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Background and Objectives: The impact of race on outcomes in the treatment of intracranial aneurysm (IA) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the relationship between race classified into White, Black, Hispanic, and other and treatment outcomes in patients with ruptured and unruptured IAs., Methods: The study population consisted of 2836 patients with IA with endovascular treatment or microsurgical treatment (MST) from 16 centers in the United States and Asia, all participating in the observational "STAR" registry. The primary outcome was a 90-day modified Rankin Scale of 0 to 2. Secondary outcomes included periprocedural cerebral infarction and intracranial hemorrhage, perioperative symptomatic cerebral vasospasm in ruptured IA and mortality, and all causes of mortality within 90 days., Results: One thousand fifty-three patients were White (37.1%), 350 were Black (12.3%), 264 were Hispanic (9.3%), and 1169 were other (41.2%). Compared with White patients, Hispanic patients had a significantly lower proportion of primary outcome (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.36, 95% CI, 0.23-0.56) and higher proportion of the periprocedural cerebral infarction, perioperative mortality, and all causes of mortality (aOR 2.53, 95% CI, 1.40-4.58, aOR 1.84, 95% CI, 1.00-3.38, aOR 1.83, 95% CI, 1.06-3.17, respectively). Outcomes were not significantly different in Black and other patients. The subgroup analysis showed that Hispanic patients with age ≥65 years (aOR 0.19, 95% CI, 0.10-0.38, interaction P = .048), Hunt-Hess grades 0 to 3 (aOR 0.29, 95% CI, 0.19-0.46, interaction P = .03), and MST (aOR 0.24, 95% CI, 0.13-0.44, interaction P = .04) had a significantly low proportion of primary outcome., Conclusion: This study demonstrates that Hispanic patients with IA are more likely to have a poor outcome at 90 days after endovascular treatment or MST than White patients. Physicians have to pay attention to the selection of treatment modalities, especially for Hispanic patients with specific factors to reduce racial discrepancies., (Copyright © Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2024. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To determine the peri-operative mortality rate for intact and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair in 10 countries and to compare practice and outcomes over a six year period by age, sex, and geographic location., Methods: This VASCUNET study used prospectively collected data from vascular registries in 10 countries on primary repair of intact and ruptured AAAs undertaken between January 2014 and December 2019. The primary outcome was peri-operative death (30 day or in hospital). Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between peri-operative death, patient characteristics, and type of procedure. Factors associated with the use of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) were also evaluated., Results: The analysis included 50 642 intact and 9 453 ruptured AAA repairs. The proportion of EVARs for intact repairs increased from 63.4% in 2014 to 67.3% in 2016 before falling to 62.3% in 2019 (p < .001), but practice varied between countries. EVAR procedures were more common among older patients (p < .001) and men (p < .001). Overall peri-operative mortality after intact AAA repair was 1.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3 - 1.5%) and did not change over time. Mortality rates were stable within countries. Among ruptured AAA repairs, the proportion of EVARs increased from 23.7% in 2014 to 35.2% in 2019 (p < .001). The average aortic diameter was 7.8 cm for men and 7.0 cm for women (p < .001). The overall peri-operative mortality rate was 31.3% (95% CI 30.4 - 32.2%); the rates were 36.0% (95% CI 34.9 - 37.2%) for open repair and 19.7% (95% CI 18.2 - 21.3%) for EVAR. This difference and shift to EVAR reduced peri-operative mortality from 32.6% (in 2014) to 28.7% (in 2019)., Conclusion: The international practice of intact AAA repair was associated with low mortality rates in registry reported data. There remains variation in the use of EVAR for intact AAAs across countries. Overall peri-operative mortality remains high after ruptured AAA, but an increased use of EVAR has reduced rates over time., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: Women with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are older and have greater preexisting handicap than men. Given that these factors do not fully explain their poorer long-term outcomes, we sought to investigate potential sex differences in the delivery of acute stroke care in a large cohort of consecutive AIS patients., Methods: We analyzed all patients from ASTRAL (Acute Stroke Registry and Analysis of Lausanne) from March 2003 to December 2019. Multivariable analyses were performed on acute time metrics, revascularization therapies, ancillary examinations for stroke workup, subacute symptomatic carotid artery revascularization, frequency of change in goals of care (palliative care), and length of hospital stay., Results: Of the 5347 analyzed patients, 45% were biologically female and the median age was 74.6 years. After multiple adjustments, female sex was significantly associated with higher onset-to-door (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04-1.14) and door-to-endovascular-puncture intervals (aHR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.05-1.25). Women underwent numerically fewer diagnostic examinations (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.85-1.04) and fewer subacute carotid revascularizations (aOR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.33-1.18), and had longer hospital stays (aHR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.99-1.07), but these differences were not statistically significant. We found no differences in the rates of acute revascularization treatments, or in the frequency of change of goals of treatments., Conclusions: This retrospective analysis of a large, consecutive AIS cohort suggests that female sex is associated with unfavorable pre- and in-hospital time metrics, such as a longer onset-to-door and door-to-endovascular-puncture intervals. Such indicators of less effective stroke care delivery may contribute to the poorer long-term functional outcomes in female patients and require further attention., (© 2024 The Authors. European Journal of Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Neurology.)

Background: Peripheral vascular trauma is a major contributing factor to long-term disability and mortality among patients with traumatic injuries. However, an analysis focusing on individuals at a high risk of experiencing limb loss due to rural and urban peripheral vascular trauma is lacking., Method: This was a retrospective analysis of the 2016 to 2020 Nationwide Readmissions Database. Patients (≥18 years) undergoing open or endovascular procedures after admission for peripheral vascular trauma were identified using the 2016 to 2020 Nationwide Readmissions Database. Patients from rural regions were considered Rural, whereas the remainder comprised Urban. The primary outcome of the study was primary amputation. Multivariable regression models were developed to evaluate rurality with outcomes of interest., Results: Of 29,083 patients, 4,486 (15.6%) were Rural. Rural were older (41 [28-59] vs 37 [27-54] years, P < .001), with a similar distribution of female sex (23.0 vs 21.3%, P = .09) and transfers from other facilities (2.8 vs 2.5%, P = .34). After adjustment, Rural status was not associated with the odds of mortality (P = .82), with urban as reference. Rural status was, however, associated with greater odds of limb amputation (adjusted odds ratio 1.85, 95% confidence interval 1.47-2.32) and reduced index hospitalization cost by $7,100 (95% confidence interval $3,500-10,800). Additionally, compared to patients from urban locations, rurality was associated with similar odds of non-home discharge and 30-day readmission. Over the study period, the marginal effect of rurality on the risk-adjusted rates of amputation significantly increased (P < .001)., Conclusion: Patients who undergo peripheral vascular trauma management in rural areas appear to increasingly exhibit a higher likelihood of amputation, with lower incremental costs and a lower risk of 30-day readmission. These findings underscore disparities in access to optimal trauma vascular care as well as limited resources in rural regions., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Registry data suggest that centralising abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery decreases the mortality rate after AAA repair. However, the impact of higher elective volumes on ruptured AAA (rAAA) repair associated mortality rates remains uncertain. This study aimed to examine associations between intact AAA (iAAA) repair volume and post-operative rAAA death., Methods: Using data from official national registries between 2015 - 2019, all iAAA and rAAA repairs were separately analysed across 10 public hospitals. The following were assessed: 30 day and 12 month mortality rate following open surgical repair (OSR) and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Associations between the 5 year hospital iAAA repair volumes (organised into tertiles) and rAAA associated mortality rate were analysed, regardless of treatment modality. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to identify iAAA volume thresholds for decreasing the rAAA mortality rate. Subanalysis by treatment type was conducted. Threshold analysis was repeated with the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) procedure to confirm the findings., Results: A total of 1 599 iAAAs (80.2% EVAR, 19.8% OSR) and 196 rAAAs (66.3% EVAR, 33.7% OSR) repairs were analysed. The median and interquartile range of the volume/hospital/year for all iAAA repairs were 39.2 (31.2, 47.4). The top volume iAAA tertile exhibited lower rAAA associated 30 day (odds ratio [OR] 0.374; p = .007) and 12 month (OR 0.264; p < .001) mortality rates. The ROC analysis revealed a threshold of 40 iAAA repairs/hospital/year (EVAR + OSR) for a reduced rAAA mortality rate. Middle volume hospitals for open iAAA repair had reduced 30 day (OR 0.267; p = .033) and 12 month (OR 0.223; p = .020) mortality rates, with a threshold of five OSR procedures/year. The MCMC procedure found similar thresholds. No significant association was found between elective EVAR volumes and ruptured EVAR mortality., Conclusion: Higher iAAA repair volumes correlated with a lower rAAA mortality rate, particularly for OSR. The recommended iAAA repair threshold is 40 procedures/year and five procedures/year for OSR. These findings support high elective volumes for improving the rAAA mortality rate, especially for OSR., (Copyright © 2024 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the contemporary population based incidence of acute lower limb ischaemia (ALI) and factors associated with major amputation/death at one year., Methods: In this retrospective observational study, in hospital, operation, radiological, and autopsy registries were scrutinised to capture 161 citizens of Malmö, Sweden, with ALI between 2015 and 2018. Age and sex specific incidence rates were calculated in the population of Malmö between 2015 and 2018, expressed as number of patients per 100 000 person years (PY). Independent risk factors for major amputation/death at one year were identified by multivariable logistic regression analysis and expressed as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs)., Results: One hundred and sixty-one patients with ALI gave an overall incidence of 12.2/100 000 PY (95% CI 10.3 - 14.1), with no sex related differences. Embolism (42.2%) was the most common cause of ALI. Among 52 patients with atrial fibrillation, 38.5% were on anticoagulant medication. Endovascular or open vascular revascularisation was performed in 54.7% of patients. The total cause specific mortality ratio was 2.63 (95% CI 1.66 - 3.61)/1 000 deaths, without no sex related differences. The combined major amputation/mortality rate at one year for the whole cohort was 46.6%. Rutherford ≥ IIb ALI (OR 4.19, 95% CI 1.94 - 9.02; p < .001), age (OR 1.03/year, 95% CI 1.00 - 1.06; p = .036), female sex (OR 2.37, 95% 1.07 - 5.26; p = .034), and anaemia (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.08 - 5.62; p = .033) were associated with an increased risk of major amputation/death at one year. The major amputation/mortality rate at one year was 100% (n = 14/14) for patients living in a nursing home on admission., Conclusion: The incidence of ALI appears to be unchanged, and major amputation and mortality at one year remain high. It is necessary to include the substantial proportion of patients with ALI that do not undergo revascularisation