Morbidity and mortality associated with open repair of visceral aneurysms

BACKGROUND

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) recently published clinical practice guidelines on the management of visceral aneurysms. However, studies investigating the perioperative outcomes of open repair of visceral aneurysms have been limited to single-center experiences with variable results that span multiple decades. In the present study, we sought to detail the morbidity and mortality associated with open repair of visceral aneurysms using a national database in the contemporary era.

METHODS

National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data from 2013 to 2019 were queried for patients who had undergone open repair of visceral aneurysms, which had been classified as mesenteric, renal, or splenic using Current Procedural Terminology and International Classification of Diseases codes. The primary endpoint was the composite of major complications (cardiovascular, pulmonary, progressive renal failure, deep wound infection, return to operating room, sepsis) and 30-day mortality. Logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of the primary endpoint for nonruptured aneurysm cases.

RESULTS

Of the 304 aneurysms, 263 were nonruptured (137 mesenteric, 66 renal, 60 splenic) and 41 were ruptured (24 mesenteric, 1 renal, 16 splenic) and had undergone open repair. For those with nonruptured aneurysms, their mean age was 59.4 ± 14.7 years and 48.3% were women. For those with nonruptured aneurysms, the 30-day mortality was 1.9% and the major complication rate was 12.9%. A return to the operating room (5.3%) and prolonged ventilator support (3.8%) were especially common. As expected, rupture was associated with significantly greater mortality (22.0%; P < .001) and major complications (34.1%; P = .001). The use of postoperative transfusion was common in the elective group but was significantly greater in the ruptured group (24.3% vs 80.5%; P < .001). The predictors of the primary outcome for nonruptured aneurysms included male sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-6.7; P = .011), anticoagulation (not discontinued before surgery) or bleeding disorder (OR, 4.52; 95% CI, 1.37-14.7; P = .012), and albumin <3.0 g/dL (OR, 4.66; 95% CI, 1.17-18.6; P = .029). Neither age nor aneurysm location were significant risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Open repair of visceral aneurysms was associated with acceptable morbidity and mortality, although these risks are significantly greater once ruptured. Male sex, bleeding risk, and low albumin were all risk factors for adverse events and should be considered for operative planning and postoperative care.

Prognostication of Asymptomatic Penetrating Aortic Ulcers: A Modern Approach

Background: Literature detailing the natural history of asymptomatic penetrating aortic ulcers (PAU) is sparse and lacks long-term follow-up. This study sought to determine the rate of asymptomatic PAU growth over time and adverse events from asymptomatic PAU. Methods: A cohort of patients with asymptomatic PAU from 2005-2020 was followed. One ulcer was followed per patient. Primary endpoints were change in size over time and the composite of symptoms, radiographic progression, rupture, and intervention; cumulative incidence function estimated the incidence of the composite outcome. Ulcer size and rate of change were modeled using a linear mixed effects model. Patient and anatomic factors were evaluated as potential predictors of the outcomes. Results: There were 273 patients identified. Mean age was 75.5±9.6 years; 66.4% were male. The majority of ulcers were in the descending thoracic aorta (53.9%), followed by abdominal aorta (41.4%), and aortic arch (4.8%). Fusiform aneurysmal disease was present in 21.6% of patients at a separate location; 2.6% had an associated intramural hematoma; 23.6% had at least one other PAU. Symptoms developed in one patient who ruptured; 8 patients (2.9%) underwent an intervention for PAU (one for rupture, 2 for radiographic progression, 5 for size/growth) at a median of 3.1 years (IQR:1.0-6.5) after diagnosis. Five and 10-year cumulative incidence of the primary outcome, adjusted for competing risk of death, was 3.6% (95% CI: 1.6-6.9%) and 6.5% (95% CI: 3.1-11.4%), respectively. For 191 patients with multiple CT scans (760 total CT's) with median radiographic follow-up of 3.50 years (IQR:1.20-6.63 years), mean initial ulcer width, ulcer depth, and total diameter in millimeters (mm) was 13.6, 8.5, and 31.4, respectively. Small, but statistically significant change over time was observed for ulcer width (0.23 mm/year) and total diameter (0.24 mm/year); ulcer depth did not significantly change over time. Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, initial ulcer width>20 mm, thrombosed PAU, and associated saccular aneurysm were associated with larger changes in ulcer size over time, however the magnitude of difference was small, ranging from 0.4-1.9 mm/year. Conclusions: Asymptomatic PAU displayed minimal growth and infrequent complications including rupture. Asymptomatic PAU may be conservatively managed with serial imaging and risk-factor modification.

