Survival and Long-Term Cardiovascular Outcomes after Carotid Endarterectomy in Patients with Chronic Renal Insufficiency

Polyvascular Disease Influences Long-Term Cardiovascular Morbidity in Carotid Endarterectomy

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVE

Carotid stenosis (CS) is an important cause of ischemic stroke. Secondary prevention lies in performing a carotid endarterectomy (CEA) procedure, the recommended treatment in most cases. When 2 or more vascular regions are simultaneously affected by atherosclerosis, mainly the carotid arteries, coronary arteries, or limb arteries, a multivessel disease polyvascular disease (PVD) is present. This study aims to assess the potential role of PVD as a long-term predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and all-cause mortality in patients submitted to CEA.

METHODS

From January 2012 to December 2021, patients submitted to CEA for carotid stenosis in a tertiary care and referral center were eligible from a prospective database. A posthoc survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier survival curve method. The primary outcome was the incidence of long-term MACE and all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included acute myocardial infarction (AMI), major adverse limb events (MALE), stroke, and acute heart failure (AHF).

RESULTS

A total of 207 patients were enrolled, with a median follow-up of 63 months. The mean age was 70.4 ± 8.9, and 163 (78.7%) were male. There were 65 (31.4%) patients that had 2 arterial vascular territories affected, and 29 (14.0%) patients had PVD in 3 arterial beds. On multivariable analysis, both MACE and all-cause mortality had as independent risk factors age (aHR 1.039, P = 0.003; aHR 1.041, P = 0.019), chronic kidney disease (aHR 2.524, P = 0.003; aHR 3.377, P < 0.001) and PVD2 (aHR 3.381, P < 0.001; aHR 2.665, P = 0.013). PVD1 was only associated with MACE as a statistically significant risk factor (aHR 2.531, 1.439-4.450, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

PVD in patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) was revealed to carry a 2-fold increased risk for all-cause mortality and MACE during long-term follow-up. PVD may be a simple yet valuable tool in predicting all-cause mortality, MACE, AMI, and MALE after CEA.

Kidney disease and stroke: epidemiology and potential mechanisms of susceptibility

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased risk of both ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke compared with the general population. Both acute and chronic kidney impairment are independently associated with poor outcome after the onset of a stroke, after adjustment for confounders. End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is associated with a 7- and 9-fold increased incidence of both ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes, respectively, poorer neurological outcome and a 3-fold higher mortality. Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs in 12% of patients with stroke and is associated with a 4-fold increased mortality and unfavourable functional outcome. CKD patients seem to have less access to revascularisation techniques like thrombolysis and thrombectomy despite their poorer prognosis. Even if CKD patients could benefit from these specific treatments in acute ischaemic stroke, their prognosis remains poor. After thrombolysis, CKD is associated with a 40% increased risk of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), a 20% increase in mortality and poorer functional neurological outcomes. After thrombectomy, CKD is not associated with ICH but is still associated with increased mortality, and AKI with unfavourable outcome and mortality. The beneficial impact of gliflozins on the prevention of stroke is still uncertain. Non-traditional risk factors of stroke, like uraemic toxins, can lead to chronic cerebrovascular disease predisposing to stroke in CKD, notably through an increase in the blood-brain barrier permeability and impaired coagulation and thrombosis mechanisms. Preclinical and clinical studies are needed to specifically assess the impact of these non-traditional risk factors on stroke incidence and outcomes, aiming to optimize and identify potential therapeutic targets.

Effect of intraoperative dexmedetomidine on long-term survival in older patients after major noncardiac surgery: 3-year follow-up of a randomized trial

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of intraoperative dexmedetomidine on long-term outcomes of older patients following major noncardiac surgery mainly for cancer.

DESIGN

A long-term follow-up of patients enrolled in a randomized trial.

SETTING

The initial trial was performed in a tertiary care hospital in Beijing, China.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients aged 60 years or older who were scheduled for major noncardiac surgery.