in epidemiological studies. There is room for improvement in anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation to prevent ALI due to embolism. Research on gender inequalities in patients with ALI is warranted., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The Dutch Surgical Aneurysm Audit (DSAA) initiative was established in 2013 to monitor and improve nationwide outcomes of aortic aneurysm surgery. The objective of this study was to examine whether outcomes of surgery for intact abdominal aortic aneurysms (iAAA) have improved over time., Methods: Patients who underwent primary repair of an iAAA by standard endovascular (EVAR) or open surgical repair (OSR) between 2014 and 2019 were selected from the DSAA for inclusion. The primary outcome was peri-operative mortality trend per year, stratified by OSR and EVAR. Secondary outcomes were trends per year in major complications, textbook outcome (TbO), and characteristics of treated patients. The trends per year were evaluated and reported in odds ratios per year., Results: In this study, 11 624 patients (74.8%) underwent EVAR and 3 908 patients (25.2%) underwent OSR. For EVAR, after adjustment for confounding factors, there was no improvement in peri-operative mortality (aOR [adjusted odds ratio] 1.06, 95% CI 0.94 - 1.20), while major complications decreased (2014: 10.1%, 2019: 7.0%; aOR 0.91, 95% CI 0.88 - 0.95) and the TbO rate increased (2014: 68.1%, 2019: 80.9%; aOR 1.13, 95% CI 1.10 - 1.16). For OSR, the peri-operative mortality decreased (2014: 6.1%, 2019: 4.6%; aOR 0.89, 95% CI 0.82 - 0.98), as well as major complications (2014: 28.6%, 2019: 23.3%; aOR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91 - 0.99). Furthermore, the proportion of TbO increased (2014: 49.1%, 2019: 58.3%; aOR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01 - 1.10). In both the EVAR and OSR group, the proportion of patients with cardiac comorbidity increased., Conclusion: Since the establishment of this nationwide quality improvement initiative (DSAA), all outcomes of iAAA repair following EVAR and OSR have improved, except for peri-operative mortality following EVAR which remained unchanged., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Female patients are more likely to undergo repair of intact and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) at smaller aortic diameter compared with male patients. By adjusting for inherent anatomic differences between sexes, aortic size index (ASI) and aortic height index (AHI) may provide an additional method for guiding treatment. We therefore analyzed sex-specific criteria for AAA repair using aortic diameter, ASI, and AHI., Methods: We identified all patients who underwent AAA repair between 2003 and 2019 in the Vascular Quality Initiative database. The Dubois and Dubois formula was used to calculate body surface area; aortic diameter was divided by body surface area to calculate ASI. Aortic diameter was divided by height to calculate AHI. Cumulative distribution curves were used to plot the proportion of patients who underwent repair of ruptured aneurysm according to aortic diameter, ASI, and AHI. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to identify the association of female sex with perioperative mortality and any major postoperative complication., Results: We identified 55,647 patients, of whom 12,664 were female (20%). For both intact and rupture repair, female patients were older, less likely to undergo endovascular aneurysm repair, and more likely to have comorbid conditions. Female patients underwent repair at smaller median aortic diameter compared with male patients for intact (5.4 vs 5.5 cm; P < .001) and rupture repair (6.7 vs 7.7 cm; P < .001). However, ASI was higher in female patients for both intact (3.1 vs 2.7 cm/m 2 ; P < .001) and rupture repair (3.8 vs 3.7 cm/m 2 ; P < .001), whereas AHI was higher in female patients for intact repair (3.3 vs 3.1 cm/m; P < .001) but lower for rupture repair (4.1 vs 4.3 cm/m; P < .001). When analyzing the cumulative distribution of rupture repair in male patients, 12% of rupture repairs were performed at an aortic diameter below 5.5 cm. To achieve the same proportion of rupture repair in female patients, the repair diameter was only 4.9 cm. However, when ASI and AHI were used, female and male patients both reached 12% of rupture repair at an ASI of 2.7 cm/m 2 and an AHI of 3.0 cm/m., Conclusions: Our study provides data to strongly support the sex-specific 5.0-cm aortic diameter threshold suggested for repair in female patients by the Society for Vascular Surgery. The high percentage of patients undergoing rupture repair below 5.5 cm in male patients and 5.0 cm in female patients highlights the need to better identify patients at risk of rupture at smaller aortic diameters., (Copyright © 2021 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: U.S. policy efforts have focused on reducing rural-urban health inequities. However, it is unclear whether gaps in care and outcomes remain among older adults with acute cardiovascular conditions., Objectives: This study aims to evaluate rural-urban differences in procedural care and mortality for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF), and ischemic stroke., Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged ≥65 years with acute cardiovascular conditions from 2016 to 2018. Cox proportional hazards models with random hospital intercepts were fit to examine the association of presenting to a rural (vs urban) hospital and 30- and 90-day patient-level mortality., Results: There were 2,182,903 Medicare patients hospitalized with AMI, HF, or ischemic stroke from 2016 to 2018. Patients with AMI were less likely to undergo cardiac catherization (49.7% vs 63.6%, P < 0.001), percutaneous coronary intervention (42.1% vs 45.7%, P < 0.001) or coronary artery bypass graft (9.0% vs 10.2%, P < 0.001) within 30 days at rural versus urban hospitals. Thrombolysis rates (3.1% vs 10.1%, P < 0.001) and endovascular therapy (1.8% vs 3.6%, P < 0.001) for ischemic stroke were lower at rural hospitals. After adjustment for demographics and clinical comorbidities, the 30-day mortality HR was significantly higher among patients presenting to rural hospitals for AMI (HR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.12), HF (HR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.16), and ischemic stroke (HR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.22), with similar patterns at 90 days. These differences were most pronounced for the subset of critical access hospitals that serve remote, rural areas., Conclusions: Clinical, public health, and policy efforts are needed to improve rural-urban gaps in care and outcomes for acute cardiovascular conditions., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures This study has received support from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (K23HL148525) at the National Institutes of Health. Dr Loccoh receives research support from the Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Fellowship. Dr Joynt Maddox has received research support from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL143421) and National Institute on Aging (R01AG060935). Dr Yeh receives research support from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL136708 and R01HL157530) and the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology; and has received grants and personal fees from Abbott Vascular, AstraZeneca, Boston Scientific, and Medtronic, outside the submitted work. Dr Wadhera has received research support from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (K23HL148525) at the National Institutes of Health; and has been a consultant for Abbott, outside the submitted work. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Trials examining the benefit of thrombectomy in anterior circulation proximal large vessel occlusion stroke have enrolled patients considered to have salvageable brain tissue, who were randomly assigned beyond 6 h and (depending on study protocol) up to 24 h from time last seen well. We aimed to estimate the benefit of thrombectomy overall and in prespecified subgroups through individual patient data meta-analysis., Methods: We did a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis between Jan 1, 2010, and March 1, 2021, of randomised controlled trials of endovascular stroke therapy. In the Analysis Of Pooled Data From Randomized Studies Of Thrombectomy More Than 6 Hours After Last Known Well (AURORA) collaboration, the primary outcome was disability on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days, analysed by ordinal logistic regression. Key safety outcomes were symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage and mortality within 90 days., Findings: Patient level data from 505 individuals (n=266 intervention, n=239 control; mean age 68·6 years [SD 13·7], 259 [51·3%] women) were included from six trials that met inclusion criteria of 17 screened published randomised trials. Primary outcome analysis showed a benefit of thrombectomy with an unadjusted common odds ratio (OR) of 2·42 (95% CI 1·76-3·33; p<0·0001) and an adjusted common OR (for age, gender, baseline stroke severity, extent of infarction on baseline head CT, and time from onset to random assignment) of 2·54 (1·83-3·54; p<0·0001). Thrombectomy was associated with higher rates of independence in activities of daily living (mRS 0-2) than best medical therapy alone (122 [45·9%] of 266 vs 46 [19·3%] of 238; p<0·0001). No significant difference between intervention and control groups was found when analysing either 90-day mortality (44 [16·5%] of 266 vs 46 [19·3%] of 238) or symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage (14 [5·3%] of 266 vs eight [3·3%] of 239). No heterogeneity of treatment effect was noted across subgroups defined by age, gender, baseline stroke severity, vessel occlusion site, baseline Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, and mode of presentation; treatment effect was stronger in patients randomly assigned within 12-24 h (common OR 5·86 [95% CI 3·14-10·94]) than those randomly assigned within 6-12 h (1·76 [1·18-2·62]; p interaction =0·0087)., Interpretation: These findings strengthen the evidence for benefit of endovascular thrombectomy in patients with evidence of reversible cerebral ischaemia across the 6-24 h time window and are relevant to clinical practice. Our findings suggest that in these patients, thrombectomy should not be withheld on the basis of mode of presentation or of the point in time of presentation within the 6-24 h time window., Funding: Stryker Neurovascular., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests TGJ is adviser and investor for Anaconda, Route92, Viz.ai, FreeOx, Blockade Medical and Methinks. He received personal fees in his role on the Data Safety Monitoring Board and steering committee from Cerenovus and on the screening committee for Contego Medical. He received stock as an advisory board member for Corindus. He received grant support for Medtronic and from Stryker Neurovascular in his capacity as principal investigator for DAWN and AURORA. RGN reports consulting fees for advisory roles with Anaconda, Biogen, Cerenovus, Genentech, Imperative Care, Medtronic, Phenox, Prolong Pharmaceuticals, and Stryker Neurovascular and stock options for advisory roles with Astrocyte, Brainomix, Cerebrotech, Ceretrieve, Corindus Vascular Robotics, Vesalio, Viz.ai, and Perfuze. AMD is a shareholder and patent holder in Circle NVI (imaging-based software). He has also received honoraria from Medtronic for consulting services. SOM is the recipient of a research grant by the Brazilian Ministry of Health (RESILIENT trial) and has received speaker fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, Medtronic, Penumbra, Bayer, Pfizer and advisory board fees from Boehringer Ingelheim. JM is a consultant for Endostream, Viseon, Imperative Care, RIST, Synchron, Viz.ai, Perflow, CVAid, and Cerebrotech, and a shareholder in Rebound, BlinkTBI, Endostream, Viseon, Imperative Care, Serenity, Cardinal Consulting, NTI, RIST, Synchron, Viz.ai, and Cerebrotech. MR is adviser and shareholder in Anaconda Biomed and Methinks and received grants and personal fees from Medtronic, personal fees from Stryker, Cerenovus, and Apta Targets. SO-G has received consultant fees from Medtronic, Stryker, and Siemens. MDH reports personal fees from Sun Pharma, grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Stryker, NoNO, and Medtronic, outside the submitted work; he has a patent Systems and Methods for Assisting in Decision-Making and Triaging for Acute Stroke Patients issued to US Patent office Number: 62/086,077 and owns stock in Pure Web, a company that makes, among other products, medical imaging software; is a director of the Canadian Federation of Neurological