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Summary: Background: To determine the adherence to supervised exercise training and underlying reasons for non-adherence amongst patients with inpatient treatment of symptomatic lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Patients: This was a prospective questionnaire-based survey study of all consecutively treated inpatients with treatment for either intermittent claudication or chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI) surveyed at sixteen participating centres in Germany. Results: A total of 235 patients (median age 70 years) were included, thereof 29.4% females and 34.6% with CLTI. The median time from first PAD diagnosis was 4 years (IQR: 1–8). Only 11.4% have previously participated in any walking exercise programme before the index treatment, thereby 10.0% in the IC subgroup and 12.0% with CLTI. Amongst all patients, 35.6% responded they were appropriately informed about the necessity and benefits of walking exercise programmes by their hospital physicians (25.8% by general practitioners), and 65.3% agreed that adherence to supervised exercise may improve their pain-free walking distance. A total of 24.5% responded they had access to necessary information concerning local walking exercise programmes. Amongst 127 free text comments on the reasons for non-adherence to supervised exercise training, 64% of the comments contained lack of information or consent on such measures. Conclusions: Less than 12% of the patients enrolled in the current study have ever participated in a walking exercise programme during their life course. Although all practice guidelines contain corresponding class I recommendations, especially for patients suffering from IC, most patients responded that they were not appropriately informed about the necessity of exercise training along with the fact that 65% agreed that exercise may increase the pain-free walking distance. Taken all together, these results emphasise that we miss an important opportunity in the patient-physician communication. Efforts should be made to improve acceptance and application of structured walking-exercise for patients with PAD.

ZusammenfassungDie periphere arterielle Verschlusskrankheit (PAVK) gilt als Volkskrankheit mit weltweit mehr als 230 Mio. Betroffenen und schlechter Prognose. Durch den systemischen und progressiven Charakter der Atherosklerose sowie den Befall vieler Gefäßbereiche ist neben dem Risiko für gefäßbedingte Amputationen auch die generelle Lebenserwartung deutlich eingeschränkt. Die strikte Ausschöpfung der konservativen Therapie gilt als wichtiges Fundament der komplementären Behandlung, wird aber nicht immer erfolgreich umgesetzt. Neben dem strukturierten Gehtraining, Raucherentwöhnung, Optimierung von Ernährung und Körpergewicht, Blutdrucktherapie sowie Normalisierung von Blutzucker- und Blutfettwerten gilt die optimale Arzneimitteltherapie als zentrales Behandlungsziel. Dieser Artikel soll laienverständliche evidenzbasierte Empfehlungen zur Optimierung des sogenannten Best Medical Treatment in der Behandlung der PAVK geben.

The gold standard for the treatment of carotid artery stenosis is the carotid endarterectomy (CEA). According to current guidelines, carotid artery stenting (CAS) is an alternative. Randomized control trials (RCTs) show significantly higher rates of peri-interventional strokes after CAS compared to CEA. However, these trials were usually characterized by a great heterogeneity in the CAS procedure. In this retrospective analysis from 2012 to 2020, 202 symptomatic and asymptomatic patients were treated with CAS. Patients were carefully pre-selected according to anatomical and clinical criteria. In all cases, the same steps and material were used. All interventions were performed by five experienced vascular surgeons. Primary endpoints of this study were perioperative death and stroke. Asymptomatic carotid stenosis was present in 77% of the patients and symptomatic in 23%. The mean age was 66 years. The average degree of stenosis was 81%. The CAS technical success rate was 100%. Periprocedural complications occurred in 1.5% of cases, including one major stroke (0.5%) and two minor strokes (1%). The results of this study indicate that through a strict patient selection based on anatomical and clinical criteria, CAS can be performed with very low complication rates. Furthermore, standardization of the materials and the procedure itself is crucial.