INTERVENTION

Participants were randomized to receive either dexmedetomidine (a loading dose of 0.6 μg/kg over 10 min, followed by a continuous infusion of 0.5 μg/kg/h until 1 h before end of surgery) or placebo during anesthesia.

MEASUREMENTS

The primary endpoint was overall survival. Secondary endpoints included recurrence-free survival and event-free survival. Cox proportional hazard models were used to adjust for predefined confounding factors. Propensity score matching was employed for sensitive analysis.

RESULTS

Among 620 patients who were randomized in the initial trial, 619 were included in the long-term analysis (mean age 69 years, 40% female, 77% oncological surgery). The median follow-up duration was 42 months (interquartile range 41 to 45). Overall survival did not differ between the two groups: there were 49/309 (15.9%) deaths with dexmedetomidine versus 63/310 (20.3%) with placebo (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.78, 95% CI 0.53-1.13, P = 0.187). Recurrence-free survival was improved with dexmedetomidine (68/309 [22.0%] events with dexmedetomidine versus 98/310 [31.6%] with placebo; adjusted HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.49-0.92, P = 0.012). Event-free survival was also improved with dexmedetomidine (120/309 [38.8%] events with dexmedetomidine versus 145/310 [46.8%] with placebo; adjusted HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.61-1.00, P = 0.047). Results were similar after propensity-score matching and in the subgroup of cancer patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In older patients having major noncardiac surgery mainly for cancer, intraoperative dexmedetomidine did not improve overall survival but was associated with improved recurrence-free and event-free survivals.

R2CHA2DS2-VA predicts the cardiovascular risk after carotid endarterectomy

OBJECTIVE

R2CHA2DS2-VA score has been used to predict short and long-term outcomes in many cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to validate the R2CHA2DS2-VA score as a long-term major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) predictor after CEA. Secondary outcomes were also assessed regarding the incidence of all-cause mortality, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), major adverse limb events (MALE), and acute heart failure (AHF).

METHODS

From January 2012 to December 2021, patients (n= 205) from a Portuguese tertiary care and referral center that underwent CEA with regional anesthesia (RA) for carotid stenosis were selected from a previously collected prospective database, and a post-hoc analysis was performed. Demographics and comorbidities were registered. Clinical adverse events were assessed 30-days after the procedure and in the subsequent long-term surveillance period. Statistical analysis was performed by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS

Of the patients enrolled, 78.5% were males with a mean age of 70.44 ± 8.9 years. Higher scores of R2CHA2DS2-VA were associated with long-term MACE (adjusted Hazard Ratio (aHR) 1.390; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.173-1.647) and mortality (aHR 1.295; 95% CI 1.08-1.545) CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the potential of the R2CHA2DS2-VA score to predict long-term outcomes such as AMI, AHF, MACE, and all-cause mortality in a population of patients submitted to carotid endarterectomy.

Contralateral Carotid Stenosis is a Predictor of Long-term Adverse Events in Carotid Endarterectomy