Sciences, a not-for-profit group, is a director of the Canadian Stroke Consortium, a not-for-profit group, is a director of Circle NeuroVascular, and has received grant support from Alberta Innovates Health Solutions, CIHR, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. FOL has received lecture fees from Boehringer Ingelheim. DCH serves as a consultant for Stryker and Vesalio, and holds stock options in Viz.ai. SB's employer, Bright Research Partners, has received payments from the University of Pittsburgh for the statistical work related to the current study and from the University of Calgary and Medtronic outside the current project. MG reports grants or personal fees from Medtronic, Stryker, Microvention, Cerenovus, and has a patent Systems of Acute Stroke Diagnosis issued to GE Healthcare. AHS is the recipient of NIH grants and owns stock or stock options in Adona Medical, Amnis Therapeutics, BlinkTBI, Buffalo Technology Partners, Cardinal Consultants, Cerebrotech Medical Systems, Cognition Medical, Endostream Medical, Imperative Care, International Medical Distribution Partners, Neurovascular Diagnostics, Q'Apel Medical, Radical Catheter Technologies, Rebound Therapeutics, Rist Neurovascular, Sense Diagnostics, Serenity Medical, Silk Road Medical, Spinnaker Medical, StimMed, Synchron, Three Rivers Medical, Vastrax, ICIS, and Viseon; consultant for Amnis Therapeutics, Boston Scientific, Canon Medical Systems USA, Cerebrotech Medical Systems, Cerenovus, Corindus, Integra, Medtronic, MicroVention, Minnetronix Neuro, Northwest University – DSMB Chair for HEAT Trial, Penumbra, Rapid Medical, Rebound Therapeutics, Serenity Medical, Silk Road Medical, StimMed, Stryker, Three Rivers Medical, VasSol, and W L Gore and Associates; principal investigator or on the Steering Committee for Cerenovus LARGE Trial and ARISE II Trial, Medtronic SWIFT PRIME and SWIFT DIRECT Trials, MicroVention FRED Trial and CONFIDENCE Study, POSITIVE Trial, Penumbra 3D Separator Trial, COMPASS Trial, and the INVEST Trial. JJH discloses consulting fees from Medtronic, Microvention, and iSchemaView. MPM owns stock in ThrombX Medica. DSL is consultant to Cerenovus, Genentech, Stryker, Medtronic as Imaging Core Lab. GWA is the principal investigator of the DEFUSE 3 study, which provided National Institutes of Health grant funding to Stanford University; he has equity interest in iSchemaView, and is a consultant for Genentech and iSchemaView. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Although endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) reintervention is common, conversion to open repair (EVAR-c) occurs less frequently but can be associated with significant technical complexity and perioperative risk. There is a paucity of data highlighting the evolution of periprocedural results surrounding EVAR-c and change in practice patterns, especially for referral centers that increasingly manage EVAR failures. The purpose of this analysis was to perform a temporal analysis of our EVAR-c experience and describe changes in patient selection, operative details, and outcomes., Methods: A retrospective single-center review of all open abdominal aortic aneurysm repairs was performed (2002-2019), and EVAR-c procedures were subsequently analyzed. EVAR-c patients (n = 184) were categorized into two different eras (2002-2009, n = 21; 2010-2019, n = 163) for comparison. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards modeling were used for risk-adjusted comparisons., Results: A significant increase in EVAR-c as an indication for any type of open aneurysm repair was detected (9% to 27%; P < .001). Among EVAR-c patients, no change in age or individual comorbidities was evident (mean age, 71 ± 9 years); however, the proportion of female patients (P = .01) and American Society of Anesthesiologists classification >3 declined (P = .05). There was no difference in prevalence (50% vs 43%; P = .6) or number (median, 1.5 [interquartile range (IQR), 0-5]) of preadmission EVAR reinterventions; however, time to reintervention decreased (median, 23 [IQR, 6-34] months vs 0 [IQR, 0-22] months; P = .005). In contrast, time to EVAR-c significantly increased (median, 16 [IQR, 9-39] months vs 48 [IQR, 20-83] months; P = .008). No difference in frequency of nonelective presentation (mean, 52%; P = .9] or indication was identified, but a trend toward increasing mycotic EVAR-c was observed (5% vs 15%; P = .09). Use of retroperitoneal exposure (14% vs 77%; P < .0001), suprarenal cross-clamp application (6286%; P = .04), and visceral-ischemia time (median, 0 [IQR, 0-11] minutes vs 5 [IQR, 0-20] minutes; P = .05) all increased. In contrast, estimated blood loss (P trend = .03) and procedure time (P = .008) decreased. The unadjusted elective 30-day mortality rate improved but did not reach statistical significance (elective, 10% vs 5%; P = .5) with no change for non-elective operations (18% vs 16%; P = .9). However, a significantly decreased risk of complications was evident (odds ratio, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, .8-.9; P = .01). One- and 3-year survival was similar over time., Conclusions: EVAR-c is now a common indication for open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Patients frequently present nonelectively and at increasingly later intervals after their index EVAR. Despite increasing technical complexity, decreased complication risk and comparable survival can be anticipated when patients are managed at a high-volume aortic referral center., (Copyright © 2021 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To report the early and mid-term outcomes following open surgical conversion (OSC) after failed endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) using data from a multicentric registry., Methods: A retrospective study was carried out on consecutive patients undergoing OSC after failed EVAR at eight tertiary vascular units from the same geographic area in the North-East of Italy, from April 2005 to November 2019. Study endpoints included early and follow-up outcomes., Results: A total of 144 consecutive patients were included in the study. Endoleaks were the most common indication for OSC (50.7%), with endograft infection (24.6%) and occlusion (21.9%) being the second most prevalent causes. The overall rate of 30-day all-cause mortality was 13.9% (n = 20); 32 patients (22.2%) experienced at least one major complication. Mean length of stay was 13 ± 12.7 days. On multivariate logistic regression, age (odds ratio [OR], 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1-19; P = .02), renal clamping time (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.13; P = .01), and suprarenal/celiac clamping (OR, 6.66; 95% CI, 1.81-27.1; P = .005) were identified as independent predictors of perioperative major complications. Age was the only factor associated with perioperative mortality at 30 days. Renal clamping time >25 minutes had sensitivity of 65% and specificity of 70% in predicting the occurring of major adverse events (area under the curve, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.61-0.82). At 5 years, estimated survival was significantly lower for patients treated due to aortic rupture/dissection (28%; 95% CI, 13%-61%), compared with patients in whom the indication for treatment was endoleak (54%; 95% CI, 40%-73%), infection (53%; 95% CI, 30%-94%), or thrombosis (82%; 95% CI, 62%-100%; P = .0019). Five-year survival rates were significantly lower in patients who received emergent treatment (28%; 95% CI, 14%-55%) as compared with those who were treated in an urgent (67%; 95% CI, 48%-93%) or elective setting (57%; 95% CI, 43%-76%; P = .00026). Subjects who received suprarenal/celiac (54%; 95% CI, 36%-82%) or suprarenal (46%; 95% CI, 34%-62%) aortic cross-clamping had lower survival rates at 5 years than those whose aortic-cross clamp site was infrarenal (76%; 95% CI, 59%-97%; P = .041). Using multivariate Cox proportional hazard, older age and emergency setting were independently associated with higher risk for overall 5-year mortality., Conclusions: OSC after failed EVAR was associated with relatively high rates of early morbidity and mortality, particularly for emergency setting surgery. Endoleaks with secondary sac expansion were the main indication for OSC, and suprarenal aortic cross-clamping was frequently required. Endograft infection and emergent treatment remained associated with poorer short- and long-term survival., (Copyright © 2021 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (JRAAAs) can be treated either with open surgical repair (OSR) including suprarenal clamping or by complex endovascular aneurysm repair (cEVAR). In this study, we present the comparison between the short-term mortality and complications of the elective JRAAA treatment modalities from a national database reflecting daily practice in The Netherlands., Methods: All patients undergoing elective JRAAA open repair or cEVAR (fenestrated EVAR or chimney EVAR) between January 2016 and December 2018 registered in the Dutch Surgical Aneurysm Audit (DSAA) were eligible for inclusion. Descriptive perioperative variables and outcomes were compared between patients treated with open surgery or endovascularly. Adjusted odds ratios for short-term outcomes were calculated by logistic regression analysis., Results: In all, 455 primary treated patients with JRAAAs could be included (258 OSR, 197 cEVAR). Younger patients and female patients were treated more often with OSR vs cEVAR (72 ± 6.1 vs 76 ± 6.0; P < .001 and 22% vs 15%; P = .047, respectively). Patients treated with OSR had significantly more major and minor complications as well as a higher chance of early mortality (OSR vs cEVAR, 45% vs 21%; P < .001; 34% vs 23%; P = .011; and 6.6% vs 2.5%; P = .046, respectively). After logistic regression with adjustment for confounders, patients who were treated with OSR showed an odds ratio of 3.64 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.25-5.89; P < .001) for major complications compared with patients treated with cEVAR, and for minor complications, the odds ratios were 2.17 (95% CI, 1.34-3.53; P = .002) higher. For early mortality, the odds ratios were 3.79 (95% CI, 1.26-11.34; P = .017) higher after OSR compared with cEVAR., Conclusions: In this study, after primary elective OSR for JRAAA, the odds for major complications, minor complications, and short-term mortality were significantly higher compared with cEVAR., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Controversy has continued regarding the use of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) vs open aneurysm repair (OAR) for infected abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). In the present study, we investigated the comparative outcomes of EVAR and OAR for the treatment of infected AAAs., Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases through May 2021. We included studies that had described both EVAR and OAR for the treatment of infected AAAs. The primary endpoints were the rates of recurrent infection and related rupture and/or death. Perioperative and 1-year mortality and readmissions and reinterventions were also analyzed., Results: Fourteen observational studies describing a total of 1203 patients (EVAR, 359 [29.8%]; OAR, 844 [70.2%]) were eligible for qualitative analysis. The baseline characteristics included diabetes mellitus (33.2%), fever at presentation (71.6%), rupture at diagnosis (26.1%), and positive blood cultures (52.5%). The mean follow-up period ranged from 12 to 40 months. The use of EVAR became more prevalent in recent years (2016-2020, 32.4%) compared with the former period (2010-2015, 13.8%; P < .0001). Fenestrated, branched, or concomitant visceral debranching EVAR was performed in 6.1% of cases. In OAR, surgical debridement was consistently performed, and in situ reconstruction was applied in 82.2% and an omental flap in 51.5%. In nine studies considered for quantitative analysis, the patients' background (EVAR, n = 264; OAR, n = 274) were statistically balanced. The crude rates of recurrent infection and related rupture or death were 13.