Balloon angioplasty combined with vascular surgery

Simultaneous Ipsilateral Infrainguinal Angioplasty and Bypass Procedures

We studied the efficacy of surgeon-performed combined ipsilateral endovascular and open arterial concomitant reconstruction at the infrainguinal level. It was a retrospective analytic study. The study included 15 patients (9 men, 6 women) who underwent 15 combined procedures between January 2000 and January 2004. They were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of nine patients with an inflow angioplasty. The second group included six patients with an outflow angioplasty. Indications for arterial reconstruction were claudication (one patient), ischemic rest pain (three patients), and gangrene (eleven patients). Immediate technical success of the combined procedures was 100%. In the first group, one patient died owing to a myocardial infarction, ischemic lesions healed in eight patients, one patient required revision of the graft and three reconstructions occluded, with one amputation of the affected limb. In the second group, one patient died owing to stoke, one patient needed a graft revision and one underwent a limb amputation. The cumulative limb salvage at 42 months was 85%. Our results suggest that simultaneous ipsilateral infrainguinal angioplasty and bypass procedures could be performed with good results. Inflow and outfow angioplasty allow using a shorter single graft segment. Outflow angioplasty ameliorates the bypass flow and accelerates the healing of ischemic lesions. The restenosis rate of the inflow angioplasty at the femoral level remains low.

The Role of Hybrid Procedures in the Management of Peripheral Vascular Disease

This paper provides a summary of up-to-date information and experience with the combined treatment of patients suffering from peripheral arterial disease (PAD) with endovascular and open surgery, performed simultaneously and in a single operating room. Hybrid intervention is reported to have good results in well-indicated groups of patients with acute and chronic limb ischemia, even with older, high-risk patients. The indications for the use of this technique remain unclear with inconsistent opinions among vascular surgeons. The indications for treatment were divided into three main groups: 1) Patients with chronic limb ischemia, 2) acute limb ischemia, and 3) occlusion of a previous vascular reconstruction. The operating techniques for the most commonly used combinations are described.

In conclusion, hybrid operating techniques are often useful when treating complex problems and multilevel disease in patients with chronic or acute lower limb ischemia. Modern vascular surgeons need to master both open and endovascular techniques, and to combine them in a creative fashion to the benefit of our patients.

Vascular surgeon's experience with intraoperative angioplasty

BACKGROUND

Intraoperative balloon angioplasty as an adjunct to vascular reconstruction is controversial and radiologists suggest that it may be less effective than preoperative or postoperative percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. The aim of the present study was to explore the role of intraoperative balloon angioplasty as performed by a vascular surgeon.

METHODS

The notes and angiograms of 63 patients on whom 67 intraoperative angioplasty/stenting procedures were performed were retrieved using a computerized prospective audit system.

RESULTS

Although 41 procedures were planned preoperatively, 26 (39%) followed intraoperative angiography. Twenty-seven were performed to improve inflow for distal reconstructions and 27 were performed to improve outflow for proximal reconstructions. Thirteen (anastomotic stenoses) followed synthetic graft thrombectomy. Twenty-seven iliac, 15 superficial femoral artery (SFA), 11 popliteal, one anterior tibial and 13 anastomotic lesions were dilated and there were four technical failures. At follow up (median: 24 months; 3-monthly duplex scan, ankle brachial pressure indices) primary patency rates by lifetable analysis were: iliac, 75%; SFA, 91%; popliteal, 82%; anastomotic, 8%.

CONCLUSIONS

There are situations in which intraoperative angioplasty would be advantageous and can be performed successfully by a surgeon. Because a significant proportion of procedures was unplanned and a vascular radiologist was not readily available the authors conclude that vascular surgical trainees should be trained in angioplasty techniques. However, balloon angioplasty is ineffective in treating anastomotic stenoses and surgical intervention is required for these lesions.