Journal of Clinical Medicine 11(3), (2022). doi:10.3390/jcm11030498 special issue: "Topical Collection "Peripheral Artery Disease: Epidemiology and Global Perspectives" / Editors: Dr. Christian-Alexander Behrendt, Collection Editor; Dr. Frederik Peters, Collection Editor; Dr. Ulrich Rother, Collection Editor", Published by MDPI, Basel

Objective: The current study aimed to determine the relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and major 12-month outcomes for patients with in-hospital treatment for symptomatic peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). Methods: An analysis of the prospective longitudinal multicentric cohort study with 12-month follow-up was conducted including patients who underwent endovascular or open surgery for symptomatic PAOD at 35 German vascular centres (initial study protocol: NCT03098290). Severity of CKD was grouped into four stages combining information about the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at baseline and dialysis dependency. Outcomes included overall mortality as well as the two composite endpoints of amputation or death, and of major cardiovascular events (MACE). 12-month incidences and adjusted hazard ratios were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier function and Cox proportional hazard models. Results: A total of 4354 patients (32% female, 69 years mean age, 68% intermittent claudication, 69% percutaneous endovascular revascularisation) were included and followed for 244 days in median. Thereof, 22% had any CKD and 5% had end stage kidney disease (ESKD) at baseline. The 12-month overall mortality rate was 3.6% (95% CI 2.3–4.9) with 96 events in the entire cohort: 147 were amputated or died (5.3%, 95% CI 5.2–5.3), and 277 had a MACE (9.5%, 95% CI 9.4–9.5). When compared with patients without kidney disease, ESKD was significantly associated with overall mortality (HR 1.9; 95% CI 1.1–3.5), amputation or death (HR 2.4; 95% CI 1.4–4.1), and MACE (HR 2.0; 95% CI 1.3–3.2). Conclusions: In the current study on mid-term outcomes after invasive revascularisation for symptomatic PAOD, one out of five patients suffered from any CKD while those few with ESKD had twice the odds of death, of amputation or death, and of major adverse cardiovascular events after twelve months. These results emphasise that concomitant CKD and its impact on outcomes should be considered by severity while mild and moderate grades should not lead to ineffectual treatment strategies.

The revascularization of the iliocaval segment is one of the most exciting and challenging treatments of the vascular surgery. Particularly promising is the reconstruction in case of renal cell carcinoma or adrenal neoplasma with tumor thrombus extension into the inferior vena cava. In these cases an improvement of the quality of life and also an increased life expectancy can be achieved. Experiences with replacement of the inferior vena cava in tumor are very small and the follow-up, if reported, rarely exceeds 1 year due to the underlying malignant disease. The reconstruction is indicated only in a selected group of patients. In tumorous stenosis or obstruction of pelvic veins, thrombectomy, venous dilatations with subsequent stent-implantation, carries a minor operative risk and offers the opportunity to attain a better quality of life. The Cross-Over-Bypass is indicated in cases of unilateral occlusion due to primary or metastatic neoplasm with severely impaired peripheral microcirculation and impending phlegmasia coerulea dolens. Autologous Cross-Pubic-Bypasses, by anteposition of the external iliac vein on the affected side or by a graft from the contralateral healthy superficial femoral vein, offer a useful alternative to the classical PALMA operation or the PTFE Cross-Over-Bypass. The advantages of the autologous Cross-Public-Bypass are a large graft diameter, low infection risk, and the transplantation of competent venous valves.

Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is considered one of the telltale signs of a terminal malignant process. We describe a successful endovascular desobliteration of a subtotal occluded SVC and the left innominate vein using a Y-stent technique in a 46-year-old female with a mediastinal nodal metastasis of a relapsing renal cell carcinoma. Complete clinical improvement in the symptoms within the first 24 hours of the procedure and no complication were observed. This report describes endovascular stenting of the SVC as a palliation therapy to overcome the severe clinical symptoms of SVCS besides surgical or chemotherapy in mediastinal malignancy masses.

More than 90% of all peripheral arterial aneurysms affect the popliteal and common femoral arteries and much more rarely the subclavian and brachial arteries. In a large proportion of these patients there are coexisting aneurysms of other locations as well, particularly in the infrarenal abdominal aorta.1