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.8%-18.5%) and 4.9% (95% CI 1.8%-8.0%), respectively. The pooled analyses depicted significantly higher rates of recurrent infection after EVAR than after OAR (relative risk [RR], 2.42; 95% CI, 1.80-3.27; P < .0001; I 2  = 0%). Recurrent infection-related rupture or death (RR, 1.51; 95% CI, 0.70-3.23; P = .29; I 2  = 0%), perioperative death (RR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.39-1.65; P = .55; I 2  = 35%), 1-year mortality (hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.97-1.28; P =.13; I 2  = 0%), and readmission or reintervention (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.74-1.82; P =.52; I 2  = 0%) were not significantly different statistically between the two groups. Funnel plots showed no evidence of publication bias. Sensitivity analyses of leave-one-out meta-analysis confirmed higher rates of recurrent infection after EVAR., Conclusions: EVAR has become more prevalent as the initial treatment of infected AAAs. Although operative and 1-year survival were similar between OAR and EVAR groups, recurrent infection was more frequent after EVAR. This limitation should be weighed in selecting patients for EVAR in infected AAAs. Postoperative graft and infection surveillance are critical, especially after EVAR., (Copyright © 2021 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The utilization of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) in trauma has grown exponentially in recent years. However, inconsistency in reporting of outcome metrics related to this intervention has inhibited the development of evidence-based guidelines for REBOA application. This study sought to attain consensus on a core outcome set (COS) for REBOA., Methods: A review of "landmark" REBOA articles was performed, and panelists (first and senior authors) were contacted for participation in a modified Delphi study. In round 1, panelists provided a list of potential core outcomes. In round 2, using a Likert scale (1 [not important] to 9 [very important]), panelists scored the importance of each potential outcome. Consensus for core outcomes was defined a priori as greater than 70% of scores receiving 7 to 9 and less than 15% of scores receiving 1 to 3. Feedback was provided after round 2, and a third round was performed to reevaluate variables not achieving consensus and allow a final "write-in" round by the experts., Results: From 17 identified panelists, 12 participated. All panelists (12 of 12, 100%) participated in each subsequent round. Panelists initially identified 34 unique outcomes, with two outcomes later added upon write-in request after round 2. From 36 total potential outcomes, 20 achieved consensus as core outcomes, and this was endorsed by 100% of the participants., Conclusion: Panelists successfully achieved consensus on a COS for REBOA-related research. This REBOA-COS is recommended for all clinical trials related to REBOA and should help enable higher-quality study designs, valid aggregation of published data, and development of evidence-based practice management guidelines., Level of Evidence: Diagnostic test or criteria, level V., Trial Registration: Core Outcomes in Trauma Surgery: Development of a Core Outcome Set for Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) http://www.comet-initiative.org/Studies/Details/1709., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) for rapid hemorrhage control is increasingly being used in trauma management. Its beneficial hemodynamic effects on unstable patients beyond temporal hemostasis has led to growing interest in its use in other patient populations, such as during cardiac arrest from nontraumatic causes. The ability to insert the catheters without fluoroscopic guidance makes the technique available in the prehospital setting. However, in addition to correct positioning, challenges include reliably achieving aortic occlusion while minimizing the risk of balloon rupture. Without fluoroscopic control, inflation of the balloon relies on estimated aortic diameters and on the disappearing pulse in the contralateral femoral artery. In the case of cardiac arrest or absent palpable pulses, balloon inflation is associated with excess risk of overinflation and adverse events (vessel damage, balloon rupture). In this bench study, we examined how the pressure in the balloon is related to the surrounding blood pressure and the balloon's contact with the vessel wall in two sets of experiments, including a pulsatile circulation model. With this data, we developed a rule of thumb to guide balloon inflation of the ER-REBOA catheter with a simple disposable pressure-reading device (COMPASS). We recommend slowly filling the balloon with saline until the measured balloon pressure is 160 mmHg, or 16 mL of saline have been used. If after 16 mL the balloon pressure is still below 160 mmHg, saline should be added in 1-mL increments, which increases the pressure target about 10 mmHg at each step, until the maximum balloon pressure is reached at 240 mmHg (= 24 mL inflation volume). A balloon pressure greater than 250 mmHg indicates overinflation. With this rule and a disposable pressure-reading device (COMPASS), ER-REBOA balloons can be safely filled in austere environments where fluoroscopy is unavailable. Pressure monitoring of the balloon allows for recognition of unintended deflation or rupture of the balloon., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Importance: Some patients have poor outcomes despite small infarcts after endovascular therapy (EVT), while others with large infarcts do well. Understanding why these discrepancies occur may help to optimize EVT outcomes., Objective: To validate exploratory findings from the Endovascular Treatment for Small Core and Anterior Circulation Proximal Occlusion with Emphasis on Minimizing CT to Recanalization Times (ESCAPE) trial regarding pretreatment, treatment-related, and posttreatment factors associated with discrepancies between follow-up infarct volume (FIV) and 90-day functional outcome., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study is a post hoc analysis of the Safety and Efficacy of Nerinetide in Subjects Undergoing Endovascular Thrombectomy for Stroke (ESCAPE-NA1) trial, a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, international, multicenter trial conducted from March 2017 to August 2019. Patients who participated in ESCAPE-NA1 and had available 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores and 24-hour to 48-hour posttreatment follow-up parenchymal imaging were included., Exposures: Small FIV (volume ≤25th percentile) and large FIV (volume ≥75th percentile) on 24-hour computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging. Baseline factors, outcomes, treatments, and poststroke serious adverse events (SAEs) were compared between discrepant cases (ie, patients with 90-day mRS score ≥3 despite small FIV or those with mRS scores ≤2 despite large FIV) and nondiscrepant cases., Main Outcomes and Measures: Area under the curve (AUC) and goodness of fit of prespecified logistic models, including pretreatment (eg, age, cancer, vascular risk factors) and treatment-related and posttreatment (eg, SAEs) factors, were compared with stepwise regression-derived models for ability to identify small FIV with higher mRS score and large FIV with lower mRS score., Results: Among 1091 patients (median [IQR] age, 70.8 [60.8-79.8] years; 549 [49.7%] women; median [IQR] FIV, 24.9 mL [6.6-92.2 mL]), 42 of 287 patients (14.6%) with FIV of 7 mL or less (ie, ≤25th percentile) had an mRS score of at least 3; 65 of 275 patients (23.6%) with FIV of 92 mL or greater (ie, ≥75th percentile) had an mRS score of 2 or less. Prespecified models of pretreatment factors (ie, age, cancer, vascular risk factors) associated with low FIV and higher mRS score performed similarly to models selected by stepwise regression (AUC, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.89-0.95] vs 0.93 [95% CI, 0.90-0.95]; P = .42). SAEs, specifically infarct in new territory, recurrent stroke, pneumonia, and congestive heart failure, were associated with low FIV and higher mRS scores; stepwise models also identified 24-hour hemoglobin as treatment-related/posttreatment factor (AUC, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.90-0.95] vs 0.94 [95% CI, 0.91-0.96]; P = .14). Younger age was associated with high FIV and lower mRS score; stepwise models identified absence of diabetes and higher baseline hemoglobin as additional pretreatment factors (AUC, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.70-0.82] vs 0.77 [95% CI, 0.71-0.83]; P = .82). Absence of SAEs, especially stroke progression, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, and pneumonia, was associated with high FIV and lower mRS score2; stepwise models also identified 24-hour hemoglobin level, glucose, and diastolic blood pressure as posttreatment factors associated with discrepant cases (AUC, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.74-0.87] vs 0.79 [95% CI, 0.72-0.86]; P = .92)., Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, discrepancies between functional outcome and post-EVT infarct volume were associated with differences in pretreatment factors, such as age and comorbidities, and posttreatment complications related to index stroke evolution, secondary prevention, and quality of stroke unit care. Besides preventing such complications, optimization of blood pressure, glucose levels, and hemoglobin levels are potentially modifiable factors meriting further study.

Background: Endovascular hemostasis is commonplace with many practitioners providing services. Accruing sufficient experience during training could allow acute care surgeons (ACSs) to expand their practice. We quantified case load and training opportunities at our center, where dedicated dual-trained ACS/vascular surgery faculty perform these cases. Our aim was to assess whether ACS fellows could obtain sufficient experience in 6 months of their fellowship in order to certify in these techniques, per the requirements of other specialties., Methods: We performed a retrospective case series where we reviewed 6 years (2013-2018) of endovascular activity at an academic, level I trauma center quantifying arterial access, angiography, embolization, stent and stent graft placement, and IVC filter procedures. This was compared with the certification requirements for interventional radiology, vascular surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and interventional cardiology., Results: Between 2013 and 2018, 1,179 patients with a mean ± SD Injury Severity Score of 22.47 ± 13.24, underwent 4960 procedures. Annual rates per procedure, expressed as median (interquartile range), were arterial access 193.5 (181-195.5), diagnostic angiography 352 (321.5-364.5), embolization 90.5 (89.25-93.25), stent placement 24 (13.5-29.25), and IVC filter procedures 16.5 (10-23.75). Our 6-month case volume exceeded or was within 85% of the required number of cases for vascular surgery and interventional radiology training, with the exception of stent-graft deployment for both specialties, and therapeutic procedures for vascular surgery., Conclusion: The case volume at a large trauma center with a dedicated endovascular trauma service is sufficient to satisfy the case requirements for endovascular certification. Our trainees are already acquiring this experience informally. An endovascular trauma curriculum should now be developed to support certification within ACS fellowship training., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and also anemia are common in the elderly and have a negative impact on the clinical outcomes of patients. The coexistence of anemia and DM seems to be insufficiently recognized; therefore, the aim of our study is to analyze the incidence and clinical consequences of this coexistence, including mortality, in the population of people aged ≥60. A retrospective study was conducted on 981 primary care clinic patients aged ≥60 during 2013-2014. The prevalence of coexistence of DM and anemia (defined in accordance with WHO) and data on the incidence of comorbidities, hospitalization, medical procedures, and all-cause mortality were analyzed. In the study population, 25% had DM, while 5.4% had both DM and anemia. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) was found in 48 patients (4.89%) of the entire study population, more often in men ( p < 0.001). Diabetic patients with anemia compared to nonanemic diabetics had more comorbidities (median 4 (4, 5) vs. 3 (2-4); p < 0.001)-PAD more often ( p = 0.004), more hospitalization (median 2 (0-11) vs. 0 (0-11); p < 0.001), and more frequent medical procedures (e.g., percutaneous coronary intervention ( p < 0.001), coronary artery bypass surgery ( p = 0.027), arteriography ( p < 0.001), and bypass surgery or endovascular treatments of lower limb ischemia ( p < 0.001)). The cumulative survival of patients with both DM and anemia vs. nonanemic diabetics at 36 months was 86.4% vs. 99.3% ( p < 0.001). A multivariate logistic regression model showed anemia to be a significant risk factor for death in diabetic patients ( p = 0.013). Patients with both DM and anemia have more comorbidities than nonanemic diabetic patients; they are more often hospitalized, require medical procedures more frequently, and are at a higher risk of death. Effective treatment of anemia in patients with DM is advisable and may well improve the prognosis of patients., Competing Interests: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 S. S. Michalak et al.)

