Vascular complications and clinical outcome after coronary angioplasty with platelet IIb/IIIa receptor blockade. Comparison of transradial vs transfemoral arterial access. (9/626)

AIMS: Vascular complications associated with femoral artery access for interventional cardiological procedures may increase morbidity especially in patients receiving anticoagulants, aspirin, ticlopidine and platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors. The use of radial arterial access has the potential to reduce the incidence of access site bleeding complications. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes after the radial and femoral approaches in patients treated with the platelet IIb/IIIa inhibitor, abciximab. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred and fifty consecutive patients treated by abciximab underwent angioplasty by the radial or femoral approach in 83 and 67 cases, respectively. Outcome variables were major cardiac events and major access site bleeding at 1-month follow-up. Freedom from major cardiac events at 1-month follow-up occurred in 78 (93.9%) and 63 (94.0%) patients in the radial and femoral groups, respectively (P=0.99). There were no major access site bleeding complications in the radial group, as opposed to five (7.4%) in the femoral group, P=0.04. Postprocedure length of stay, days (3.7+/-6.0 radial vs 3.7+/-2.6 femoral, P=0.96) as well as total hospital length of stay (5.0+/-4.3 radial vs 4.9+/-3.0 femoral, P=0.72) were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: Coronary angioplasty in patients treated by abciximab using the transradial approach is efficacious with fewer major access site complications than with the transfemoral approach.  (+info)

A randomised controlled trial of Prostar Plus for haemostasis in patients after coronary angioplasty. (10/626)

OBJECTIVES: to clarify the efficacy and safety of Prostar Plus, a new percutaneous vascular surgical device (PVS) for vascular haemostasis. DESIGN: prospective randomised controlled trial. METHODS: a consecutive series of 60 patients were randomised to either PVS (n =30) or conventional manual compression ( n =30) following coronary angioplasty or stenting with femoral access using an 8-F sheath. RESULTS: PVS significantly shortened the time to haemostasis (10 s.d. 3 vs. 27 s.d. 9 min, p <0.001), ambulation (2.2 s.d. 0.9 vs. 11.0 s.d. 1.4 h, p <0.001), and discharge (2.2 s.d. 0.4 vs. 3.1 s.d. 0.7 days, p <0.01), compared with the manual compression group with no major complications. PVS also increased patient comfort assessed by using a visual-analogue scale method. Although these clinical benefits reduced the hospital cost ($1301 s. d. 248 vs. 1613 s.d. 460, p <0.05), the cost of the PVS device (approximately $350) cancelled the cost-saving benefit. CONCLUSIONS: this randomised study indicates that Prostar Plus is safe, more effective and comfortable than conventional manual compression.  (+info)

Role of duplex scan in endoleak detection after endoluminal abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. (11/626)

OBJECTIVE: to validate the role of duplex scan in endoleak detection in postoperative surveillance of endoluminal abdominal aneurysm repair (EAAR). PATIENTS AND METHODS: between April 1997 and March 1999, 103 patients were eligible for duplex and computed tomography (CT) scan after EAAR. Mean follow-up was 8 months (range 1-24 months). The study protocol comprised concurrent examination with colour-duplex and CT scan at 1, 6, and 12 months after EAAR, for a total of 198 concurrent examinations. All duplex scan examinations were performed by two vascular surgeons with the same machine (ATL HDI 3000). Interobserver agreement in endoleak detection (kappa=1) and in type of endoleak (kappa=0.7) was evaluated in 50 random duplex examinations. Endoleak detection was examined comparatively in duplex and CT scan, the latter being the gold standard. Sensitivity and specificity tests together with negative- and positive-predictive values (NPV and PPV) were calculated. RESULTS: duplex scan was not feasible in one patient. On CT scan the endoleak rate was 4% at one month, 3% at 6 months, and 4% at one year. Overall, CT scan detected 12 endoleaks. With respect to endoleak detection, duplex scan revealed a great ability in ruling out false-negative results (sensitivity 91.7%, NPV 99.4%), but overestimated the presence of endoleak (specificity 98.4%, PPV 78. 6%). Regarding type of endoleak, the ability of duplex scan to identify the source of endoleak was low (sensitivity 66.7%). CONCLUSIONS: duplex scan, if validated, appears to be a reliable means for excluding the presence of endoleak after EAAR.  (+info)