Natural history of penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers in aortic branch vessels

OBJECTIVE

Penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers (PAUs) in aortic branch vessels are rare. There is a paucity of data regarding their long-term natural history and associated management. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and natural history of aortic branch PAUs.

METHODS

Institutional data on all patients with an aortic branch PAU from 2005 to 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Branch PAUs were defined as any PAU in the iliac, mesenteric, or arch vessels. End points included symptoms, end-organ events, and interventions. All computed tomography angiographies (CTAs) for each patient were reviewed, and total diameter, ulcer width, and ulcer depth were recorded on each computed tomography scan for the branch PAUs. Rate of change was compared between groups (iliac vs arch and visceral vessels) using a linear mixed-effects model.

RESULTS

Among 58,800 patients who underwent a CTA, 367 patients had an aortic PAU (prevalence: 0.6%) and 58 patients had a branch PAU (prevalence: 0.1%). Among those 58 patients, there were 66 ulcerated branches. There were 50 iliac (42 common iliac, 7 internal, and 1 external), 11 arch (8 left subclavian, 3 innominate), and 5 visceral ulcers (3 superior mesenteric artery, 1 celiac, and 1 renal). Mean age was 74.0 ± 8.8 years, and 86% of patients were male; 74% had hypertension, 79% had hyperlipidemia, and 59% had a concomitant aortic aneurysm. There were 45 PAU vessels with >1 CTA (total of 167 CTAs) with a median follow-up of 4.0 years (interquartile range: 2.0-6.2 years). Total vessel diameter increased in size by 0.27 mm/y but did not differ between groups (iliac vs visceral/arch vessels). PAU width and depth also did not significantly change over time, nor did it differ between groups. No branch PAUs caused symptoms, end-organ events, or rupture, nor required intervention due to symptoms and/or progression. Four PAUs spontaneously resolved (2 iliac, 2 other), and 1 iliac PAU progressed to a saccular aneurysm.

CONCLUSIONS

This is one of the largest studies evaluating the natural history of branched PAUs objectively via CTA. Branch PAUs are rare-the prevalence was one-sixth that of aortic PAUs. There was minimal growth noted in a median follow-up of 4 years, and no PAUs required intervention for symptoms or progression. Asymptomatic branch PAUs may be safely observed.

Addition of common carotid intervention increases the risk of stroke and death after carotid artery stenting for asymptomatic patients

BACKGROUND

A recent review of Vascular Study Group of New England data suggested that simultaneous endovascular treatment of tandem carotid lesions (TCAL: common carotid artery + internal carotid artery) is associated with a fourfold increase in perioperative neurologic events and death. However, given the small cohort, the effect of symptomatic status could not be evaluated. This study sought to determine the risk of simultaneous TCAL stenting in cohorts stratified by symptom status.

METHODS

Vascular Quality Initiative data (2005-2020) were queried for carotid stenting procedures (CAS). Emergent and bilateral procedures, patients with prior ipsilateral CAS, internal carotid artery lesions with stenosis <50%, and hybrid transcarotid procedures were excluded. The cohort was stratified by symptomatic status. The primary outcome was the composite of perioperative stroke and death. Predictors of stroke/death were determined with multivariable logistic regression for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with TCAL forced into the models.

RESULTS

There were 18,886 carotid arteries stented (18,441 patients): 18,077 (96%) with isolated carotid artery lesions and 809 (4%) with TCAL. Mean age was 70.0 ± 9.7. Symptomatic lesions were present in 58.9% of cases (isolated carotid artery lesions: 59.1% vs TCAL: 52.5%; P < .001). More TCAL arteries had a prior carotid endarterectomy (38.3% vs 23.8%; P < .001). TCAL had a higher perioperative stroke/death (3.4% vs 1.8%; P = .026) for asymptomatic lesions, but not symptomatic lesions (4.5% vs 3.7%; P = .41). TCAL were independently associated with stroke/death in asymptomatic patients (odds ratio, 1.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-3.33; P = .039) but not symptomatic patients (odds ratio, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.76-1.97; P = .42).

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of endovascular treatment of common carotid artery lesions with CAS is associated with almost double the risk of perioperative stroke/death in asymptomatic patients and should be avoided if possible. Treatment of TCAL is not associated with an increased risk of stroke/death for symptomatic lesions.

