperative mortality rate of 13.5% (n=7), including deaths from multiorgan failure (n=2), myocardial infarction (n=2), coagulopathy (n=1), pancreatitis (n=1) and bowel infarction (n=1). Perioperative morbidity rate was 28.8% (n=15), including 2 cases of transient paraparesis and 1 case of permanent paraplegia. Renal failure (n=5), pancreatitis (n=3), respiratory failure (n=3) and dysphagia (n=1) were also observed. At median follow-up of 23.9 months procedure-related mortality rate was 9.6%: two patients died from visceral graft occlusion and three from aortic rupture. There were three endoleaks and one endograft migration, none of which resulted in death. Five patients (9.6%) died as a consequence of unrelated events.Typical complications of conventional TAAA open surgery have not been eliminated by hybrid repair, and significant mortality and morbidity rates have been recorded. Fate of visceral bypasses and incidence of endoleak and other endograft-related complications needs to be carefully assessed. Hybrid TAAA repair should currently be limited to high-risk surgical patients with unfit anatomy for endovascular repair.

Thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) hybrid repair consists of rerouting of abdominal aortic visceral branches followed by TAAA endograft exclusion. In this chapter we report our single-center experience of 34 patients (28 males, median age 68.2 years, range 23 to 83 years) who underwent hybrid TAAA repair (13 type I, 4 type II, 7 type III, 3 type IV — Crawford classification — and 7 aneurysms of the visceral aortic patch) between 2001 and 2009. Patients’ data were prospectively collected in a computerized database. All patients were excluded from standard open surgery because of increased surgical risk and/or local technical concerns. Hybrid TAAA repair has been technically feasible in all cases undergoing TAAA exclusion, with a variety of operative strategies and materials. Typical complications of standard open surgery have not been eliminated by hybrid TAAA repair and there are still significant mortality and morbidity, and new threatening mid-term procedure-related complications have been reported. Larger series of hybrid TAAA repair with clear inclusion criteria and long-term follow-up are needed to establish a standardized operative technique and to make any statistically meaningful comparisons with standard open repair. Based on our experience with high-risk patients, hybrid TAAA repair should currently be limited as an alternative to simple observation in patients unfit for standard open repair.

Purpose: To assess the safety and efficacy of thoracic aortic endovascular repair (TEVAR) with the newly introduced Zenith TX2 thoracic stent-graft with Pro-Form. Methods: From March 2009 to present, the Zenith TX2 with Pro-Form was used to treat 27 patients (23 men; median age 65 years, range 22-77) suffering from descending thoracic aortic disease: 20 degenerative aneurysms, 3 chronic type B dissections, 2 type I endoleaks following previous endograft repair, 1 aortic ulcer, and 1 traumatic isthmic rupture. According to Ishimaru's classification, the distribution of the proximal landing zone was zone 0 in 4 cases, zone 1 in 2 cases, zone 2 in 9 cases, zone 3 in 7 cases, and zone 4 in 5 cases. One aneurysm distally involved the thoracoabdominal aorta. An acutely angulated (

Retrograde type A dissection (RTAD) is not so uncommon after thoracic endovascular aortic repair of type B dissections, especially in the presence of connective tissue disorders. Risk of RTAD after thoracic endovascular aortic repair of nondissecting aneurysms has still to be clarified, mainly if proximal arch involvement requires hybrid repair with ascending aortic side clamping, supra-aortic trunks proximal re-routing and endograft landing in ascending aorta. We report a mid-term RTAD after hybrid repair of a proximal arch nondissecting aneurysm without connective tissue disorders. The technique for ascending aortic replacement without arch endograft removal and literature review about this poorly known complication are presented.