A technique to retrieve stents dislodged in the coronary artery followed by fixation in the iliac artery by means of balloon angioplasty and peripheral stent deployment

An unwelcome complication of the increasingly applied technique of coronary stenting is stent dislodgment, which may cause arterial occlusion or distal embolization, both with potentially adverse sequel. Stent dislodgment tends to occur when negotiating a tortuous artery with a balloon-mounted stent, especially if the artery is irregularly calcified or when applying a rigid stent. We have successfully applied in several patients at our laboratory a technique to retrieve a dislodged stent from the coronary artery, tow it to the iliac artery, and then deploy it locally by a peripheral balloon when retrieval through the vascular sheath seems impossible. Finally, the retrieved stent is secured by local anchoring with a peripheral stent. This technique was found to be useful and may prevent further complications and more costly interventions and hence result in a more benign clinical course. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 49:77-81, 2000.

Indications and benefits of simultaneous endoluminal balloon angioplasty and open surgery during elective lower limb revascularization

Combined balloon angioplasty and conventional revascularization are occasionally performed but some points are still controversial: which patients are eligible for this associated procedure?; should the procedures be performed simultaneously or successively?; and in case of simultaneous procedure, which one should be performed first? To answer these questions, the notes of 64 patients consecutively submitted to this procedure at the Henri Mondor hospital were reviewed. Arterial dilatation was performed on the iliac artery, superficial femoral artery, popliteal artery or tibioperoneal trunk in 31, 26, four and four patients, respectively. Reasons for simultaneous procedures were multiple occlusive lesions in 67% of patients and inflow improvement in 14%. The others reasons included iliac obstruction in poor risk patients, unilateral failure of planned bilateral iliac balloon angioplasty, outflow improvement, local contraindication to arterial approach, shortness of vein graft, clamp injury during open surgery and inadequate patient position for both procedures. Complications were rare. One patient died of recurrent sepsis of the femoro-femoral bypass. The 5-year limb salvage rate was 91%. In this study, simultaneous procedures were associated with three advantages: the risk of septic complications associated with graft implantations in a previously punctured site was decreased, anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet therapy did not need to be modified before the second procedure, hospital length of stay and cost appeared to be lower. On a simultaneous procedure, it is recommended that the balloon angioplasty be performed after the conventional procedure in order to avoid clamping a recently dilated artery when performing the bypass.

Intraoperative endovascular angioplasty and stenting of iliac artery: an adjunct to femoro-popliteal bypass

BACKGROUND

With the rapid development of endovascular techniques, the management strategy of patients with multilevel atherosclerotic arterial occlusive disease is also evolving. Iliac artery stenting is a means whereby multiple bypass operations can be avoided in such patients. The early results of preoperative iliac artery stenting seem promising but the role of intraoperative iliac artery angioplasty and stenting is less clear.

STUDY DESIGN

This study was undertaken to evaluate our early results of a combined endovascular and operative approach to patients with multilevel atherosclerotic arterial occlusive disease. Between June 1995 and March 1997, primary intraoperative iliac artery balloon angioplasty and stent placement were performed on 13 affected limbs of 12 patients undergoing an infrainguinal bypass operation. Indications for operation, patient demographics, and risk factors were noted. The outcome of surgery and the patency rates of bypass graft and stent were also recorded.

RESULTS

The initial technical success of primary iliac artery angioplasty and stenting was 93%. An improvement of the ankle-brachial index by a mean value of 0.38 was attained after operation (p < 0.001). Clinical success, based on the criteria suggested by the Society for Vascular Surgery/International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery, was achieved in all patients. There was no operative or hospital mortality. Postoperative morbidity rate was 8% (n = 1). The cumulative 1-year patency rates of iliac stent and infra-inguinal bypass grafts were 100% and 85%, respectively. The limb loss rate was 7%.