Short- and long-term outcomes after concurrent splenectomy during thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair

OBJECTIVE

Splenectomy is often performed during open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair, because capsular tears are common and can be associated with significant bleeding. It is unknown whether splenectomy affects the short- or long-term outcomes after TAAA repair.

METHODS

All open type I to IV TAAA repairs performed from 1987 to June 2015 were evaluated using a single institutional database. The primary endpoints were in-hospital death, major adverse events (MAE) and long-term survival. The secondary endpoint was hospital length of stay (LOS). All repairs performed for aneurysm rupture were excluded. Univariate analysis was conducted using the Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and the Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables. Logistic and linear multivariable regression were used for the in-hospital endpoints, and survival analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards modeling and Kaplan-Meier techniques.

RESULTS

A total of 649 patients met the study inclusion criteria. Of the 649 patients, 150 (23%) underwent concurrent splenectomy (CS) and six required emergency splenectomy secondary to bleeding postoperatively, leading to 156 cases of total in-hospital splenectomy. The perioperative mortality rate was 5.2% in the CS group and 5.2% in the non-CS group (P = 1.0). MAE were experienced by 48% of the CS patients compared with 34% of the non-CS patients (P = .003). Multivariable analysis revealed splenectomy was not independently predictive of perioperative death (adjusted odds ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41-2.23; P = .9). However, splenectomy was independently associated with any MAE (adjusted odds ratio, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.19-2.65; P = .005). Splenectomy was also associated with a longer length of stay (+5.39 days; 95% CI, 1.86-8.92; P = .003). No survival difference was found between the cohorts in the total splenectomy cohort in the unadjusted (log-rank P = 1.0) or adjusted (splenectomy adjusted hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.78-1.35; P = .9).

CONCLUSIONS

CS during open TAAA repair did not lead to increased perioperative mortality but did lead to significantly increased perioperative morbidity and longer hospital lengths of stay. We found no difference in long-term survival outcomes when CS was performed. Splenectomy during TAAA repair did not affect long-term survival.

Hybrid and Total Endovascular Approaches to Tandem Carotid Artery Lesions Have Similar Short- and Long-Term Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Addition of ipsilateral proximal endovascular intervention (PEI, common carotid/innominate) increases the risk of perioperative stroke/death for both carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid stenting (CAS). However, these approaches have not been directly compared and is the subject of this study.

METHODS

VQI (2005-2020) was queried for CEA and CAS with PEI, excluding emergent, bilateral, and repeat procedures, patients with prior ipsilateral CAS, ICA lesions with stenosis<50%, and transcarotid ICA stents. Primary outcome were the composite of perioperative stroke/death and long-term stroke/reintervention/death. Operative approach was evaluated with logistic regression, adjusted propensity scores, symptomatic status, and stenosis>70%. Long-term outcomes were compared with Kaplan-Meier Analysis.

RESULTS

There were 1,433 patients (795 endovascular;638 hybrid); mean age 69.8±9.4 years. Patients undergoing hybrid procedures were more likely to be female (49.4% vs. 37.5%; P < 0.001), less likely to have diabetes (29.5% vs. 38.2%; P P< 0.001), less likely to have a prior ipsilateral CEA (3.8% vs. 32.2%; P< 0.001), less likely to be symptomatic (34.6% vs. 52.8%; P < 0.001), and less likely to have >70% stenosis (77.3% vs. 95.6%%; P < 0.001). Perioperative stroke/death was 3.6% for hybrid and 3.9% for endovascular approaches (P = 0.77). In the multivariable model, hybrid operative approach (compared to the total endovascular approach) was not significantly associated with stroke/death (OR 1.29; 95%CI: 0.55-3.07; P = 0.56). For the 981 patients with long-term follow-up (556 endovascular; 425 hybrid), 1-year freedom from stroke/reintervention/death was 94.0% (95%CI: 90.9%-96.0%) for hybrid approach vs. 92.3% (95%CI: 89.5%-94.4%) for endovascular approach (P = 0.27).

CONCLUSION

Although simultaneous repair of tandem carotid lesions portends worse outcomes when compared to CEA or CAS alone, there was no difference in short or long-term stroke and death rates with a hybrid or totally endovascular approach.  Therefore, it is reasonable to use either approach in the select patients who require simultaneous repair of both lesions.

Contemporary Endovascular 30-Day Outcomes for Critical Limb Threatening Ischemia Relative to Surgical Bypass Grafting

OBJECTIVES

Data from 2011-2014 showed lower extremity bypass(LEB) outperforming infrainguinal endovascular intervention(IEI) regarding major adverse limb events(MALE) but noted no significant difference in major adverse cardiac events(MACE) in propensity matched cohorts. This study aimed to determine if more recent(2015-2018) endovascular outcomes data have improved relative to surgical bypass.