Contralateral carotid stenosis (clCS) has been described as a perioperative predictor of mortality after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). However, its predictive value on long-term cardiovascular events remains controversial. The study aims to assess the potential role of clCS as a long-term predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients who underwent CEA. From January 2012 to July 2020, patients undergoing CEA under regional anesthesia for carotid stenosis in a tertiary care and referral center were eligible from a prospective database, and a post hoc analysis was performed. The primary outcome consisted in the occurrence of long-term MACE. Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, acute heart failure, and major adverse limb events. A total of 192 patients were enrolled. With a median 50 months follow-up, chronic kidney disease (CKD) (mean survival time (MST) 51.7 vs. 103.3, p<0.010) and peripheral artery disease (PAD) (MST 75.1 vs. 90.3, p=0.001) were associated with decreased survival time. After propensity score matching (PSM), CKD (MST 49.1 vs. 106.0, p=0.001) and PAD (MST 75.7 vs. 94.0, p=0.001) maintained this association. On multivariate Cox regression analysis, contralateral stenosis was associated with higher MACE (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.035; 95% CI: 1.113-3.722, p=0.021 and all-cause mortality (HR = 2.564; 95% CI: 1.276-5,152 p=0.008). After PSM, only all-cause mortality (HR 2.323; 95% CI: 0.993-5.431, p=0.052) maintained a significant association with clCS. On multivariable analysis, clCS (aHR 2.367; 95% CI: 1.174-4.771, p=0.016), age (aHR 1.039, 95% CI: 1.008-1.070), CKD (aHR 2.803; 95% CI: 1.409-5.575, p=0.003) and PAD (aHR 3.225, 95% CI: 1.695-6.137, p<0.001) were independently associated with increased all-cause mortality. Contrary to MACE, clCS is a strong predictor of long-term all-cause mortality after CEA. However, MACE risk may compromise CEA benefits by other competitive events. Therefore, further studies are needed to establish the role of clCS on postoperative events and on patients' specific assessments in order to determine the best medical treatment and easy access to surgical intervention.

Narrative Review of Carotid disease and the kidney

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased cardiovascular (CV) risk that is only in part explained by established risk factors. Carotid arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis are increased in CKD, play a role in the causation of CV disease in these patients and can affect the progression of renal disease. The arterial stiffening process is evident even in CKD patients with a very mild reduction of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) whereas arterial thickening is evident in more advanced stages. Possible mechanisms include functional and structural alterations of the arterial wall. Arterial stiffness can mediate the effect of CKD on target organs (i.e., brain, kidney and heart). In this review we discuss the arterial phenotype of patients with CKD. This is characterized by increased common carotid artery stiffness and outward remodeling (enlargement and thickening of the arterial wall) and a normal/reduced stiffness paired with an inward remodeling (narrowing of the arterial wall) of muscular arteries. We also discuss the consequences of carotid dysfunction, including the involvement of large elastic arteries stiffness on ventricular-vascular coupling, the mechanisms linking carotid stiffening and increased cardio- and cerebrovascular risk in CKD patients, and the therapeutic options to improve carotid function.

Red Blood Cell Distribution Width as a 5-Year Prognostic Marker in Patients Submitted to Carotid Endarterectomy

OBJECTIVE

Patients submitted to carotid artery endarterectomy (CEA) have a long-term risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) of 6-9% at 2 years. Hematological parameters have been shown to have a predictive function in atherosclerotic diseases, namely the red blood cell distribution width-coefficient of variation (RDW-CV). This parameter has been associated with worse outcomes such as myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and all-cause mortality. This study aims to evaluate the potential role of preoperative hematologic parameters such as RDW-CV in predicting perioperative and long-term cardiovascular adverse events and mortality in patients submitted to CEA.

METHODS

From January 2012 to January 2019, 180 patients who underwent CEA with regional anesthesia in a tertiary care and referral center were selected from a prospective cohort database. Blood samples were collected preoperatively 2 weeks before admission, including a full blood count. The primary outcome included long-term MACE. Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, stroke, MI, acute heart failure, and major adverse limb events (MALE).

RESULTS

At baseline, 27.2% of patients had increased RDW-CV. Increased RDW-CV was independently associated with baseline hemoglobin (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.715, 95% CI 0.588-0.869, p = 0.001) and atrial fibrillation (aOR 4.028, 95% CI 1.037-15.639, p = 0.001). After a median follow-up of 50 months, log-rank univariate analysis of RDW-CV demonstrated a significant association between increased RDW-CV and long-term all-cause mortality (log-rank <0.001), MACE (log-rank <0.001), and MI (log-rank = 0.017). After multivariate Cox regression analysis, increased RDW-CV was associated with increased long-term mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.455, 95% CI 1.231-4.894, p = 0.011) and MACE (aHR 2.047, 95% CI 1.202-3.487, p = 0.008). A decreased hemoglobin to platelet ratio (aHR 2.650e-8, 95% CI 9.049e-15 to 0.078, p = 0.019) was also associated with all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSION

RDW is a widely available and low-cost marker that independently predicts long-term mortality, MACE, and MI after CEA. This biomarker could prove useful in assessing which patients would likely benefit from CEA in the long term.