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the performance of bifurcated, longitudinally extensible (stretch), expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafts implanted in patients with aortoiliac or aortofemoral occlusive atherosclerotic disease. Between October 1991 and December 2005, 822 consecutive patients ( 708 men, 114 women; mean age 63.8 years) underwent aortoiliac or aortofemoral reconstruction using a bifurcated ePTFE stretch graft. Preoperatively, all patients had ultrasonographic and arteriographic evaluations and were divided into groups according to the TASC II morphological strati. cation of iliac lesions. Seventy-seven patients (9.4%) had type Blesions, 314 (38.2%) had type C lesions, and 431 (52.4%) were classified as type D lesions. Endarterectomy of the aorta was required in 172 patients (21%); femoral arteries were endarterectomized in 222 (27%). Femoropopliteal bypass grafting was performed in 18 patients, aortorenal bypass in 12, and mesenteric artery grafting in one. One patient died perioperatively of a myocardial infarction. Perioperative morbidity included cardiac (2.2% of patients), respiratory (0.9%), and gastrointestinal (1.2%) complications, as well as acute renal insufficiency (1.3%). Seven patients had bleeding requiring surgical revision within the first 24 hr after surgery. There were four cases (0.5%) of immediate graft thrombosis and five (0.6%) of single-limb graft thrombosis. During a mean follow-up time of 72 months (range 28-170), 58 patients (7.1%) were lost to follow-up and 205 patients (24.9%) died. The primary and secondary graft-patency rates during the observation period were 90.6% and 97.9%, respectively. Twelve late graft occlusions resolved after thrombectomy alone. Eleven cases of single-limb late thrombosis resolved after thrombectomy and profundoplasty. The limb-salvage rate during the observation period in patients who underwent operation for critical limb ischemia was 84.5%. There were nine postoperative graft infections (1.1% infection rate) in the series. Our long-term experience with ePTFE stretch grafts in aortoiliac and aortofemoral reconstruction shows that these prostheses have a high rate of patency and a low rate of graft-related complications. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the performance of bifurcated, longitudinally extensible (stretch), expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafts implanted in patients with aortoiliac or aortofemoral occlusive atherosclerotic disease. Between October 1991 and December 2005, 822 consecutive patients (708 men, 114 women; mean age 63.8 years) underwent aortoiliac or aortofemoral reconstruction using a bifurcated ePTFE stretch graft. Preoperatively, all patients had ultrasonographic and arteriographic evaluations and were divided into groups according to the TASC II morphological stratification of iliac lesions. Seventy-seven patients (9.4%) had type B lesions, 314 (38.2%) had type C lesions, and 431 (52.4%) were classified as type D lesions. Endarterectomy of the aorta was required in 172 patients (21%); femoral arteries were endarterectomized in 222 (27%). Femoropopliteal bypass grafting was performed in 18 patients, aortorenal bypass in 12, and mesenteric artery grafting in one. One patient died perioperatively of a myocardial infarction. Perioperative morbidity included cardiac (2.2% of patients), respiratory (0.9%), and gastrointestinal (1.2%) complications, as well as acute renal insufficiency (1.3%). Seven patients had bleeding requiring surgical revision within the first 24 hr after surgery. There were four cases (0.5%) of immediate graft thrombosis and five (0.6%) of single-limb graft thrombosis. During a mean follow-up time of 72 months (range 28-170), 58 patients (7.1%) were lost to follow-up and 205 patients (24.9%) died. The primary and secondary graft-patency rates during the observation period were 90.6% and 97.9%, respectively. Twelve late graft occlusions resolved after thrombectomy alone. Eleven cases of single-limb late thrombosis resolved after thrombectomy and profundoplasty. The limb-salvage rate during the observation period in patients who underwent operation for critical limb ischemia was 84.5%. There were nine postoperative graft infections (1.1% infection rate) in the series. Our long-term experience with ePTFE stretch grafts in aortoiliac and aortofemoral reconstruction shows that these prostheses have a high rate of patency and a low rate of graft-related complications

We previously described the case of a 47-year-old man who experienced perioperative graft occlusion after infrarenal aortic endarterectomy and aortobifemoral expanded polytetrafluoroethylene bypass graft for occlusive disease. The patient was treated with local graft thrombolysis and stenting of an intimal flap at the level of the endarterectomized aorta next to the aortic anastomosis. An urgent laparotomy performed 6 years later showed aortic wall perforation by the stent with a large aortoenteric fistula. Surgical treatment included removal of the stent and the aortobifemoral graft, bowel repair, and extra-anatomic lower-limb revascularization by axillofemoral and cross-femoral bypass grafting. The patient was discharged 12 days later with no early complications. Although local thrombolysis and stenting may be a technically feasible technique instead of reoperation in early aortofemoral graft thrombosis, long-term results of this procedure may be affected by perigraft hematoma due to perioperative thrombolysis, increased risk of infection due to the prolonged intragraft cannulation, and risk of stent-related aortic injury, especially if an endarterectomy has been performed. All these issues may increase the risk of late aortoenteric fistula. More experience with hybrid, open/endovascular procedures, and more contemporary stent-based devices is needed to assess the efficacy and safety of this alternative treatment. We previously described the case of a 47-year-old man who experienced perioperative graft occlusion after infrarenal aortic endarterectomy and aortobifemoral expanded polytetrafluoroethylene bypass graft for occlusive disease. The patient was treated with local graft thrombolysis and stenting of an intimal flap at the level of the endarterectomized aorta next to the aortic anastomosis. An urgent laparotomy performed 6 years later showed aortic wall perforation by the stent with a large aortoenteric fistula. Surgical treatment included removal of the stent and the aortobifemoral graft, bowel repair, and extra-anatomic lower-limb revascularization by axillofemoral and cross-femoral bypass grafting. The patient was discharged 12 days later with no early complications. Although local thrombolysis and stenting may be a technically feasible technique instead of reoperation in early aortofemoral graft thrombosis, long-term results of this procedure may be affected by perigraft hematoma due to perioperative thrombolysis, increased risk of infection due to the prolonged intragraft cannulation, and risk of stent-related aortic injury, especially if an endarterectomy has been performed. All these issues may increase the risk of late aortoenteric fistula. More experience with hybrid, open/endovascular procedures, and more contemporary stent-based devices is needed to assess the efficacy and safety of this alternative treatment. OI tshomba, yamume/0000-0001-8316-4702

Les dissections retrogrades de type A (RTAD) ne sont pas si rares apres reparation aortique endovasculaire thoracique des dissections de type B, particulierement en presence de desordres du tissu conjonctif. Le risque de RTAD apres reparation aortique endovasculaire thoracique des anevrysmes non dissequants doit etre clarifie, principalement si une atteinte proximale de la crosse impose une reparation hybride avec un clampage aortique lateral, un debranchement proximal des troncs supra-aortiques et le largage du stentgraft dans l’aorte ascendante. Nous rapportons une RTAD a moyen terme apres reparation hybride d’un anevrysme non dissequant de la crosse proximale sans desordres du tissu conjonctif. La technique de remplacement de l’aorte ascendante sans ablation du stentgraft de la crosse et une revue de la litterature au sujet de cette complication mal connue sont presentees.