METHODS

Patients who underwent intervention for chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI) from 2015-2018 were identified using the American College of Surgeons National Quality Improvement Program(NSQIP) Vascular Surgery module. The cohort was categorized as undergoing lower extremity bypass(LEB) or infrainguinal endovascular intervention(IEI). Primary 30-day outcomes included major adverse cardiac events(MACE), major adverse limb events(MALE), and major amputation. Inverse probability weighting was used for multivariable analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 10,783 patients underwent an infrainguinal intervention for CLTI from 2015-2018. Of these, 6,003(55.7%) underwent LEB and 4,780(44.3%) underwent IEI. Forty percent of the cohort was considered "high anatomic risk" by Objective Performance Goals(OPG) standards, and 13.6% were considered "high clinical risk." The IEI cohort vs. the LEB cohort experienced a Myocardial infarction(MI)/Stroke rate of 1.8% vs. 3.6%(p < .001), and had a mortality rate of 2.0% vs. 1.7%(p = .22), which yielded a composite MACE of 3.4% vs. 4.8%(p = .001). The rate of reintervention for IEI vs LEB was 4.4% vs. 5.3%(p = .04), the loss of patency (without re-intervention) rate was 1.8% vs. 1.8%(p = 1.0), and the major amputation rate was 4.1% vs. 3.5%(p = .15), which resulted in a MALE rate of 9.1% vs. 8.8%(p = .50). Following inverse probability weighting, comparing the IEI to the referent LEB, MALE AOR = 1.17, 95% CI[1.01 -1.36], p = .036, MACE AOR = 0.61, 95% CI[0.49-0.74], p < .001, and major amputation AOR = 1.31, 95% CI[1.05 -1.62], p = .016.

CONCLUSION

Endovascular outcomes continue to demonstrate inferiority in major amputation and overall MALE. However, endovascular intervention has a significantly reduced incidence of MACE. Overall, these results demonstrate an improvement in endovascular MACE rates in recent years relative to surgical bypass.

Patients with failed femoropopliteal covered stents are more likely to present with acute limb ischemia than those with failed femoropopliteal bare metal stents

OBJECTIVE

Covered stents (CS) to treat superficial femoral artery (SFA) occlusive disease have become more common. However, concerns about patients presenting with acute limb ischemia (ALI) after failure due to coverage of important collaterals have been raised. Herein, we determine if CS are associated with ALI after failure.

METHODS

Vascular Quality Initiative peripheral vascular intervention and infrainguinal bypass datasets were queried from 2010 to 2020 for patients who underwent SFA stenting with a bare metal stent (BMS) or CS and who also had a subsequent ipsilateral SFA endovascular reintervention or bypass recorded in the Vascular Quality Initiative. The initial SFA stenting procedure will be referred to as the index procedure and the subsequent procedure will be referred to as the reintervention. Patients with aneurysmal pathology, prior infrainguinal bypass, and ALI at the index procedure were excluded. Patients with pre-index inflow/outflow procedures were not excluded. The primary outcome was ALI at reintervention. Other outcomes included higher degree of ischemia (claudication vs rest pain vs tissue loss vs ALI) and reoperative factors. Predictors of the primary outcome were determined with multivariable logistic regression. The index treatment length and pre-index ankle-brachial index were forced into the model.

RESULTS

There were 3721 patients: 3338 with index BMS, 383 with index CS. The mean patients age was 66.3 ± 11.0 years and 59.2% were male. Baseline covariates were similar between the groups; during the index procedure, more patients with BMS underwent plain balloon angioplasty (68.7% vs 62.1%; P = .001) and had shorter total index treatment length (median, 15.0 cm [interquartile range, 10.0-25.0 cm] vs 20.0 cm [interquartile range, 12.0-30.0 cm]; P < .001). At reintervention, ALI was the presenting symptom for 12.0% of the CS cohort vs 6.3% of the BMS cohort (P < .001). More patients with an index CS underwent major amputation at the time of reintervention (2.6% vs 1.0%; P = .006). Reinterventions for the patients with a CS more often used bypass, pharmacologic thrombolysis, and mechanical thrombolysis. CS at the index procedure was a predictor of ALI at reintervention (odds ratio, 1.87; 95% confidence interval, 1.31-2.65; P = .001) while controlling for age, time difference between procedures, body mass index, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, preoperative anticoagulation and antiplatelet, prior carotid intervention and major amputation, index procedure fluoroscopy time and treatment length, and pre-index ankle-brachial index.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients undergoing reintervention for failed SFA stents, CS are more likely to present with ALI than those with failed SFA BMS.