Elevated circulating metalloproteinase 7 predicts recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with carotid stenosis: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Major adverse cardiovascular events are the main cause of morbidity and mortality over the long term in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. There are few reports assessing the prognostic value of markers of inflammation in relation to the risk of cardiovascular disease after carotid endarterectomy. Here, we aimed to determine whether matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-9 and MMP-10), tissue inhibitor of MMPs (TIMP-1) and in vivo inflammation studied by ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT predict recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with carotid stenosis who underwent endarterectomy.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study was carried out on 31 consecutive patients with symptomatic (23/31) or asymptomatic (8/31) severe (> 70%) carotid stenosis who were scheduled for carotid endarterectomy between July 2013 and March 2016. In addition, 26 healthy controls were included in the study. Plasma and serum samples were collected 2 days prior to surgery and tested for MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-9, MMP-10, TIMP-1, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT focusing on several territories' vascular wall metabolism was performed on 29 of the patients because of no presurgical availability in 2 symptomatic patients. Histological and immunohistochemical studies were performed with antibodies targeting MMP-10, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and CD68.

RESULTS

The patients with carotid stenosis had significantly more circulating MMP-1, MMP-7 and MMP-10 than the healthy controls. Intraplaque TIMP-1 was correlated with its plasma level (r = 0.42 P = .02) and with ¹⁸F-FDG uptake (r = 0.38 P = .05). We did not find any correlation between circulating MMPs and in vivo carotid plaque metabolism assessed by ¹⁸F-FDG-PET. After a median follow-up of 1077 days, 4 cerebrovascular, 7 cardiovascular and 11 peripheral vascular events requiring hospitalization were registered. Circulating MMP-7 was capable of predicting events over and above the traditional risk factors (HR = 1.15 P = .006). When the model was associated with the variables of interest, the risk predicted by ¹⁸F-FDG-PET was not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Circulating MMP-7 may represent a novel marker for recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with moderate to severe carotid stenosis. MMP-7 may reflect the atherosclerotic burden but not plaque inflammation in this specific vascular territory.

Evaluation of Mortality Data From the Social Security Administration Death Master File for Clinical Research

Importance

Despite its documented undercapture of mortality data, the US Social Security Administration Death Master File (SSDMF) is still often used to provide mortality end points in retrospective clinical studies. Changes in death data reporting to SSDMF in 2011 may have further affected the reliability of mortality end points, with varying consequences over time and by state.

Objective

To evaluate the reliability of mortality rates in the SSDMF in a cohort of patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

Design, Setting, and Participants

This observational analysis used the IBM MarketScan Medicare and commercial insurance databases linked to mortality information from the SSDMF. Adults with ASCVD who had a clinical encounter between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2013, at least 2 years of follow-up, and from states with 1000 or more eligible adults with ASCVD were included in the study. Data analysis was conducted between April 18 and May 21, 2018.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Kaplan-Meier analyses were conducted to estimate state-level mortality rates for adults with ASCVD, stratified by database (commercial or Medicare). Constant hazards of mortality by state were tested, and individual state Kaplan-Meier curves for temporal changes were evaluated. For states in which the hazard of death was constant over time, mortality rates for adults with ASCVD were compared with state-level, age group-specific overall mortality rates in 2012, as reported by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

