Endovascular therapy for severely calcified plaque at the superficial femoral artery using myocardial biopsy forceps

Background Currently, the success rate of EVT for treating CTO of the SFA is high; however, EVT is still found to be insufficient in treating CTOs with severely calcified lesions. Even if the guidewire crosses the lesion, the calcifications may still cause difficulties during stent expansion. Main text A 78-year-old male had been reported to have intermittent claudication with chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the right superficial femoral artery (SFA). Angiography revealed severely calcified plaque (Angiographic calcium score: Group4a [1]) at the ostium of the SFA. Stenting posed a risk of underexpansion, causing the plaque to shift to the deep femoral artery. we decided to remove the calcified plaque using biopsy forceps. After removing the extended calcified plaque, the guidewire could cross easily, and the self-expandable stent was well dilated without causing the plaque to shift to the DFA. Conclusions Biopsy forceps may be used in some endovascular cases to remove severely calcified lesions. To ensure the safety of the patient, the physician must be adept at performing this technique before attempting it.

PBF-Guided Biopsy with a Novel Puncture Biopsy Forceps Needle—Feasibility Study

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with fine needle aspiration (FNA) or biopsy (FNB) to diagnose lesions in the gastrointestinal tract is common. Demand for histology sampling to identify treatment-specific targets is increasing. Various core biopsy FNB needles to obtain tissue for histology are currently available, however, with variable (37–97%) histology yields. In this multicenter study, we evaluated performance, safety, and user experience of a novel device (the puncture biopsy forceps (PBF) needle). Twenty-four procedures with the PBF needle were performed in 24 patients with a suspected pancreatic lesion (n = 10), subepithelial lesion (n = 10), lymph node (n = 3), or pararectal mass (n = 1). In 20/24 (83%) procedures, the PBF needle yielded sufficient material for interpretation (sample adequacy). In 17/24 (71%), a correct diagnosis was made with the material from the PBF needle (diagnostic accuracy). All participating endoscopists experienced a learning curve. (Per)procedural technical issues occurred in four cases (17%), but there were no adverse events. The PBF needle is a safe and potentially useful device to obtain an EUS-guided biopsy specimen. As the design of the PBF needle is different to core biopsy FNB needles, specific training will likely further improve the performance of the PBF needle. Furthermore, the design of the needle needs further improvement to make it more robust in clinical practice.

Modified Gastric Biopsy Forceps as a Flexible Stylet-Assisted Nasogastric Tube Insertion in Anesthetized and Intubated Patients: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study

Background: Insertion of a nasogastric tube in an anesthetized intubated patient may be difficult. A nasogastric tube is prone to coil and kink during insertion. The authors hypothesized that gastric biopsy forceps could be used as a flexible stylet-assisted nasogastric tube insertion. It can improve the first-attempt success rate over the conventional blind technique during nasogastric tube insertion in the anesthetized intubated patient. Materials and Methods: Eighty adult patients who required intraoperative nasogastric tube insertions were randomized to the gastric biopsy forceps assisted technique (stylet group) or the conventional blind technique (control group) for insertion of a nasogastric tube. The success rates, the duration of insertion, the incidences of coiling and kinking of a nasogastric tube, and the occurrences of complications were recorded. Results: The first-attempt success rate was 92.5% in the stylet group compared with 65% in the control group (p=0.013). The overall success rate was higher in the stylet group (100% versus 85%, p=0.026). The mean time required to insert the nasogastric tube was shorter in the stylet group (24.85±9.62 versus 62.4±59.38 seconds, p=0.002). The incidences of coiling and kinking were lower in the stylet group (7.5% versus 32.5%, p=0.005). The incidence of minor bleeding was lower in the stylet group, but not statistically significant (2.5% versus 17.5%, p=0.057). No other complications were observed in either groups. Conclusion: The gastric biopsy forceps-assisted nasogastric tube insertion resulted in a higher success rate, less time for insertion, and lower incidence of coiling and kinking of a nasogastric tube than the conventional blind technique in anesthetized intubated patients without serious complications. Keywords: Nasogastric tube; Insertion; Stylet; Gastric biopsy forceps; Success rate

A Successful Case of Endovascular Therapy for Severely Calcified Plaque Removed by Biopsy Forceps at the Superficial Femoral Artery

BackgroundCurrently, the success rate of EVT for treating CTO of the SFA is high; however, EVT is still found to be insufficient in treating CTOs with severely calcified lesions. Even if the guidewire crosses the lesion, the calcifications may still cause difficulties during stent expansion.Main textA 78-year-old male had been reported to have intermittent claudication with chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the right superficial femoral artery (SFA). Angiography revealed severely calcified plaque at the ostium of the SFA. Stenting posed a risk of underexpansion, causing the plaque to shift to the deep femoral artery. we decided to remove the calcified plaque using biopsy forceps. After removing the extended calcified plaque, the guidewire could cross easily, and the self-expandable stent was well dilated without causing the plaque to shift to the DFA. ConclusionBiopsy forceps may be used in some endovascular cases to remove severely calcified lesions.To ensure the safety of the patient, the physician must be adept at performing this technique before attempting it.