Simultaneous treatment of common carotid lesions increases the risk of stroke and death after carotid artery stenting

BACKGROUND

Tandem carotid artery lesions that involve simultaneous internal carotid artery (ICA) and common carotid artery (CCA) stenoses present a complex clinical problem. Some studies have shown that the addition of a retrograde proximal intervention to treat a CCA lesion during a carotid endarterectomy (CEA) increases the risk of stroke and death. However, the stroke and death risks associated with a totally endovascular approach to tandem lesions is unknown and is the subject of this study.

METHODS

Vascular Study Group of New England data for the years 2005 to 2020 were queried for carotid artery stenting (CAS) procedures. Emergent and bilateral procedures, procedures for indications other than atherosclerosis, patients with prior ipsilateral CAS, ICA lesions with stenosis of less than 50%, and transcarotid procedures were excluded. The cohort was divided into tandem and isolated lesion groups. The primary outcome was the composite of stroke and death. Predictors of stroke or death were determined with multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

There were 2016 carotid arteries stented in 1950 patients-1881 (96%) with isolated lesions and 135 (4%) with tandem lesions. The mean patient age was 69.6 ± 9.0 years. Tandem lesions were more likely to be present in women (50.4% vs 33.0%; P < .001) and in patients with a prior carotid endarterectomy (45.9% vs 35.4%; P = .014). Other covariates were similar between the groups. Symptomatic lesions accounted for 42.3% of cases (isolated, 42.2% vs tandem, 43.0%; P = .86). Arteries in the tandem group more often required multiple stents to treat the ICA lesion (9.6% vs 5.2%; P = .027). ICA neuroprotection had similar outcomes in both groups (tandem: success 94.1%, failure 3.7%; isolated: success 96.3%, failure 1.8%; P = .29). The tandem group experienced a higher 30-day mortality (2.2% vs 0.6%; P = .039), more perioperative neurologic events (stroke or transient ischemic attack) (8.1% vs 2.0%; P < .001), and a higher incidence of stroke or death (5.9% vs 1.9%; P = .002). Predictors of the primary outcome in the multivariable model included treatment of tandem lesions (odds ratio [OR], 3.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39-6.89; P = .006), symptomatic lesions (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.21-4.17; P = .010), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.17-3.92; P = .014), general anesthesia (OR, 3.34; 95% CI, 1.35-8.26; P = .009), and advancing age (OR, 1.05 per year; 95% CI, 1.01-1.09; P = .006).

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of endovascular treatment of tandem CCA lesions with CAS is associated with a three-fold increase in perioperative stroke and death and should be avoided if possible.

Perioperative outcomes for carotid revascularization on asymptomatic dialysis-dependent patients meet Society for Vascular Society guidelines

OBJECTIVE

The current Society for Vascular Surgery practice guidelines recommend carotid revascularization for asymptomatic disease in patients with at least a 3-year life expectancy and stenosis >60% when the expected perioperative stroke and death rate is <3%. Based on this recommendation, it was previously determined that asymptomatic patients who require dialysis would not meet the perioperative stroke and death thresholds nor the long-term survival benchmarks to justify carotid surgery. To determine whether carotid surgery for patients requiring dialysis is appropriate, the present study compared the perioperative outcomes after carotid revascularization for dialysis-dependent patients relative to nondialysis patients in a contemporary, national cohort.

METHODS

The targeted vascular module from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was queried to identify patients who undergone carotid endarterectomy or carotid artery stenting for asymptomatic carotid disease from 2011 to 2018. The cohort was categorized as requiring or not requiring dialysis. The primary 30-day outcomes included mortality and the composite of stroke/death and stroke/death/myocardial infarction (MI). Univariate analyses were performed using the Fisher exact test and Wilcoxon rank sum test. Multivariable analyses were used to assess the independent associations of the estimated glomerular filtration rate and dialysis dependence with the stroke/death rate.