Results

This study of mortality data of 667 516 adults with ASCVD included 274 005 adults in the commercial insurance database cohort (171 959 male [62.8%] and median [interquartile range (IQR)] age of 58 [52-62] years) and 393 511 in the Medicare database cohort (245 366 male [62.4%] and median [IQR] age of 76 [70-83] years). Of the 41 states included, 11 states (26.8%) in the commercial cohort and 18 states (43.9%) in the Medicare cohort had a change in the hazard of death after 2012. Among states with constant hazard, state-level mortality rates using the SSDMF ranged widely, from 0.06 to 1.30 per 100 person-years (commercial cohort) and from 0.83 to 6.07 per 100 person-years (Medicare cohort). Variability between states in mortality estimates for adults with ASCVD using SSDMF data greatly exceeded variability in overall mortality from the NCHS. No correlation was found between NCHS mortality estimates and those from the SSDMF (ρ = 0.29 [P = .06] for age 55-64 years; ρ = 0.18 [P = .27] for age 65-74 years).

Conclusions and Relevance

The SSDMF appeared to markedly underestimate mortality rates, with variable undercapture among states and over time; this finding suggests that SSDMF data are not reliable and should not be used alone by researchers to estimate mortality rates.

Long-term Clinical Outcomes of Elective Carotid Artery Stenting in Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis

Objective Carotid artery stenting (CAS) in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis is characterized by high complication rates. These patients are excluded from clinical trials of CAS. The purpose of our retrospective study was to investigate the long-term clinical outcomes of CAS in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Methods CAS was performed under local anesthesia. The technical success rate, periprocedural complications, 30-day major vascular event rate (stroke, myocardial infarction, and/or death), 3-month morbidity and mortality rates, and 5-year survival probability were investigated. Patients Nineteen patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis were identified. Results The mean age of the patients was 69 years. Periprocedural complications occurred in two patients (confusion following CAS in one and transient hemiparesis in the other). Complete neurological recovery was achieved in both patients. No major cardiovascular events occurred within 30 days after CAS. Asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhage only occurred in one patient, and seven patients died during the follow-up period at a mean of 3.5 years after the procedure (range, 6 months to 8 years). No permanent neurologic deficit remained in the patient with intracranial hemorrhage. The causes of death were cardiovascular disease (n = 4), cancer (n = 2), and pneumonia (n = 1). No patients died of stroke. The 5-year survival probability in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis was 57%. Conclusion CAS in maintenance hemodialysis patients may be feasible and effective for the prevention of stroke with proper case selection, appropriate technique and strict perioperative management. The most common causes of death during the follow-up of maintenance hemodialysis patients were diseases other than stroke.

Poor long-term outcomes after carotid endarterectomy: a retrospective analysis of two portuguese centers

Objetives. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is an established treatment for carotid stenosis (CS). However, this procedure is not risk-free and it is insufficient to control disseminated atherosclerosis. Our aim was to determine long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality after CEA and identify associated risk predictors. Design. Consecutive cohorts of CEAs performed between 2010 and 2018 in two Portuguese hospitals were retrospectively analysed. The major end-points were acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, all-cause death and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Results. 248 patients (mean age 69 years; 79% male) were enrolled in the study. 24% had postoperative complications. At 52 months median follow-up, 9 ± 2.0% (mean ± standard error) of patients experienced an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 12 ± 2.4% a stroke and 26 ± 3.2% a MACE. All-cause mortality rate was 21 ± 3.0%. Multivariate analysis identified coronary artery disease (CAD) as significant predictor of AMI (p < .001; Hazard Ratio (HR):9.628; 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI):2.805-33.046), whereas no statistically significant risk factor of stroke was found. Predictors of death included left sided CS (p = .042; HR:1.886; 95%CI:1.024-3.475), chronic kidney disease (CKD) (p = .007; HR:2.352; 95%CI:1.266-4.372) and anticoagulant medication (p = .015; HR:2.107; 95%CI:1.216-6.026), while statin use was significantly protective (p = .049; HR:0.482; 95%CI:0.233-0.998). Concerning MACE, male gender (p = .040; HR:1.709; 95%CI:1.025-2.849), tobacco use (p = .004; HR:2.181; 95%CI:1.277-3.726), CAD (p = .002; HR:2.235; 95%CI:1.340-3.727) and CKD (p < .001; HR:3.029; 95%CI:1.745-5.258) were risk predictors. Conclusions. Patients continue to have high rates of AMI, MACE and death after CEA. Prior CAD is a risk factor for future AMI, whereas CKD is a significant predictor of MACE and death. Aggressive best medical treatment and risk factors modification should be advised in all patients with systemic atherosclerosis.