CONCLUSIONS

The technique of intraoperative angioplasty and stenting can be easily mastered by an experienced and skilled vascular surgeon, using a portable C-arm fluoroscopic unit, in the operation theater. A combined endovascular and operative approach optimizes the therapeutic option to this selected group of patients.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in adults less than 45 years of age with premature lower extremity atherosclerosis

Despite poor results reported with conventional vascular bypasses in young adults with ischemia from premature lower extremity atherosclerosis (PLEA), little attention has been given to alternative revascularization techniques. This study evaluated 32 patients (21 males and 11 females) < 45 years of age with PLEA who underwent 53 primary percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) procedures for treatment of 46 ischemic limbs. A residual arterial stenosis < 30% was achieved in 83% of PTA sites. Mean degree of stenosis decreased from 79.9% to 24.1% (p < 0.0001). Clinical improvement in ischemic symptoms was obtained in 39 (85%) limbs. Hemodynamic improvement was achieved in 31 (70%) of 40 limbs as documented by ankle/brachial indices. All criteria for early clinical success were met in 70%. Another 13% met all criteria except that the residual stenosis was < 50%. Hematoma and early restenosis were reported in two patients each. Mean follow-up was 27.3 months (range 1 to 84 months). Cumulative patency by life-table analysis was 81% at 1 year, 77% at 2 years, and 71% at 3 years. Thirteen (41%) patients required secondary PTA or bypass; 85% were performed within 1 year. Two patients had adjunctive bypasses; six (19%) were performed after PTA failure. Only one (3%) patient required major amputation. Neither cardiovascular risk factors, treatment indication, location of the diseased arterial segment, nor quality of distal runoff vessels predicted the need for secondary PTA or surgical procedures. PTA of the proximal arteries in young patients with PLEA is an effective primary revascularization technique with results comparable to those of conventional operative revascularization procedures.

Comparison of percutaneous with intra-operative balloon angioplasty for arteriosclerotic occlusive disease

The purpose of this study was to compare the technical success and short-term outcome of intraoperative balloon angioplasty (IBA) with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in the iliac and femoropopliteal segment. From January 1988 to February 1991, 99 consecutive patients underwent 114 angioplasties in the iliac (37 PTA, 26 IBA) and femoropopliteal segment (15 PTA, 36 IBA). Mean age and sex distributions were similar between the groups. Claudication was the primary indication for both groups. All patients who underwent IBA had another concomitant surgical procedure performed. Immediate technical success for PTA and IBA were 50/52 (96%) and 58/62 (94%), respectively. Cumulative patency up to 12 months following angioplasty of the iliac artery was 94% for PTA and 78% for IBA (P-value NS). For the femoropopliteal segment, 12 month patency results were 100% for PTA and 78% for IBA (P-value NS). Complications requiring surgical intervention occurred in 3 (6%) PTA and 5 (8%) IBA cases. Results from this study indicate that technical success and early patency are similar for PTA and IBA in the iliac and femoropopliteal segments. However angioplasty-related complications were not avoided by performing balloon angioplasty in the operating room.

Femoropopliteal arterial reconstruction with intraoperative iliac transluminal angioplasty for disabling claudication: results of a combined approach

Seventeen patients with disabling claudication resulting from multilevel arteriosclerotic disease were treated by combined intraoperative iliac transluminal angioplasty and femoropopliteal arterial reconstruction. Clinical improvement or total relief of ischaemic symptoms was observed in 15 out of 17 patients. Iliac pressure gradients were reduced with balloon dilatation to < 2 mmHg in all cases. The mean (+/- S.D.) resting ankle-brachial systolic pressure index increased from 0.42 +/- 0.14 to 0.87 +/- 0.21. Complications from intraoperative angioplasty were not encountered and no early graft failures were seen. The primary actuarial graft patency at 1, 2 and 5 years was 100, 88 and 67%, respectively. Combined intraoperative iliac transluminal angioplasty and femoropopliteal arterial reconstruction is a useful alternative to conventional surgical revascularisation in the treatment of selected patients with disabling claudication in the presence of multilevel arteriosclerotic disease.