RESULTS

A total of 17,579 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of these patients, 226 (1.3%) required dialysis at revascularization. No difference was found in the degree of severe stenosis (80%-99%) demonstrated by 69% of the dialysis cohort and 72% of the nondialysis cohort (P = .9). Of the dialysis and nondialysis cohorts, 5% and 3.6% underwent carotid artery stenting (P = .3). The dialysis-dependent patients were younger (68 vs 71 years; P < .001) and were more likely to have insulin-dependent diabetes (47% vs 12%; P < .001), congestive heart failure (8.4% vs 1.4%; P < .001), and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (15% vs 10%; P = .03). In the dialysis and nondialysis cohort, 2 (0.9%) and 88 (0.5%) patients died (P = .3); 4 (1.8%) and 247 (1.4%) experienced strokes (P = .6); and 3 (1.3%) and 185 (1.1%) patients experienced MI (P = .5), respectively. The composite outcomes of stroke/death and stroke/death/MI was 2.2% (n = 5) and 1.8% (n = 319; P = .6) and 3.5% (n = 8) and 2.8% (n = 479; P = .4) in the dialysis and nondialysis cohorts, respectively. After multivariable analysis, neither the estimated glomerular filtration rate (adjusted odds ratio, 1.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.01; P = .26) nor dialysis dependence (adjusted odds ratio, 0.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.03-1.57; P = .13) was independently associated with the composite outcome of stroke/death.

CONCLUSIONS

The 30-day carotid revascularization outcomes for asymptomatic disease in dialysis-dependent patients met the Society for Vascular Surgery guidelines in this national cohort and might be better than previously surmised. Hence, vascular surgeons could consider carotid revascularization for select dialysis-dependent patients with the appropriate expected longevity and perioperative risk.

Transabdominal approach associated with increased long-term laparotomy complications after open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

OBJECTIVE

Although the transabdominal approach (TAA) and lateral approach (LA) to open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (OAR) are both acceptable and widely used, a paucity of data evaluating subsequent postoperative laparotomy-associated complications (LCs) is available. The aim of the present study was to establish the incidence of LCs after OAR and determine which approach was associated with an increase in long-term LCs.

METHODS

An institutional database for OAR (2010-2019) was queried, excluding urgent and emergent cases. The primary endpoint was long-term LCs, defined as any complication related to entry into the abdomen. The LA included retroperitoneal and thoracoabdominal approaches and the TAA included all patients with midline incisions. A Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate the freedom from LCs, and the Fine-Gray method was used to determine the predictors of LCs, with death as a competing risk.

RESULTS

A total of 241 patients (mean age, 70.0 ± 9.1 years; 71.7% men) had undergone OAR, 91 via a TAA and 150 via a LA. The patients in the TAA group were significantly younger (age, 66.7 ± 8.9 vs 72.1 ± 8.7 years; P < .001), more likely to be male (83.5% vs 64.7%; P = .002), and more likely to have a history of small bowel obstruction (SBO; 3.3% vs 0%; P = .025). Patients in the LA group were more likely to have required a supraceliac clamp (20.7% vs 1.1%; P < .001). No difference was found in the incidence of perioperative complications or long-term mortality. The most common LCs were hernia (TAA, 26.4%; LA, 11.3%; P = .003), SBO (TAA, 8.8%, LA, 1.3%; P = .005), and other (TAA, 13.2%; LA, 2.0%; P = .001), which included evisceration, bowel ischemia, splenic injuries requiring reintervention, enterocutaneous fistula, internal hernia, and retrograde ejaculation. Operative LCs were more common in the TAA group (17.6% vs 2.7%; P < .001). The unadjusted 1-, 3-, and 5-year freedom from LCs was 77.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 66.0%-85.8%), 60.5% (95% CI, 46.5%-71.9%), and 54.0% (95% CI, 38.8%-67.0%) for TAA and 94.8% (95% CI, 88.8%-97.7%), 82.2% (95% CI, 72.2%-88.9%), and 79.1% (95% CI, 68.4%-86.5%) for LA, respectively (log-rank P < .001). The predictors for LCs were a history of SBO (P = .001), increasing body mass index (P = .005), and the use of the TAA (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Use of the TAA was an independent predictor of long-term LCs after OAR, along with an increasing body mass index and a history of SBO. In patients with amenable anatomy, the LA is favorable for preventing long-term LCs, especially in high-risk patients.