Carotid Artery Stenosis

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the world and carotid artery stenosis is a major cause of ischaemic strokes. Symptomatic patients are often treated with either carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid artery stenting (CAS). Asymptomatic patients can be treated with best medical therapy, CEA or CAS. While guidelines exist for the management of carotid artery stenosis, the results of recent studies are controversial regarding the safety of CAS compared with CEA. This review aims to outline the current guidelines while reviewing up-to- date studies and analyses. Future studies and emerging technologies are outlined in an attempt to provide an evaluation of the current data and management of this complex problem.

An Accumulated Deficits Model Predicts Perioperative and Long-term Adverse Events after Carotid Endarterectomy

BACKGROUND

There is increasing recognition that decreased reserve in multiple organ systems, known as accumulated deficits (AD), may better stratify perioperative risk than traditional risk indices. We hypothesized that an AD model would predict both perioperative adverse events and long-term survival after carotid endarterectomy (CEA), particularly important in asymptomatic patients.

METHODS

Consecutive patients undergoing CEA between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2010 were retrospectively identified. Seven of the deficit items from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging-frailty index (coronary disease, renal insufficiency, pulmonary disease, peripheral vascular disease, heart failure, hypertension, and diabetes) were tabulated for each patient. Predictors of perioperative and long-term outcomes were evaluated using regression analysis.

RESULTS

About 1,782 CEAs in 1,496 patients (mean age: 71.3 ± 9.3 years, 56.3% male, 35.4% symptomatic) were included. The risk of major adverse events (stroke, death, or myocardial infarction) at 30 days for patients with ≤3 deficits was 2.53% vs. 8.81% for patients with ≥4 deficits (P < 0.001). For patients with ≥5 deficits, the risk was 15.18%. Each additional deficit increased the odds of a 30-day major adverse event and hospital stay >2 days by 1.64 (P < 0.001) and 1.15 (P < 0.001), respectively. In multivariate analysis, the presence of ≥4 deficits was more predictive of perioperative major adverse events (odds ratio [OR] = 3.62, P < 0.001) than symptomatology within 6 months (OR = 1.57, P = 0.08) or octogenarian status (OR = 2.00, P = 0.02). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed significantly decreased survival over time with accumulating deficits (P < 0.001). Patients with ≥4 deficits have a hazards ratio for death of 2.6 compared to patients with ≤3 deficits (P < 0.001). Overall survival is estimated at 79.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77-0.82) at 5 years in patients with ≤3 deficits versus 52.4% (95% CI: 0.46-0.58) in patients with ≥4 deficits, respectively. In subgroup analysis of asymptomatic patients, 5-year survival for octogenarian male patients with ≥4 deficits was only 26.8%. For asymptomatic males aged 70-79 years with ≥4 deficits, 5-year survival was 59.9%.

CONCLUSIONS

An AD model is more predictive of perioperative adverse events after CEA than age or symptomatic status. This model remains predictive of long-term survival. In asymptomatic male octogenarians with 4 or more AD, 5-year survival is severely limited.

Perioperative and long-term impact of chronic kidney disease on carotid artery interventions

OBJECTIVE

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) increases morbidity and mortality after vascular procedures and adversely affects late survival of patients. The presence of CKD also confers increased risk of stroke in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis. Patients undergoing carotid intervention in the Vascular Study Group of New England database were stratified by CKD status referable to periprocedural and late outcomes.