Long-term follow-up of morbidity and mortality after aortic valve replacement with a mechanical valve prosthesis. (12/626)

AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of valve-related complications in patients with a mechanical aortic valve prosthesis and to identify risk factors for an adverse outcome. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the 424 patients, event-free survival rates 5 and 10 years after aortic valve replacement were 62% and 37%, respectively. The linearized incidence of thromboembolic events was 4.4% per patient-year, and of anticoagulant-related haemorrhage 8.5% per patient-year. Advanced NYHA functional class, atrial fibrillation, pure aortic regurgitation and thromboembolism prior to surgery decreased event-free survival. A history of pre-operative thromboembolism increased the risk for a first embolic event after aortic valve replacement (relative hazard [RH] 3.2), but was even more strongly associated with the risk for repeated events (> or =2 events, RH 5.4). After each thromboembolic episode that occurred, the risk for a subsequent one was increased. The risk for at least one, and up to three or more haemorrhages was increased in patients with a pre-operative history of bleeding (RH 3.3-5.1) and of atrial fibrillation (RH 1.8-3.9). The risk for a subsequent event was increased by a history of repeated haemorrhages, a short interval since previous bleeding, and high age. CONCLUSIONS: There were few factors strongly related to valve related morbidity. However, previous bleedings and previous thromboembolism were powerful risk factors for repeated events.  (+info)

Lumbar plexus block reduces pain and blood loss associated with total hip arthroplasty. (13/626)

BACKGROUND: The usefulness of peripheral nerve blockade in the anesthetic management of hip surgery has not been clearly established. Because sensory afferents from the hip include several branches of the lumbar plexus, the authors hypothesized that a lumbar plexus block could reduce pain from a major hip procedure. METHODS: In a double-blind prospective trial, 60 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty were randomized to receive general anesthesia with (plexus group, n = 30) or without (control group, n = 30) a posterior lumbar plexus block. The block was performed after induction using a nerve stimulator, and 0.4 ml/kg bupivacaine, 0.5%, with epinephrine was injected. General anesthesia was standardized, and supplemental fentanyl was administered per hemodynamic guidelines. Postoperative pain and patient-controlled intravenous morphine use were serially assessed for 48 h. RESULTS: The proportion of patients receiving supplemental fentanyl intraoperatively was more than 3 times greater in the control group (20 of 30 vs. 6 of 29, P = 0.001). In the postanesthesia care unit, a greater than fourfold reduction in pain scores was observed in the plexus group (visual analogue scale [VAS] pain score at arrival 1.3 +/- 2 vs. 5.6 +/- 3, P < 0.001), and "rescue" morphine boluses (administered if VAS > 3) were administered 10 times less frequently (in 2 of 28 vs. in 22 of 29 patients, P < 0.0001). Pain scores and morphine consumption remained significantly lower in the plexus group until 6 h after randomization (VAS at 6 h, 1.4 +/- 1.3 vs. 2.4 +/- 1.4, P = 0.007; cumulative morphine at 6 h, 5.6 +/- 4.7 vs. 12.6 +/- 7.5 mg, P < 0.0001). Operative and postoperative (48 h) blood loss was modestly decreased in the treated group. Epidural-like distribution of anesthesia occurred in 3 of 28 plexus group patients, but no other side-effects were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Posterior lumbar plexus block provides effective analgesia for total hip arthroplasty, reducing intra- and postoperative opioid requirements. Moreover, blood loss during and after the procedure is diminished. Epidural anesthetic distribution should be anticipated in a minority of cases.  (+info)

Life-table analysis of primary and assisted success following endoluminal repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms: the role of supplementary endovascular intervention in improving outcome. (14/626)