Pregnancy and Preeclampsia Are Associated With Acute Adverse Peripheral Arterial Events

OBJECTIVE

Acute peripheral arterial events, such as aortic dissection, carotid artery dissection, vertebral artery dissection, and ruptured renoviseral aneurysms, have been reported during pregnancy in case series, but there is a paucity of population-based data. This study sought to establish pregnancy and preeclampsia as risk factors for acute peripheral arterial events. Approach and Results: All women who gave birth between 1998 and 2020 within a multicenter health care system were identified. Births that occurred in women <18 or >50 years of age were excluded. Primary outcome was any acute peripheral arterial event that was symptomatic or required intervention. Cox regression model was used to evaluate the association between vascular events and pregnancy as a time-varying covariate. The pregnancy exposure period was from the estimated date of conception to 3 months postpartum. There were 277 697 pregnancies (81.3% deliveries, 17.0% abortions, and 1.7% ectopics) among 176 635 women with 1.68 million patient-years of total follow-up (median, 7.9 years; interquartile range, 2.4-16.2). Preeclampsia complicated 5.3% of pregnancies; 67 790 of 225 763 (30.0%) deliveries were delivered by cesarean. Ninety-six acute arterial events occurred during follow-up, of which 24 occurred during pregnancy, including the postpartum period. Pregnancy (hazard ratio, 1.85 [95% CI, 1.01-3.38]; P=0.046) and preeclampsia (hazard ratio, 10.9 [95% CI, 5.24-22.7]; P<0.001) were significant independent predictors of acute arterial events.

CONCLUSIONS

While taking into account limitations from estimating conception and outcome dates, pregnancy, especially when complicated by preeclampsia, is associated with an increased risk of acute peripheral arterial events.

Contemporary Endovascular Outcomes for Critical Limb Ischemia Are Still Failing to Meet Society for Vascular Surgery Objective Performance Goals

OBJECTIVES

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) created Objective Performance Goals (OPGs) for critical limb ischemia (CLI) in 2009. It was previously shown that endovascular therapy for CLI was not meeting these benchmarks. The OPG for all peripheral interventions is <8% for major adverse cardiac events (MACE), <8% for major adverse limb events (MALE), and <3% for major amputation. The goal of this study is to evaluate if outcomes have improved for CLI in recent years, specifically 2015-2018.

METHODS

The Targeted Vascular Module from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) was queried to identify patients who underwent endovascular intervention for critical limb ischemia from 2011-2018. Cohorts were divided into 2011-2014 and 2015-2018. Primary 30-day outcomes were MACE, MALE, and major amputation. Univariate analyses were performed using the Fisher's exact test and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Multivariate analysis comparing groups was performed using inverse probability weights and trend over time analysis was performed using logistic regression with year of intervention as a continuous variable.

RESULTS

From 2011 to 2018, 7,168 patients underwent an endovascular intervention for CLI. 28% were classified as "OPG high anatomic risk," and 17% were classified as "OPG high clinical risk." The 2015-2018 cohort vs. the 2011-14 cohort experienced MACE in 3.3% vs. 2.7% (p = .23), MALE in 9.1% vs. 8.9% (p = 0.83), and amputation in 4.0% vs. 4.2% (p = 0.71). When only high anatomic risk patients were considered (n = 1988), MACE was experienced in 2.4% vs. 2.2% (p = 0.87), MALE by 9.5% vs. 10.6% (p = 0.47) and amputation by 5.1% vs. 6.0% (p = 0.40). When only high clinical risk patients were considered (n = 1224), MACE was experienced in 5.2% vs. 3.9% (p = 0.33), MALE by 8.0% vs. 7.4% (p = 0.74) and amputation by 3.9% vs. 3.7% (p = 0.88). Comparing 2015-2018 to the reference 2011-2014, MALE adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.99, 95% CI [0.83-1.18], MACE AOR = 1.19 95% CI [0.88-1.60], and major amputation AOR = 0.91 95% CI [0.70-1.17]. There were no decreases in the trend over time for MALE (AOR per year 0.97, CI [.94-1.02], major amputation (AOR per year: 0.97, CI [0.91-1.03], nor for MACE (AOR per year: 1.05, CI [.98-1.13]).

CONCLUSION

Outcomes following endovascular interventions for CLI continue to underperform when compared to OPG benchmarks for MALE and amputations. There is no decrease over time for these target outcomes. Target MACE events remain acceptable despite the increasing clinical complexity of patients being treated.

Percutaneous brachial access associated with increased incidence of complications compared with open exposure for peripheral vascular interventions in a contemporary series

OBJECTIVE

Although percutaneous brachial access has been used more often for peripheral vascular interventions (PVIs), previous studies have suggested that open brachial artery exposure for access is associated with fewer complications than percutaneous access. The present study sought to determine the incidence of complications for each access method and identify the predictors of access site complications after brachial access.