METHODS

All carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomies (CEAs) performed from 2003 to 2013 were stratified by CKD severity as mild (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] >60 mL/min/1.73 m²), moderate (eGFR 30-59), and severe (eGFR <30). The impact of CKD on outcomes of carotid procedures was evaluated using univariate and multivariate methods.

RESULTS

Of 12,568 patients identified, 11,746 (93%) underwent CEA and 822 (7%) underwent carotid artery stenting. Procedures were performed for symptomatic disease in 40%. CKD severity was mild in 58%, moderate in 35%, and severe in 7%. The 30-day stroke rate was very low across all CKD groups (1.76% mild vs 1.84% moderate and 1.34% severe; P = .009). The 30-day mortality increased with worsening renal function (0.4% mild vs 0.9% moderate and 0.9% severe; P = .01). Independent predictors of 30-day stroke or death included American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 4 or 5 (odds ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-3.4; P = .0001). Multivariable Cox hazards regression showed that severe CKD (hazard ratio [HR], 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.6), ASA class 4 or 5 (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3-2.2), preoperative cortical symptoms (HR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2-1.8), history of diabetes (HR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.7), and age (HR, 1.03/y; 95% CI, 1.02-1.04) independently (all P < .01) predicted neurologic events or death at median follow-up of 12.7 months (interquartile range, 10.3-15.2 months). CKD did not increase the risk of neurologic events at 1-year follow-up. Predictors (P < .05) of late death included moderate CKD (HR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.01-1.7), severe CKD (HR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.6-2.9), ASA class 4 or 5 (HR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.0), history of diabetes (HR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2-1.7), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.8), and cortical symptoms (HR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.05-1.6). The 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates decreased with worsening renal function (log-rank test, P < .001), but patients with severe CKD maintained a 71% survival at 5 years.

CONCLUSIONS

CKD severity increases risk of perioperative mortality as well as late mortality. Patients with CKD benefit from stroke-free survival especially after CEA. Unlike patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease, for whom severe CKD reduces median survival to ∼2.5 years, patients with CKD and carotid disease exhibit much longer survival. This suggests that carotid interventions have utility in carefully selected patients with moderate and severe CKD, particularly in symptomatic disease.

Somatosensory Evoked Potentials and Electroencephalography during Carotid Endarterectomy Predict Late Stroke but not Death

BACKGROND

Late stroke and death rates are anticipated to be higher in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) compared with healthy counterparts. However, little is known regarding predictors other than the baseline comorbidities. We have recently shown that dual intraoperative somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) and electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring improves the ability to predict perioperative strokes. We seek to determine if dual intraoperative monitoring (IOM) can further predict long-term strokes and death.

METHODS

Consecutive patients who underwent CEA under dual SSEP and EEG IOM between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2010 were analyzed. Patients were divided in 2 groups, those with and those without IOM changes. IOM changes were classified as either occurring during carotid cross-clamp placement or at any time during the operation. End points were time to stroke and death. Log-rank tests and Cox regression analysis were used to identify predictors of postoperative stroke and death.

RESULTS

A total of 853 CEAs (mean age 70.6 ± 9.5 years, 58.7% male, 38.9% symptomatic) were performed during the study period with a mean clinical follow-up of 48 ± 38 months. One hundred seven patients (13.6%) had significant SSEP or EEG changes at the time of clamping, while considerably more patients (217, 25.4%) had SSEP and/or EEG changes recorded at any point during the procedure, including clamping. Baseline characteristics including rates of bilateral disease, statin use, and antiplatelet use were similar between groups. Female gender, symptomatic disease, and significant contralateral carotid stenosis were more frequent in the group with IOM changes. The overall stroke-free survival rate at 5 years was significantly higher in patients without IOM changes (94.7% vs. 88.2%, P < 0.05) and at 10 years (86.1% vs. 78.0%, P < 0.05). Despite differences in stroke-free survival, overall survival at 10 years was not different between groups (44.0% in patients with IOM changes vs. 42.8% in patients without, P = 0.7). Renal insufficiency (hazards ratio [HR] 2.13, P = 0.03), diabetes (HR 1.84, P = 005), and age > 80 at the time of operation (HR 3.24, P = 0.001) were significant predictors of late stroke, while statins were significantly protective (HR 0.55, P = 0.05). Controlling for these factors, IOM changes (HR 2.5, P = 0.004) were a strong predictor of long-term risk of stroke after CEA.