Objective: The National Health Service demonstrated that regions of the United Kingdom with the highest number of patients enrolled in research studies had the lowest risk-adjusted mortality when patients were admitted to the hospital. Our goal was to investigate if this correlation was evident for patients with chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLI) treated in the United States (US). Accordingly, we examined correlations among sites participating in the Best Endovascular versus best Surgical Therapy in patients with Critical (BEST-CLI) trial, a multicenter, National Institute of Health-sponsored, international randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing revascularization strategies in patients with CLI, and regional rates of major amputation from CLI., Methods: We measured regional participation in the BEST-CLI trial by evaluating trial participation and enrollment rosters. To determine regional rates of lower limb amputation, we queried the Medicare database (2007-2016) for patients with concurrent peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and diabetes, then assessed how many had lower extremity amputations. Correlation of regional amputation rates with distribution of BEST-CLI sites in four US geographical regions was calculated using Pearson's correlation coefficients. Simple regression equations were used to calculate the significance of these correlation coefficients., Results: Of 9,231,909 CLI patients, 342,406 underwent amputation in the Medicare dataset. Amputation rates per 1000 CLI patients differed by region (South 40.42, Midwest 40.12, West 34.81, Northeast 31.14). There were 116 US vascular centers, selected by volume and expertise that participated in BEST-CLI with the following distribution: South (n = 30, 26%), Midwest (n = 26, 22%), West (n = 29, 25%), and Northeast (n = 31, 27%). There was a negative correlation between the number of amputations per 1000 for Medicare CLI patients with diabetes and PAD and the number of BEST-CLI sites in the region which trended toward significance (Pearson R= -0.61, P = 0.39)., Conclusions: Amputation rate among Medicare CLI patients is inversely correlated with US BEST-CLI site distribution. Higher participation in clinical research, especially within large RCTs, may be a marker of optimal PAD management., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: A.F.: Consultant for Sanifit. Matthew Menard: Scientific Advisory Board for Janssen; K.R.: multiple conflicts to be delivered under separate cover; No conflicts: J.S., M.E., P.G., M.S., M.V., M.V., T.H. report no conflicts., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives : The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on endovascular therapy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke in China is unknown. This study was aimed to verify the volume change of EVT for acute ischemic stroke affected by COVID-19 and its potential factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted via an online questionnaire survey in China. The questionnaire was mainly composed of descriptive information, volume change of EVT for acute ischemic stroke, and the protection status of medical staff. Results: A total of 103 stroke physicians in 28 provinces across China completed the survey questionnaire. A volume decline in EVT for acute stroke occurred in 93 (90.3%) hospitals after lockdown (23 January 2020). Nearly half of the hospitals (51/103, 49.5%) experienced a volume decline of EVT case more than 50% and 14 (13.6%) hospitals completely ceased offering EVT. Hospitals with decline >50% of EVT case had higher proportion of hospitals with a designated area for COVID-19 screening in the emergency room (44/51, 86.3% vs 34/52, 65.4%, p = 0.01) and medical staff in quarantine (19/51, 37.3% vs 7/52, 13.5%, p < 0.01), with lower proportion of hospitals with personal protective equipment protocol (41/51, 80.4% vs 49/52, 94.2%, p = 0.03) than hospitals with decline ≤50%. Conclusions: The volume of EVT for acute ischemic stroke severely declined after lockdown in China. Designating a specific area for COVID-19 screening, insufficient personal protection and understaffing may exacerbate the volume decline of EVT.

Background: There is currently a lack of data on stroke hospitalizations and long-term outcomes in China. Therefore, we investigated 12-month stroke fatality, disability, and recurrence rates after the first-ever stroke., Methods: This was a prospective nationwide hospital-based cohort study. From August to September 2019, all patients with first-ever stroke (ischemic stroke [IS], intracerebral hemorrhage [ICH], and subarachnoid hemorrhage [SAH]) and with symptom onset within 14 days from 232 hospitals were included. Case fatality, disability, and recurrence rates for one year were estimated., Results: In total, 36250 first-ever stroke patients from 194 hospitals were recruited (median age was 65(IQR, 56-73) years and 61.4 % were male). The rate of intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular treatment for IS were 9.5 % and 4.4 %, respectively. In-hospital death rate was 1.9 % (95 %CI: 1.7 %-2.0 %) for stroke inpatients, ranging from 0.9 % (0.8 %-1.1 %) for IS to 5.1 % (4.6 %-5.6 %) for ICH. The 12-month fatality rate was 8.6 % (95 %CI: 8.3 %-8.9 %) for discharged stroke patients, ranging from 6.0 % (5.7 %-6.3 %) for IS to 17.7 % (16.7 %-18.7 %) for ICH. The 12-month disability rate was 16.6 % (95 %CI: 16.2 %-17.0 %) for stroke survivors, ranging from 11.1 % (9.3 %-12.8 %) for SAH to 29.2 % (27.9 %-30.4 %) for ICH. The stroke recurrence rate was 5.7 % (5.5 %-6.0 %) for stroke survivors, ranging from 2.5 % (1.7 %-3.3 %) for SAH to 6.4 % (6.0 %-6.7 %) for IS., Conclusion: Our results support the hypothesis that the prognosis of Chinese stroke patients appears to have improved and is not very bad., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Multiple studies have shown improved outcomes and higher utilization of care with the increase of insurance coverage. This study aims to assess whether Medicaid expansion (ME) has changed the utilization and outcomes of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair in the United States., Design: Retrospective observational study., Materials: Data of patients undergoing AAA repair in the Vascular Quality Initiative (2010-2017)., Methods: Interrupted time-series (ITS) analysis was utilized to evaluate changes in annual trends of postoperative outcomes after elective AAA repair before and after 2014. We also assessed if these trend changes were significant by comparing the changes in states which adopted ME in 2014 versus nonexpansion states (NME), and conducting a difference-in-difference analysis. Primary outcomes included in-hospital mortality and adverse events (bowel and leg ischemia, cardiac, renal, respiratory, stroke and return to the OR)., Results: A total of 19,143 procedures were included (Endovascular: 85.8% and open: 14.2%), of which 40.9% were performed in ME States. Compared to preexpansion trends (P1), there was a 2% annual increase in elective AAA repair in ME states (P1: -1.8% versus P2: +0.2%, P< 0.01) with no significant change in NME (P1: +0.3% versus P2: +0.2%, P = 0.97). Among elective cases, annual trends in the use of EVAR increased by 2% in ME states (95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.1, 4.1, P = 0.06), compared to a 3% decrease in NME States [95%CI = -5.8, -0.6, P = 0.01) (P ME versus NME < 0.01]. There was no association between ME and in-hospital mortality. Nonetheless, it was associated with a decrease in the annual trends of in-hospital complications (ME: -1.4% (-2.1,-0.8) versus NME: +0.2% (-0.2, +0.8), P < 0.01)., Conclusions: While no association between ME and increased survival was noted in states which adopted ME, there was a significant increase of elective AAA cases and EVAR utilization and a decrease in in-hospital complications in ME States., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Rationale: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis associated with protein S deficiency is rare in adolescent patients and has high disability and fatality.Patient concerns: A 15-year-old male student presented in the hospital with sudden headache, nausea, and vomiting and was diagnosed with protein S deficiency by gene testing., Diagnoses: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis due to protein S deficiency was diagnosed in this adolescent patient, who underwent successful endovascular therapy (EVT)., Interventions: The patient was treated with standard anti-coagulation therapy including low-molecular-weight heparin (90 IU/kg/Q12 h) and dehydrant (mannitol 125 mL Q8 h); however, the symptoms were not alleviated. Successful EVT was implemented., Outcomes: Both the superior sagittal sinus and bilateral transverse sinus were recanalized after thrombus clearance. The patient achieved a complete recovery without any other stroke recurrence during follow-up., Lessons: EVT can be performed with favorable and effective clinical outcomes in adolescent cerebral venous sinus thrombosis patients with protein S deficiency. EVT associated with standard anti-coagulation therapy may improve the prognosis and reduce mortality among such patients., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Objective: To provide a critical appraisal on the evidence from randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) on the utility of direct endovascular treatment (dEVT) compared to the combination of endovascular treatment preceded by IV thrombolysis (bridging therapy [BT]) for patients with acute large vessel occlusion (LVO)., Methods: Eligible RCTs were identified by searching Medline and Scopus. We calculated the corresponding odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and pooled estimates using random-effects models. The primary outcome was the probability of modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 0 to 2 at 3 months., Results: We included 3 studies comprising 1,092 patients. No difference between the dEVT and BT groups was detected for the outcomes of mRS score of 0 to 2 (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.85-1.38; adjusted OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.76-1.63), mRS score of 0 to 1 (OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.84-1.43; adjusted OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.84-1.61), and functional improvement at 3 months (common OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.88-1.34; adjusted common OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.86-1.37). Patients receiving dEVT had significantly lower likelihood of successful recanalization before the endovascular procedure compared to those receiving BT (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.18-0.77). Patients receiving dEVT had lower intracranial bleeding rates compared to those receiving BT (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.49-0.92) but without a significant difference in the probability of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. No differences in all-cause mortality, serious adverse events, or procedural complications between the 2 groups were uncovered., Conclusions: We detected no differences in functional outcomes of IV thrombolysis-eligible patients with an acute LVO receiving dEVT compared to BT. Because uncertainty for most endpoints remains large and the available data are not able to exclude the possibility of overall benefit or harm, further RCTs are needed., (© 2021 American Academy of Neurology.)