METHODS

The Vascular Quality Initiative national database was queried for all patients who had undergone PVI with brachial artery access from 2016 to 2019. Procedures with simultaneous thrombolysis or open procedures were excluded. The primary outcome was any perioperative brachial artery access complications. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify any associated predictors.

RESULTS

A total of 1400 procedures had been performed for 1242 patients; 189 procedures (13.5%) had used an open exposure. The mean patient age was 67.3 ± 9.5 years, and 55.7% of the procedures were on men. No significant demographic differences were found between the open and percutaneous groups. Open exposure procedures were more likely to have used sheaths >5F (79.4% vs 59.0%; P < .001) and treated more arteries (2.0 ± 1.8 vs 1.7 ± 0.9; P < .001) but less likely to have used multiple access sites (8.5% vs 20.1%; P < .001). Access complications occurred in 7.5% of the percutaneous procedures and 1.6% of the open exposures (P = .003). Percutaneous access was independently associated with the occurrence of brachial access complications (odds ratio [OR], 5.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.76-19.9; P = .004). Other associated factors included female sex (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.44-3.44; P < .001), congestive heart failure (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.26-3.24; P = .003), and increasing sheath size (OR, 1.36 per each 1F increase in size; 95% CI, 1.07-1.72; P = .011); diabetes was protective (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.33-0.83; P = .006).

CONCLUSIONS

Open exposure might be advantageous compared with percutaneous access for preventing complications after brachial access. However, the difference in complications was driven by hematomas that were managed nonoperatively. Operative complications were more common in the percutaneous group, although this did not reach statistical significance. Percutaneous access should be used cautiously in women, patients with a history of congestive heart failure, those without diabetes, and interventions in which larger sheaths are required.

Comparative Analysis of Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Femoral Endarterectomy plus Endovascular (Hybrid) or Bypass for Femoropopliteal Occlusive Disease

INTRODUCTION

The gold-standard for management of combined common femoral artery (CFA) and superficial femoral artery (SFA) atherosclerotic occlusive disease has traditionally been open femoral endarterectomy and femoral-popliteal bypass. Hybrid approaches involving an open and endovascular component are increasingly common. The aim of this study was to compare perioperative outcomes in patients who underwent an open versus hybrid revascularization.

METHODS

NSQIP data, years 2012-2017, were queried for patients who underwent nonemergent CFA endarterectomy with either SFA transluminal intervention or bypass. The primary outcome of interest was a composite of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal complications (systemic) and mortality. Two propensity-weight adjusted analyses were performed: 1) comparing hybrid and prosthetic bypass 2) comparing hybrid and vein bypass.

RESULTS

There were 4,478 patients included (1,537 hybrid, 1,408 prosthetic, 1,533 vein); 64.8% were men, and the mean age was 67.8 ± 9.7 years; 29.9% had claudication, 38.8% had tissue loss, and 31.3 were unspecified. In the propensity-weighted analysis comparing hybrid to prosthetic bypass, there was no difference in systemic complications (OR = 1.29 for prosthetic vs. hybrid; 95% CI: 0.95-1.76; P = 0.107) or mortality (OR = 1.54; 95% CI: 0.71-3.33; P = 0.275). Prosthetic bypass was associated with more deep surgical-site infections (OR = 2.02; 95% CI: 1.19-3.45; P = 0.010), postoperative sepsis (OR = 2.07; 95% CI: 1.13-3.76; P = 0.018), unplanned 30-day readmission (OR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.04-1.58; P = 0.021), and the composite of any complication (OR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.18-1.61; P < 0.001). In the propensity-weighted analysis comparing hybrid to vein bypass, there was no difference in systemic complications (OR = 1.10 for vein vs. hybrid; 95% CI: 0.81-1.49; P = 0.552) or mortality (OR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.42-2.00; P = 0.819). Vein bypass was associated with more superficial surgical-site infections (OR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.04-2.02; P = 0.028), and the composite of any complication (OR = 1.32; 95% CI: 1.13-1.54; P = 0.001). Overall mortality was significantly higher patients with systemic complications (13.9% vs 0.1%; P < 0.001). Systemic complications were less common in patients with claudication undergoing hybrid revascularization than vein or prosthetic bypass.

CONCLUSIONS

Claudicants undergoing bypass experienced more systemic complications than those undergoing hybrid procedures, but there appears to be no increased risk of systemic complications or mortality with open reconstruction when compared to hybrid procedures for other indications. Other complications, such as infection, postoperative transfusion, and readmission, were more common in the bypass groups.