Journal of vascular surgery
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Vascular surgeons perform numerous highly sophisticated and delicate procedures. Due to restrictions in training time and the advent of endovascular techniques, new concepts including alternative environments for training and assessment of surgical skills are required. Over the past decade, training on simulators and synthetic models has become more sophisticated and lifelike. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of a 3-day intense training course in open vascular surgery on both specific and global vascular surgical skills. ⋯ This study shows that lifelike simulation featuring pulsatile flow can increase surgical skills and technical quality in a highly sophisticated multistep vascular intervention. This training provides comparatively inexpensive and lifelike training possibilities for the adoption and assessment of surgical skills required to perform delicate vascular surgical procedures.
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Local vancomycin treatment has been shown to decrease sternal wound complication rates. Whether a similar effect can be achieved at other surgical sites is unknown. This study investigates the effect of local vancomycin on inguinal wound complication rates after vascular procedures. ⋯ Addition of intraoperative local vancomycin did not improve the rates of inguinal wound dehiscence or deep infections but had a positive impact on superficial wound infections.
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Management of limb and other malperfusion syndromes is controversial in acute type A aortic dissection. We assessed our hypothesis that urgent proximal aortic repair resolves most cases of limb ischemia without additional peripheral revascularization. ⋯ Most cases of limb ischemia resolve after immediate repair of acute type A aortic dissection. There is no difference in renal dysfunction or in-hospital or long-term mortality between patients with isolated limb ischemia and those with nonmalperfusion dissection. If ischemia persists, limb salvage is successful if revascularization is expeditious.
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Intrathoracic subclavian artery aneurysms (SAAs) are rare aneurysms that often occur in association with congenital aortic arch anomalies and/or concomitant thoracic aortic pathology. The advent of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) methods may complement or replace conventional open SAA repair. Herein, we describe our experience with SAA repair in the TEVAR era. ⋯ This is the largest single-institution series to date of TEVAR for SAA repair. Modern endovascular techniques expand SAA repair options with excellent results. The majority of SAAs and nearly all aberrant SAAs (Kommerell's diverticulum) can now be repaired using a TEVAR-based approach without the need for sternotomy or thoracotomy.
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Case Reports
Endovascular aortic repair of a postdissecting thoracoabdominal aneurysm using intraoperative fusion imaging.
Computer-aided imaging can aid complex endovascular repair of aortic dissections in locating the narrow true lumen and identifying perfusion of visceral vessels by the true and/or false lumen. Although these anatomic data are available for analysis during planning, they are not readily available during the procedure with conventional imaging systems. ⋯ The preoperative computer tomographic angiograms were processed, and the true and the false lumens were individually color labeled. These data were then superimposed on the fluoroscopic images in order to facilitate deployment of a fenestrated endograft.