Objective: Frailty scores are increasingly utilized to predict postoperative complications. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the administrative risk analysis index (RAI-A) can be used to predict reintervention or mortality within 30 days in patients who undergo elective open or endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair., Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was used to query data from elective open or endovascular aortic aneurysm repairs from 2011 to 2018. The administrative risk analysis index (RAI-A) score was calculated for each patient using two approaches (conservative versus liberal) due to discrepancies in NSQIP data categorization. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to determine whether there were statistical or clinical significance for incremental increases of RAI-A for both the open and endovascular repair group. Outcome measures were re-intervention or death within 30 days., Results: Data from 4106 and 11,733 patients who underwent open and endovascular repair, respectively, were included in the analysis. The number of reinterventions within 30 days was 9.1% (375 out of 4106 patients) in the open repair group and 4.0% (463 out of 11,685 patients) in the endovascular group. Thirty-day mortality was 4.7% (192 out of 4106 patients) in the open repair group, and 0.9% (109 out of 11,685 patients) in the endovascular group. In the conservative calculation of RAI-A scores, the open and endovascular repair groups had median RAI-A scores of 7 (mean 8.31) and 9 (mean 9.51), respectively. There was no significant association between RAI-A scores and outcome measures in either group. For predicting 30 d reintervention, the C statistic was 0.535 (OR 1.02) for the open repair group and 0.532 (OR 1.02) for endovascular repair. For predicting 30-day mortality, the C statistic was 0.626 (OR 1.07) in the open repair group and 0.701 (OR 1.09) in the endovascular repair group. In the liberal calculation of RAI-A scores, the open and endovascular repair groups had median RAI-A scores of 6 (mean 6.19) and 7 (mean 7.65), respectively. There was no significant association between RAI-A scores and outcome measures in either group. For predicting 30 d reintervention, the C statistic was 0.527 (OR 1.02) for open repair and 0.529 (OR 1.02) for endovascular repair. For predicting 30-day mortality, the C statistic was 0.625 (OR 1.07) in the open repair group and 0.695 (OR 1.08) in the endovascular repair group., Conclusions: The RAI-A is not useful in predicting 30 d reintervention or mortality in patients who undergo elective open or endovascular AAA repair., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Mechanical thrombectomy is a proven treatment for large-vessel ischemic stroke with improved functional outcomes compared with intravenous thrombolytics. Access to thrombectomy-capable sites varies greatly by geography, often necessitating interhospital transfer of patients who first present to hospitals unable to provide thrombectomy. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the impact of interhospital transportation on patient outcomes to better inform recommendations for prehospital protocols., Methods: A meta-analysis was performed following systematic literature searches. Outcomes of interest included successful reperfusion, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, 90-day modified Rankin Scale score 0-2, 90-day mortality, onset-to-puncture times, and door-to-puncture times., Results: Pooled analysis comprised >27,000 patients. Door-to-puncture time was 35.6 minutes shorter among transferred patients; however, symptom onset-to-puncture time was 91.6 minutes longer. Rate of reperfusion or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage as well as 90-day mortality did not differ significantly between transferred and directly admitted patients. While the proportion of patients achieving good functional outcome at 90 days with modified Rankin Scale score 0-2 did not differ by admission type, when modified Rankin Scale score was narrowed to 0-1, direct transport showed 20% greater probability of achieving excellent functional outcome (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: This meta-analysis represents the largest pooled population examined to date to assess how interfacility transportation to thrombectomy-capable sites affects patient outcomes. Our results indicate that direct admission is a significant predictor of excellent functional outcome. The findings presented here can be used to better inform quality improvement projects to streamline access to facilities providing endovascular mechanical thrombectomy capabilities., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Dual-eligible beneficiaries, individuals with both Medicare and Medicaid coverage, represent a high-cost and vulnerable population; however, literature regarding outcomes is sparse. We characterized outcomes in dual-eligible beneficiaries treated for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) compared to Medicare only, Medicaid only, private insurance, and self-pay. A 10-year cross-sectional study of the National Inpatient Sample was conducted. Adult aSAH emergency admissions treated by neurosurgical clipping or endovascular coiling were included. Multivariable regression was used to adjust for confounders. A total of 57,666 patients met inclusion criteria. Dual-eligibles comprised 2.8% of admissions and were on average younger (62.4 years) than Medicare (70.0 years), older than all other groups, and had higher mean National Inpatient Sample-Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Severity Scores than all other groups (p ≤ 0.001). Among patients treated by clipping, dual-eligibles were less often discharged to home compared to Medicare (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.30-0.87, p < 0.05) and all other insurance groups, p < 0.01. Likewise, those who received coiling were less often discharged to home compared to Medicaid (aOR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.23-0.73), private (aOR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.23-0.76) and self-pay patients (aOR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.12-0.46). They also had increased odds of poor National Inpatient Sample-Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Outcome Measures compared to Medicaid, private, and self-pay patients, all p < 0.05. There were no differences in inpatient mortality or total complications. In conclusion, dual-eligible patients had higher aSAH severity scores, less often discharged home, and among patients who received coiling, dual-eligibles had increased odds of poor outcome. Dual-eligible patients with aSAH represent a vulnerable population that may benefit from targeted clinical and public policy initiatives., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The off-hour effect has been observed in the medical care of acute ischemic stroke. However, it remains unclear if time of arrival affects revascularization rates and outcomes after endovascular therapy (EVT) for emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO). We aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of EVT between on-hour and off-hour admissions., Methods: Patients who underwent EVT for ELVO from January 2013 to June 2019 from the STAR Registry were included. Patients were grouped based on time of groin puncture: on-hour period (Monday through Friday, 7:00 am-4:59 pm) and off-hour period (overnight 5:00pm-6:59am and the weekends). Primary outcome was final modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days on mRS-shift analysis., Results: A total of 1919 patients were included in the study from six centers. The majority of patients (1169, 60.9%) of patients presented during the off-hour period. The mean age was 68.1 years and 50.5% were women. Successful reperfusion, as defined by a Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (TICI) score of ≥2B, was achieved in 88.8% in the on-hour group and 88.0% in the off-hour group. Good clinical outcome (mRS 0-2) was obtained in 34.4% of off-hour patients and 37.7% of on-hour patients. On multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis, time of presentation was not associated with worsened outcome (OR 1.150; 95% CI 0.96 to 1.37; P=0.122). Age, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), baseline mRS, and final TICI score were significantly associated with worse outcomes., Conclusion: There is no statistical difference in functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients who underwent EVT during on-hours versus off-hours., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impacted emergency services worldwide., Aim: We aimed to evaluate COVID-19 effect on the number of stroke code activations and timings during the first two months of the pandemic., Material and Methods: We reviewed the stroke code database of a single comprehensive stroke centre in Portugal for the number of activations through 2019-2020. We compared the pathway timings between March and April 2020 (COVID-19 period) and the homologous months of the previous four years (pre-COVID-19 period), whilst using February as a control., Results: Monthly stroke code activation rates decreased up to 34.2% during COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to the pre-COVID-19 period, we observed an increase in the time from symptom onset to emergency call, with a significant number of patients waiting more than four hours (March 20.8% vs. 6.8%, p = 0.034; April 23.8% vs. 6%, p = 0.01); as well as an increase in the time from symptom onset to hospital arrival (March: median 136 minutes [IQR 106-410] vs. 100 [IQR 64-175], p = 0.001; April: median 188 [IQR 96-394] vs. 98 [IQR 66-168], p = 0.007). No difference between both periods was found concerning in-hospital times, patient characteristics, stroke/mimic diagnosis, stroke severity, and mortality., Conclusion: COVID-19 related factors probably reduced healthcare services utilization, and delayed emergency calls and hospital arrival after stroke onset. These highlight the importance of health education to improve the effectiveness of medical assistance. The preservation of in-hospital times validates the feasibility of the protected stroke code protocol.

Background: We aimed to analyze outcomes of clipping and coiling in treating unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) in elderly patients and to identify the age at which perioperative risk increases based on national cohort data in South Korea., Methods: The incidence of perioperative intracranial hemorrhage (ICRH), perioperative cerebral infarction (CI), mortality, and moderate to severe disability data of the patients who underwent coiling or clipping for UIAs were retrieved. Estimated breakpoint (EBP) was calculated to identify the age at which the risk of treatment increases., Results: A total of 38,207 patients were treated for UIAs. Among these, 22,093 (57.8%) patients underwent coiling and 16,114 (42.2%) patients underwent clipping. The incidence of ICRH, requiring a secondary operation, within 3 months in patients ≥ 65 years that underwent coiling and clipping was 1.13% and 4.81%, respectively, and that of both groups assessed were significantly higher in patients ≥ 75 years (coiling, P = 0.013, relative risk (RR) 1.81; clipping, P = 0.015) than younger patients. The incidence of CI within 3 months in patients aged ≥ 65 was 13.90% and 9.19% in the coiling and clipping groups, respectively. The incidence of CI after coiling in patients aged ≥ 75 years ( P < 0.001, RR 1.96) and after clipping in patients aged ≥ 70 years ( P < 0.001, RR 1.76) was significantly higher than that in younger patients. The mortality rates within 1 year in patients with perioperative ICRH or CI were 2.41% and 3.39% for coiling and clipping groups, respectively, in patients ≥ 65. These rates increased significantly at age 70 in the coiling group and at age 75 for the clipping group ( P = 0.012 and P < 0.001, respectively)., Conclusion: The risk of treatment increases with age, and this risk increases dramatically in patients aged ≥ 70 years. Therefore, the treatment decisions in patients aged ≥ 70 years should be made with utmost care., Competing Interests: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (© 2021 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.)

Objective: Greater population life expectancy and consistent improvement in diagnostic techniques have increased the diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in the elderly population. The aim was to study the natural history of small (< 55 mm) incidental AAAs in octogenarian and nonagenarian patients to assess the need for follow up and/or invasive treatment., Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of a prospective registry. Patients ≥ 80 years old at the time of diagnosis of a < 55 mm AAA in 1988-2018 were selected. Clinical and anatomical characteristics were registered. Patients were divided in three groups: 30 - 39 mm, 40 - 49 mm, and 50 - 54 mm AAA. The outcome variables were aorto-iliac rupture, AAA reaching a surgical threshold (≥ 55 mm), and death. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed and life tables, Kaplan-Meier curves, and uni- and multivariable Cox regression were used., Results: Three hundred and ten patients were included, 256 (82.6%) men, with mean index age of 84.5 years (standard deviation [SD] 3.5), and median follow up of 37.9 months (interquartile range [IQR] 18.2 - 65.4). Eighteen (5.8%) AAAs ruptured; four of these patients were operated on and only one survived. Sixty-two (20%) AAA reached a surgical size; eight were repaired electively, with 0% early mortality. The survival rates were 81%, 70%, and 38% at one, two, and five years. The rupture rates were 1%, 2%, and 6% and the AAAs reaching surgical threshold were 1%, 4%, and 19% for the same time periods. AAA size < 40 mm was an independent protective factor from rupture (0.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.03 - 0.48), reaching surgical threshold (0.08; 95% CI 0.04 - 0.16) and death (0.63; 95% CI 0.42 - 0.95)., Conclusion: The risk of late rupture of small incidental AAA diagnosed in octogenarian and nonagenarian patients is very small, especially when the AAA is < 40 mm in diameter. In contrast, global mortality is high. Conservative management seems sensible, with strict selection of the patients who would benefit from follow up and eventual repair., (Copyright © 2021 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Outcomes for intact abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair vary over time and by healthcare system, country, and surgeon. The aim of this study was to analyse peri-operative mortality for intact AAA repair in 11 countries over time and compare outcomes by gender, age, and geographical location., Methods: Prospective data on primary repair of intact AAA were collected from 11 countries through the International Consortium of Vascular Registries (ICVR) and analysed for two time periods, 2010 - 2013 and 2014 - 2016. The primary outcome was peri-operative mortality after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and open surgical repair (OSR). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to adjust for differences in patient characteristics., Results: A total of 103 715 patients were included. The percentage of patients undergoing EVAR increased from 63.6% to 71.2% (p < .001) over the study period. This proportion varied by country from 35% in Hungary to 81% in the United States. Overall peri-operative mortality decreased from 2.1% to 1.6 % (p < .001). Mortality also declined significantly over time for both OSR 4.2% to 3.6 % (p = .002) and EVAR 1.0% to 0.7% (p = .002). Mortality was significantly higher for female than male patients (3.0% vs. 1.6% p < .001). The percentage of patients > 80 years old undergoing AAA repair remained constant at 23.6% (p = .91). Peri-operative mortality was higher for patients > 80 years than for those < 80 years old (2.7% vs. 1.6% p < .001). Forty-six per cent (n = 275) of all EVAR deaths occurred in the over 80s., Conclusion: The proportion of AAA repairs performed using EVAR has increased over time. Peri-operative mortality continues to decline for both OSR and EVAR. Outcomes however were significantly worse for both women and those aged over 80, so efforts should be focused on these patient groups to further reduce elective AAA mortality rates., (Copyright © 2021 European Society for Vascular Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Objective/hypothesis: To investigate the endovascular intervention or extracranial/intracranial (EC/IC) vascular bypass in the management of patients with head and neck cancer-related carotid blowout syndrome (CBS)., Study Design: Retrospective case series., Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical data of patients with head and neck cancer-related CBS treated by endovascular intervention and/or EC/IC vascular bypass, analysis of its bleeding control, neurological complications, and survival results., Results: Thrity-seven patients were included. Twenty-five were associated with external carotid artery (ECA); twelve were associated with internal or common carotid artery (ICA/CCA). All patients with ECA hemorrhage were treated with endovascular embolization. Of the 12 patients with ICA/CCA hemorrhage, 9 underwent EC/IC bypass, 1 underwent endovascular embolization, and 3 underwent endovascular stenting. For patients with ECA-related CBS, the median survival was 6 months, and the 90-day, 1-year, and 2-year survival rates were 67.1%, 44.7%, and 33.6%, respectively; the estimated rebleeding risk at 1-month, 6-month, and 2-year was 7.1%, 20.0%, and 31.6%, respectively. For patients with ICA/CCA-related CBS, the median survival was 22.5 months, and the 90-day, 1-year, and 2-year survival rates were 92.3%, 71.8%, and 41.0%, respectively; the estimated rebleeding risk at 1 month, 6 months, and 2 years is 7.7%,15.4%, and 15.4%, respectively. ICA/CCA-related CBS patients have significantly longer survival time and lower risk of rebleeding, which may be related to the more use of EC/IC vascular bypass as a definite treatment., Conclusions: For patients with ICA/CCA-related CBS, if there is more stable hemodynamics, longer expected survival, EC/IC vascular bypass is preferred., Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:1548-1556, 2021., (© 2021 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Background: Arterial injuries occur in the setting of blunt and penetrating trauma. Despite increasing use, there remains a paucity of data comparing long-term outcomes of endovascular vs open repair management of these injuries. The aim of our study was to compare outcomes and readmission rates of open vs endovascular repair of traumatic arterial injuries., Study Design: The National Readmission Database (2011-2014) was queried for all adult (age ≥ 18 y) patients presenting with peripheral arterial (axillary, brachial, femoral, and popliteal) injuries. Patients were stratified into 2 groups based on intervention: open vs endovascular approach. Propensity score matching (1:2 ratio) was performed. Outcomes measures were complications, length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmission, and cost of readmission., Results: A matched cohort of 786 patients was obtained (endovascular: 262, open: 524). Mean age was 45 ± 17 years, and 79% were males. Median LOS was 4 (range 2-6) days for the endovascular group vs 3 (range 2-5) days for the open group (p < 0.01). The endovascular group had higher rates of seroma (4% vs 2%; p = 0.04) and arterial thrombosis (13% vs 7%; p < 0.01) during index hospitalization. Patients who underwent endovascular repair had higher 30-day readmission (11% vs 7%; p = 0.03) and a higher 30-day open-reoperation rate (6% vs 2%; p < 0.01). On subanalysis of the patients who were readmitted, the median cost of each readmission was higher in the endovascular group $47,000 ($27,202-$56,763) compared with $21,000 ($11,889-$43,503) in the open group., Conclusions: Endovascular repair for peripheral arterial injuries was associated with higher rates of in-hospital complications, readmissions, and costs. As this new technology continues to undergo refinement, a thorough re-evaluation of its indications, risks, and benefits is warranted., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Frailty may explain why some older patients having vascular surgery are at high risk of adverse outcomes. The Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) has been designed specifically for use with administrative data and has three categories of frailty risk (low, intermediate and high). The aim of this study was to evaluate the HFRS in predicting mortality, and hospital use in older patients undergoing vascular surgery., Methods: Routinely collected hospital data linked to death records were analysed for all patients aged 75 years or older who had undergone either endovascular or open vascular surgery between 2010 and 2012 in New South Wales, Australia. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to compare outcomes adjusted for patient and procedural factors, with and without frailty., Results: Some 9752 patients were identified, of whom 1719 (17·6 per cent) had a high-risk HFRS. Patients in the high-risk frailty category had an adjusted odds ratio for death by 30 days after surgery of 4·15 (95 per cent c.i. 2·99 to 5·76) compared with those in the low-risk frailty category, and a similarly increased odds of death by 2 years (odds ratio 4·27, 3·69 to 4·95). Adding the HFRS to a model adjusted for age, sex, co-morbidity score, socioeconomic status, previous hospitalization and vascular procedure type improved the prediction of 2-year mortality and prolonged hospital stay, but there was minimal improvement for 30-day mortality and readmission., Conclusion: Adjusting for the HFRS in addition to other patient and procedural risk factors provided greater discrimination of outcomes in this cohort of older patients undergoing vascular surgery., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Society Ltd. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Isolated blunt renal artery injury (BRAI) is uncommon. Treatment options include observation, nephrectomy, surgical reconstruction and endovascular stenting. Over the last decade, there has been an increasing use of angiointervention techniques in vascular trauma. Previous studies reported underutilization of endovascular stenting in BRAI, in favor of observation. The aim of this study was to examine the epidemiology and assess changes in the management of isolated BRAI over the last decade., Methods: Patients with BRAI identified from the National Trauma Data Bank (2016-2017). Deaths in the emergency department, transferral from outside hospital, and those with associated high-grade kidney injuries were excluded. Demographics, type of renal artery injury, and renal artery management were analyzed. Multivariate analysis was used to identify independent factors associated with isolated BRAI., Results: During the study period, there were 1,708,076 patients with blunt trauma and 873 (0.05%) of them had BRAI. After exclusions, 563 patients with isolated BRAI who met the criteria for inclusion in the analysis. Auto versus pedestrian mechanism and male sex were associated with the highest risk for isolated BRAI. Comorbidities, such as hypertension or diabetes, were not associated with an increased risk of BRAI. Seatbelt use had a protective effect against BRAI. In the majority of patients (534, 95%), the renal artery injury was treated with observation, 23 (4%) with nephrectomy, 5 (0.9%) with endovascular stent and 1 (0.2%) with open renal artery repair. Among the 103 patients with isolated major renal artery laceration, 91.2% were treated with observation, 7.8% with nephrectomy and 1% with stenting., Conclusion: Isolated blunt renal artery trauma is rare. The vast majority of patients with BRAI is managed with observation with only a small number undergoing endovascular intervention. Endovascular stenting utilization has remained very low and has not changed in the last decade., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Age is an independent risk factor for mortality after both elective open surgical repair (OSR) and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). As a result of an ageing population, and the less invasive nature of EVAR, the number of patients over 80 years (octogenarians) being treated is increasing. The mortality and morbidity following aneurysm surgery are increased for octogenarians. However, the mortality for octogenarians who have either low or high peri-operative risks remains unclear. The aim of this study was to provide peri-operative outcomes of octogenarians vs. non-octogenarians after OSR and EVAR for intact aneurysms, including separate subanalyses for elective and urgent intact repair, based on a nationwide cohort. Furthermore, the influence of comorbidities on peri-operative mortality was examined., Methods: All patients registered in the Dutch Surgical Aneurysm Audit (DSAA) undergoing intact AAA repair between 2013 and 2018, were included. Patient characteristics and peri-operative outcomes (peri-operative mortality, and major complications) of octogenarians vs. non-octogenarians for both OSR and EVAR were compared using descriptive statistics. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to examine whether age and the presence of cardiac, pulmonary, or renal comorbidities were associated with mortality., Results: This study included 12 054 EVAR patients (3 015 octogenarians), and 3 815 OSR patients (425 octogenarians). Octogenarians in both the EVAR and OSR treatment groups were more often female and had more comorbidities. In both treatment groups, octogenarians had significantly higher mortality rates following intact repair as well as higher major complication rates. Mortality rates of octogenarians were 1.9% after EVAR and 11.8% after OSR. Age ≥ 80 and presence of cardiac, pulmonary, and renal comorbidities were associated with mortality after EVAR and OSR., Conclusion: Because of the high peri-operative mortality rates of octogenarians, awareness of the presence of comorbidities is essential in the decision making process before offering aneurysm repair to this cohort, especially when OSR is considered., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The aim of this study was to use recent evidence to investigate and update volume-outcome relationships after open surgical repair (OSR) and endovascular repair (EVAR) of abdominal aortic aneurysm in England., Methods: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data from April 2006 to March 2018 were obtained. The primary outcome was in-hospital death. Other outcomes included duration of hospital stay, readmissions within 30 days, and critical care requirements. Case-mix adjustment included age, sex, HES year, deprivation index, weekend admission, mode of admission, type of procedure and co-morbidities., Results: Annual volume of all repairs combined appeared to be an appropriate measure of volume. After case-mix adjustment, a significant relationship between volume and in-hospital mortality was seen for OSR (P < 0·001) but not for EVAR (P = 0·169 for emergency and P = 0·363 for elective). The effect appeared to extend beyond 60 repairs per year to volumes above 100 repairs per year. There was no significant relationship between volume and duration of hospital stay or 30-day readmissions. In patients receiving emergency OSR, higher volume was associated with longer stay in critical care., Conclusion: Higher annual all-procedure volumes were associated with significantly lower in-hospital mortality for OSR, but such a relationship was not significant for EVAR. There was not enough evidence for a volume effect on other outcomes., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Society Ltd.)

Despite randomized trials showing a functional outcome benefit in favor of endovascular therapy (EVT), large artery occlusion acute ischemic stroke is associated with high mortality. We performed a retrospective analysis from a prospectively collected code stroke registry and included patients presenting between November 2016 and April 2019 with internal carotid artery and/or proximal middle cerebral artery occlusions. Ninety-day mortality status from registry follow-up was corroborated with the Social Security Death Index. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to determine demographic and clinical characteristics associated with 90-day mortality. Among 764 patients, mortality rate was 26%. Increasing age (per 10 years, OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.25-1.76; p < 0.0001), higher presenting NIHSS (per 1 point, OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09, p = 0.01), and higher discharge modified Rankin Score (per 1 point, OR 4.27, 95% CI 3.25-5.59, p < 0.0001) were independently associated with higher odds of mortality. Good revascularization therapy, compared to no EVT, was independently associated with a survival benefit (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.35-1.00, p = 0.048). We identified factors independently associated with mortality in a highly lethal form of stroke which can be used in clinical decision-making, prognostication, and in planning future studies.

