Successful Multidisciplinary Repair of Severe Bilateral Uretero-Enteric Stricture with Inflammatory Reaction Extending to the Left Iliac Artery, after Robotic Radical Cystectomy and Intracorporeal Ileal Neobladder

Uretero-enteric anastomotic strictures (UES) after robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) represent the main cause of post-operative renal dysfunction. The gold standard for treatment of UES is open uretero-ileal reimplantation (UIR), which is often a challenging and complex procedure associated with significant morbidity. We report a challenging case of long severe bilateral UES (5 cm on the left side, 3 cm on the right side) after RARC in a 55 years old male patient who was previously treated in another institution and who came to our attention with kidney dysfunction and bilateral ureteral stents from the previous two years. Difficult multiple ureteral stent placement and substitutions had been previously performed in another hospital, with resulting urinary leakage. An open surgical procedure via an anterior transperitoneal approach was performed at our hospital, which took 10 h to complete, given the massive intestinal and periureteral adhesions, which required very meticulous dissection. A vascular surgeon was called to repair an accidental rupture that had occurred during the dissection of the external left iliac artery, involved in the extensive periureteral inflammatory process. Excision of a segment of the external iliac artery was accomplished, and an interposition graft using a reversed saphenous vein was performed. Bilateral ureteroneocystostomy followed, which required, on the left side, the interposition of a Casati-Boari flap harvested from the neobladder, and on the right side a neobladder-psoas-hitching procedure with intramucosal direct ureteral reimplantation. The patient recovered well and is currently in good health, as determined at his recent 24-month follow-up visit. No signs of relapse of the strictures or other complications were detected. Bilateral ureteral reimplantation after robotic radical cystectomy is a complex procedure that should be restricted to high-volume centers, where multidisciplinary teams are available, including urologists, endourologists, and general and vascular surgeons.

Results of activities of the department of vascular surgery amidst COVID-19 pandemic

Aim. To conduct comparative analysis of the activities of the department of vascular surgery before and during the spread of new coronavirus infection COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2).Methods. The analysis was performed on the number of outpatient visits of vascular surgeon for types of diagnosis, number and type of surgeries performed at the inpatient facilities of the LLC “Grand Medica” over 2019 (whole year) and 2020 (quarterly).Results. Significant decrease was noted in the number of visits of patients with cardiovascular diseases to vascular surgeon in the outpatient facility. The number of surgeries on limb arteries in patients among Kuzbass residents decreased by 26.4 %, among residents of other regions – by 59.5 %; in brachiocephalic arteries – by 12.5 % and 54.5 %, respectively. The number of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in patients among Kuzbass residents increased by 25.3 %, among residents of other regions remained unchanged.Conclusion. Decrease in the volume of provision of care for patients with cardiovascular diseases over 2–4 quarters of 2020 is caused by two groups of factors. The first one is associated directly to the epidemiological situation and countermeasures against the spread of SARS-CoV-2 while the second one is associated indirectly.

Establishing clinical remission criteria and the framework of a treat-to-target algorithm for Takayasu arteritis: Results of a Delphi exercise carried out by an expert panel of the Japan Research Committee of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for intractable vasculitis

ABSTRACT Objectives To develop a proposal for remission criteria and a framework for a treat-to-target (T2T) algorithm for Takayasu arteritis (TAK). Methods A study group of the large-vessel vasculitis group of the Japanese Research Committee of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for Intractable Vasculitis consists of 10 rheumatologists, 5 cardiologists, 1 nephrologist, 1 vascular surgeon, 1 cardiac surgeon, and 2 paediatric rheumatologists. A Delphi survey of remission criteria items was circulated among the study group over four reiterations. To develop the T2T algorithm, the study group conducted four face-to-face meetings and two rounds of Delphi together with three patients. Results Initial literature review resulted in a list of 117 candidate items for remission criteria, of which 56 items with a mean score of ≥4 (0–5) were extracted including disease activity domains and treatment/comorbidity domains. The study group provided six overarching principles for the T2T algorithm, two recommendations on treatment goals, five on evaluation of disease activity and imaging findings including positron emission tomography–computed tomography, and two on treatment intensification. Conclusions We developed a T2T algorithm and proposals for standardised remission criteria by means of a Delphi exercise. These will guide future evaluation of different TAK treatment regimens.

The approach to the management of a patient with chronic venous insufficiency in a specialized vascular center ‒ a combination of world guidelines and personal experience

A lot of recommendations has been published regarding the treatment of chronic venous disease. At the same time, none of these documents reflects the complete «path» of the patient from the stage of the initial visit (diagnosis) to the choice of the optimal treatment option. Therefore, the creation of a protocol that would take into account on the one hand the most modern and proven effective approaches to diagnosis and treatment, and on the other hand, the individual characteristics of each clinical case is an urgent task.The main task of the publication is to create a practice-oriented instruction for the diagnosis, comprehensive treatment and prevention of chronic venous insufficiency. The management of a patient with chronic venous insufficiency is presented in the form of «AngioLife Venous Protocol®», a set of clear practical recommendations for vascular surgeon and phlebologist. This protocol is based on our own practical experience, existing protocols and guidelines for the treatment of patients with chronic venous insufficiency. The venous protocol includes four stages of a set of medical measures, the purpose of which is to form a clear program of further examination and treatment of the patient. Adherence to all the recommendations specified in the protocol allows to obtain satisfactory functional and cosmetic results of treatment of patients with chronic venous insufficiency with minimal risk of recurrence.

Visceral pseudoaneurysms and the role of endovascular treatment – a case report

Introduction: Visceral pseudoaneurysms are pathological dilations of the visceral arteries and/or their branches. They are a rare entity but with devastating consequences given their high potential for rupture and hemorrhage. The evolution of endovascular techniques has changed the paradigm in the treatment of this entity, making it the preferred option for the elective treatment of visceral pseudoaneurysms. Clinical case: The authors described the case of a pancreatic pseudoaneurysm in a young male patient, with past medical history of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic pseudocyst, marked smoking and alcoholic habits, which presented with an abdominal pain and a drop in hemoglobin. After discussing the case with the Vascular Surgery department, it was decided towards an endovascular treatment given the patient's clinical stability and appropriate anatomical location for the proposed intervention. Coil embolization via humeral artery was performed with immediate angiographic success, and clinical, analytical and imaging improvement in the postoperative period. Conclusion: In addition to open surgical repair and laparoscopic surgery, there are also endovascular procedures for the treatment of visceral pseudoaneurysms, so the vascular surgeon must be aware with the available strategies, taking into account the patient, the characteristics and location of the visceral pseudoaneurysm.