CONCLUSION

Intraoperative SSEP and/or EEG changes are predictive of late stroke but not death following CEA indicating a need for further elucidation and management of the underlying risk factors driving the elevated stroke risk in this subset of CEA patients.

Pancreatectomy in Patients with Impaired Renal Function: How Risky is It?

Chronic renal impairment causes profound physiologic and metabolic changes. Its impact on surgical outcome after pancreatectomy is not well established. We sought to quantify complication rates of pancreatectomy in patients with chronic renal impairment. Database from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (2005–2011) was queried to identify patients with chronic renal impairment who underwent pancreatectomy. The study population consisted of 16,708 patients of whom 16,649 patients were not on dialysis and 59 patients were on dialysis. Overall mortality for those on dialysis was 5.1 per cent, whereas it was 2.3 per cent for those not on dialysis ( P = 0.114). Patients on dialysis were more likely to have failure to wean ventilation ( P < 0.001), reintubation ( P = 0.004), myocardial infarction ( P = 0.007), and sepsis ( P = 0.046). Patients not on dialysis were then divided into three groups: serum creatinine levels <1.2 mg/dL, between 1.2 mg/dL and 2.0 mg/dL, and >2.0 mg/dL. We found the mortality rates for these three groups were 2.0 per cent, 4.6 per cent, and 7.5 per cent, respectively ( P < 0.001). In conclusion, need for dialysis is associated with increased postoperative complications. Increased serum creatinine levels were associated with increased mortality rates. These findings should facilitate informative risk/benefit calculation for patients with renal impairment who are considering pancreatectomy.

Long-term clinical outcomes and cardiovascular events after carotid endarterectomy

BACKGROUND

Long-term atherosclerotic adverse events are anticipated in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA); however, their incidence and risk predictors remain unknown.

METHODS

A consecutive cohort of CEAs between 1/1/2000-12/31/2007 was analyzed. End points were any stroke, coronary event (myocardial infarction, coronary bypass, or stenting), vascular interventions for critical limb ischemia, aortic aneurysm or carotid disease, and death. Survival analysis and Cox regression models were used to identify clinical predictors.

RESULTS

A total of 1,136 CEAs (bilateral, 89; mean age, 71.2 ± 9.2 years; 56.5% male; 36.3% symptomatic, and 3.9% combined with coronary bypass) were performed during the study period with a mean clinical follow-up of 60 months (0-155 months). The postoperative combined stroke and/or death rate was 2.7% and 1.9% for asymptomatic and 4.1% for symptomatic patients. Five and 10-year risks of the end points were 7.2% and 16.1% for stroke, 18.4% and 31.5% for coronary interventions, 20.6% and 28.5% for major vascular interventions, and 25.8% and 50.1% for death. Statins conferred a significant protective effect for stroke (hazard ratio [HR], 0.53; P = 0.016) and death (HR, 0.66; P < 0.0001). Baseline vascular disease predicted future vascular interventions: aortic aneurysm (HR, 1.90; P = 0.003), peripheral arterial disease (HR, 2.03; P < 0.0001), and contralateral internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis ≥50% (HR, 4.61; P < 0.0001). Renal insufficiency predicted worse outcomes for all other end points (HR, 2.21; P = 0.023 for stroke; HR, 1.62; P = 0.008 for coronary events; HR, 2.38; P < 0.0001 for death).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients undergoing CEA continue to derive long-term low stroke rate benefit but still sustain major coronary events and require vascular interventions, indicating a need for more intensive medical treatment and rigorous follow-up.