Initial attempt of endovascular treatment (EVT) for spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (SDAVF) is preferred because of concurrent diagnosis and treatment. However, outcomes following further treatment with initial EVT are not well studied. We retrospectively reviewed 71 patients with SDAVF to evaluate treatment outcomes of SDAVF after an initial EVT attempt. Pretreatment and posttreatment functional states were assessed by the Aminoff-Logue scale (ALS). In the case of incomplete occlusion or recurrence, overall outcomes after further treatments were compared. Of the 71 patients, 56 underwent initial EVT. Complete occlusion was achieved by initial EVT in 37 of 56 patients (66.1%). Multiple feeders were more frequently observed in patients with incomplete occlusion than complete occlusion after initial EVT (73.7% vs. 27%, P < 0.001). Among 19 patients with incomplete occlusion upon initial EVT, 14 underwent additional surgery, 13 of whom (92.9%) obtained improved or stationary functional outcomes. Functional improvement was not observed in patients who had repeated EVT or follow-up without further treatment. Recurrence was observed in 8 of 37 patients with complete occlusion upon initial EVT. Additional surgery achieved improved functional outcomes in cases of incomplete occlusion of SDAVF after the initial EVT attempt or recurrence rather than repeated EVT or follow-up.

Objective: The aims of the present study were to examine the impact of type 2 endoleaks (T2EL) on overall survival and to determine the need for secondary intervention after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR)., Methods: A multicentre retrospective cohort study in the Netherlands was conducted among patients with an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) who underwent EVAR between 2007 and 2012. The primary endpoint was overall survival for patients with (T2EL+) or without (T2EL-) a T2EL. Secondary endpoints were sac growth, AAA rupture, and secondary intervention. Kaplan-Meier survival and multivariable Cox regression analysis were used., Results: A total of 2 018 patients were included. The median follow up was 62.1 (range 0.1 - 146.2) months. No difference in overall survival was found between T2EL+ (n = 388) and T2EL- patients (n = 1630) (p = .54). The overall survival estimates at five and 10 years were 73.3%/69.4% and 45.9%/44.1% for T2EL+/T2EL- patients, respectively. Eighty-five of 388 (21.9%) T2EL+ patients underwent a secondary intervention. There was no difference in overall survival between T2EL+ patients who underwent a secondary intervention and those who were treated conservatively (p = .081). Sac growth was observed in 89 T2EL+ patients and 44/89 patients (49.4%) underwent a secondary intervention. In 41/44 cases (93.1%), sac growth was still observed after the intervention, but was left untreated. Aneurysm rupture occurred in 4/388 T2EL patients. In Cox regression analysis, higher age, ASA classification, and maximum iliac diameter were significantly associated with worse overall survival., Conclusion: No difference in overall survival was found between T2EL+ and T2EL- patients. Also, patients who underwent a secondary intervention did not have better survival compared with those who did not undergo a secondary intervention. This study reinforces the need for conservative treatment of an isolated T2EL and the importance of a prospective study to determine possible advantages of the intervention., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: In Europe, aneurysm treatment performed by dually trained neurosurgeons is extremely scarce. We provide outcome data for un-ruptured aneurysm patients treated at a European hybrid center to prove that hybrid neurosurgeons achieve clinical and angiographical results allowing to integrate hybrid neurosurgery into routine aneurysm treatment. This will not only help to maintain neurovascular microsurgical skills but will influence staff costs in related hospitals., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all consecutively treated un-ruptured aneurysm patients between 2000 and 2016. The decision-making took into account the pros and cons of both modalities and considered patient and aneurysm characteristics. Clinical outcome was assessed by the modified Rankin scale (mRS). Occlusion rates were stratified into grade I for 100%, grade II for 99-90%, and grade III for <90% occlusion. To account for the introduction of stents, two treatment periods (p1, 2000 to 2008; p2, 2009 to 2016) were defined., Results: The study population consisted of 274 patients (median age 55 years) harboring 338 un-ruptured aneurysms. Microsurgery (MS) was performed in 51.8% and endovascular therapy (EVT) in 43.1%; 5.1% required combined treatment. Overall, 93% showed a favorable clinical outcome (mRS 0-2), 94.3% after MS and 91.5% after EVT. Grade I aneurysm occlusion was achieved in 82.6% patients, 91.9% after MS and 72.9% after EVT. Procedure-related complications occurred after MS in 5.6% and after EVT in 4.4% patients. Mortality was recorded for five (1.8%) patients, one patient after MS and four after EVT. For the EVT cohort, significant improvement from p1 to p2 was seen with clinical outcomes (P=0.030, RR = 0.905, CI: 0.8351-0.9802) and occlusion rates (P=0.039, RR = 0.6790, CI: 0.499-0.923)., Conclusion: Hybrid neurosurgeons achieve qualified clinical and angiographic results. Dual training will allow to maintain neurovascular caseloads and preserve future aneurysm treatment within neurosurgery. Furthermore economic benefits could be observed in hospital management.

Introduction: The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus and advances in endovascular therapies continue to have an impact on the epidemiology and management of lower extremity arterial disease. This study describes trends in lower extremity revascularisation and major lower limb amputation in NHS England over the past two decades (2000-2019)., Methods: Numbers of lower extremity endovascular interventions, open surgical procedures and major lower limb amputations performed in NHS England between 2000 and 2019 were extracted from publicly available hospital admitted patient care activity reports. Trends in intervention were assessed with linear regression models and chi-square tests for trend., Results: Over this period, 527,131 revascularisations and 92,053 amputations were performed. The mean age of patients was 67.5 years (standard deviation 1.6 years) and 65.3% were male. The number of lower limb revascularisation procedures increased by 402.4 units/year (95% confidence interval, CI, 290.1-514.6, p  < 0.001). The number of endovascular interventions rose by 43.5% (10,912 in 2000 vs 15,657 in 2019; β = 359.5.0, 95% CI 279.3-439.8, p  < 0.001) compared with no significant increase in the number of open surgical procedures (8,483 in 2000 vs 7,872 in 2019; β = 42.8, 95% CI -8.3 to 94.0, p  = 0.095). The number of major lower limb amputations has decreased by 9.4% (5,418 in 2000 vs 4,907 in 2019; β = -31.0; 95% CI -49.6 to -12.5, R 2  = 0.42, p  = 0.003)., Conclusions: There has been a significant increase in the rate of lower limb revascularisation procedures associated with decreased numbers of major lower limb amputations over the past two decades. These changes in overall trends may affect both service provision and vascular surgery training planning.

Objective: Transcarotid/transcervical revascularisation (TCAR) is an alternative to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and transfemoral carotid stenting (tfCAS). This review aimed to evaluate pooled data on patients undergoing TCAR., Data Sources: Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases were used., Review Methods: This systematic review was conducted under Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Eligible studies (published online up to September 2020) reported 30 day mortality and stroke/transient ischaemic attack (TIA) rates in patients undergoing TCAR. Data were pooled in a random effects model and weight of effect for each study was also reported. Quality of studies was evaluated according to Newcastle - Ottawa scale., Results: Eighteen studies (three low, seven medium, and eight high quality) included 4 852 patients (4 867 TCAR procedures). The pooled 30 day mortality rate was 0.7% (n = 32) (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.5 - 1.0), 30 day stroke rate 1.4% (n = 62) (95% CI 1.0 - 1.7), and 30 day stroke/TIA rate 2.0% (n = 92) (95% CI 1.4 - 2.7). Pooled technical success was 97.6% (95% CI 95.9 - 98.8). The cranial nerve injury rate was 1.2% (95% CI 0.7 - 1.9) (n = 14; data from 10 studies) while the early myocardial infarction (MI) rate was 0.4% (95% CI 0.2 - 0.6) (n = 16; data from 17 studies). The haematoma/bleeding rate was 3.4% (95% CI 1.7 - 5.8) (n = 135; data from 10 studies), with one third of these cases needing drainage or intervention. Within a follow up of 3 - 40 months the restenosis rate was 4% (95% CI 0.1 - 13.1) (data from nine studies; n = 64/530 patients) and death/stroke rate 4.5% (95% CI 1.8 - 8.4) (data from five studies; n = 184/3 742 patients). Symptomatic patients had a higher risk of early stroke/TIA than asymptomatic patients (2.5% vs. 1.2%; odds ratio 1.99; 95% CI 1.01 - 3.92); p = .046; data from eight studies)., Conclusion: TCAR is associated with promising early and late outcomes, with symptomatic patients having a higher risk of early cerebrovascular events. More prospective comparative studies are needed in order to verify TCAR as an established alternative treatment technique., (Copyright © 2021 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms remain a challenge for endovascular surgeons. Dual-stent-assisted coiling techniques have been defined to treat bifurcation aneurysms with a complex neck morphology. However, there are still concerns about the safety of dual-stenting procedures. Stent plus balloon-assisted coiling is a recently described endovascular technique that enables the coiling of wide-necked complex bifurcation aneurysms by implanting only a single stent., Objective: To investigate the feasibility, efficacy, safety, and durability of this technique for the treatment of wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms., Methods: A retrospective review was performed of patients with wide-necked intracranial bifurcation aneurysms treated with stent plus balloon-assisted coiling. The initial and follow-up clinical and angiographic outcomes were assessed. Preprocedural and follow-up clinical statuses were assessed using modified Rankin scale., Results: A total of 61 patients (mean age: 54.6 ± 10.4 yr) were included in the study. The immediate postprocedural digital subtraction angiography revealed complete aneurysm occlusion in 86.9% of the cases. A periprocedural complication developed in 11.5% of the cases. We observed a delayed ischemic complication in 4.9%. There was no mortality in this study. The permanent morbidity rate was 3.3%. The follow-up angiography was performed in 55 of 61 patients (90.1%) (the mean follow-up period was 25.5 ± 27.3 mo). The rate of complete aneurysm occlusion at the final angiographic follow-up was 89.1%. The retreatment rate was 1.8%., Conclusion: The results of this study showed that stent plus balloon-assisted coiling is a feasible, effective, and relatively safe endovascular technique for the treatment of wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms located in the posterior and anterior circulation., (© Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2021.)

Background: The institution-wide response of the University of California San Diego Health system to the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was founded on rapid development of in-house testing capacity, optimization of personal protective equipment usage, expansion of intensive care unit capacity, development of analytic dashboards for monitoring of institutional status, and implementation of an operating room (OR) triage plan that postponed nonessential/elective procedures. We analyzed the impact of this triage plan on the only academic neurosurgery center in San Diego County, California, USA., Methods: We conducted a de-identified retrospective review of all operative cases and procedures performed by the Department of Neurosurgery from November 24, 2019, through July 6, 2020, a 226-day period. Statistical analysis involved 2-sample z tests assessing daily case totals over the 113-day periods before and after implementation of the OR triage plan on March 16, 2020., Results: The neurosurgical service performed 1429 surgical and interventional radiologic procedures over the study period. There was no statistically significant difference in mean number of daily total cases in the pre-versus post-OR triage plan periods (6.9 vs. 5.8 mean daily cases; 1-tail P = 0.050, 2-tail P = 0.101), a trend reflected by nearly every category of neurosurgical cases., Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of California San Diego Department of Neurosurgery maintained an operative volume that was only modestly diminished and continued to meet the essential neurosurgical needs of a large population. Lessons from our experience can guide other departments as they triage neurosurgical cases to meet community needs., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)