AIM: the aim of this study was to analyse the effect of supplementary endovascular intervention on the outcome of primary endoluminal repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). METHODS: between May 1992 and December 1998, 266 patients underwent endoluminal repair of AAA. Minimum period of follow-up was 6 months. Those patients in whom the endoprosthesis could not be deployed were converted to open repair at the primary operation. Patients developing an early endoleak, within 31 days, were treated by a period of observation and secondary endovascular intervention in persistent cases. Patients developing a late endoleak were treated similarly, without a period of observation. Outcome was analysed by the life-table method. Primary success was defined as exclusion of the aneurysm from the circulation resulting from the original operation. Assisted success occurred when aneurysms with endoleaks became excluded from the circulation as a result of supplementary endovascular intervention. RESULTS: endoluminal repair failed in 17 patients requiring conversion to open repair at the original operation. Supplementary endovascular intervention was undertaken in 26 patients, with early endoleaks (n=6) and late endoleaks (n=20). Interventions involved deployment of secondary endoluminal grafts within the primary grafts (n=22), and coil embolisation (n=4). Successful exclusion of the aneurysm sac was achieved in 22 of 26 (85%) patients undergoing supplementary endovascular procedures. Conditional cumulative incidence of primary graft failure and secondary graft failure in the presence of all-cause mortality at 6 years was 47% and 25% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: supplementary endovascular intervention is an important adjunct to endoluminal AAA repair with the potential to improve outcome and avoid conversion to open repair. Successful supplementary endovascular intervention was achieved in 85% of patients in whom it was attempted. Life-table analysis showed these supplementary procedures to be durable in the long term.  (+info)

Mid-term results of endovascular versus open repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm in patients anatomically suitable for endovascular repair. (15/626)

OBJECTIVES: to prospectively evaluate the mid-term results of endovascular and open repair in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) anatomically suitable for endovascular repair. MATERIAL AND METHODS: between January 1995 and March 1999, among 438 patients treated for AAA, 180 (41%) were suitable for endovascular repair as assessed by computed tomography (CT) scan and angiogram. Seventy-three were treated by various commercially available endovascular grafts (EV) and 107 by open repair (OR). Postoperatively, patients were followed every 6 months with clinical examination, duplex scan and in the EV group, CT scans. Patients>> demographic data, intra- and postoperative events were recorded prospectively in a computerised database and compared for each group. RESULTS: median age, sex ratio, preoperative risk factors and aneurysm diameters were not statistically different between the two groups. Respectively in the EV and OR, the average duration of operation was 149+/-73 mn, and 133+/-44 mn (NS), blood loss 96 ml+/-28 and 985 ml+/-113 (p<0.01), duration of hospitalisation 7 days+/-2 and 13 days+/-7 (p<0.01). The one-month mortality was 2.7% (n=2) for EV and 2.8% (n=3) for OR. The rate of cardiac and pulmonary complications was significantly higher in the OR group (6. 9% versus 19.6%, p=0.017). At a mean follow-up of 1 year, the cumulative survival rate was 82.2%+/-7.5 for EV and 96%+/-2.12 for OR (log-rank test p=0.043). No patients died of rupture, but three patients had to be converted to open surgery. Twenty-two percent (n=16) patients in the EV and 7.5% (n=8) in the OR were submitted to a subsequent minor or major reintervention (p=0.007). At 1 year, the cumulative rates free of any reintervention were respectively 78. 8%+/-6.7% and 92.9%+/-2.7% (p=0.001). In the EV there were 17 early endoleaks (23.3%). At the end of patient's follow-up seven endoleaks (9.6%) persisted. The primary success rate defined by the absence of endoleak and the absence of reintervention was 54 (74%) with EV and 101 (94%) with OR (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: EV is a promising technique. However, with current devices and indications the immediate benefits, mainly less blood loss, fewer cardiac and pulmonary complications, and shorter hospitalisation time, are outweighed by a higher rate of reinterventions to treat endoleak, or to maintain patency of the graft.  (+info)

General surgery in haemophiliac patients. (16/626)

With improvements in medical technology, more and larger surgical procedures are performed in haemophiliac patients, but rarely reported in the surgical literature. A retrospective study from a 10 year period from one referral centre identified a total of 68 operations performed in haemophiliac patients. The levels of the defective factors were carefully monitored preoperatively and postoperatively, and replaced according to a standard formula. Special caution was taken to avoid any postoperative medication or procedures that could provoke haemorrhagic complications.Two patients suffered postoperative bleeding complications that were managed conservatively. Inhibitory factors were detected preoperatively in one case, and postoperatively in another, and were managed with aggressive replacement therapy. There was no mortality, and the overall morbidity rate was 6%. With adequate preoperative and postoperative monitoring of the clotting factors, meticulous haemostasis during surgery, careful postoperative nursing, and timely replacement therapy, haemophiliac patients can be operated with good results. Postoperative bleeding complications are rare, and usually amenable to conservative management.  (+info)