Results of Angioplasty With Double-Layer Mesh Stent and Protection Systems of the Extra- and Intracranial Dissection of Cephalic Arteries

Purpose: Although a majority of cervical artery dissections can be managed conservatively, patients presenting with cerebral embolization or significant stenosis require a more aggressive approach. However, complications associated with endovascular repair are quite frequent and optimal interventional technique still remains to be established. Materials and methods: The aim of this post hoc survey was to analyze results of endovascular treatments for symptomatic dissections of the internal carotid and vertebral arteries, which were performed under protection and with the use of double-layer mesh stents. During endovascular procedure catheters, stents and protection systems were tailored according to the angioarchitecture of dissection, particularly to its location, length and coexisting stenotic or aneurysmatic lesions. We evaluated retrospectively midterm and late results of endovascular treatment of 25 patients presenting with symptomatic dissection of cervical arteries, including 11 patients with dissections of intracranial segments of the internal carotid artery. Follow-ups were scheduled 1, 3 and 6 after the procedure, and then every 6 months. Control computed tomography (CT) or digital subtraction angiography (DSA) arteriographies were performed 1–6 months and 12 months after endovascular repair. Results: There were no periprocedural major adverse events. All patients completed the 12-month follow-up. There were neither fatalities nor new neurologic adverse events at the 30-day follow-up, and no such adverse events during long-term follow-up. At 12-month follow-up, in all patients, angiographies revealed patent stents, full coverage of lesions by stents and complete thrombotic closure of the pseudoaneurysms. Conclusions: A tailored endovascular management of symptomatic dissection of cervical arteries is safe and efficient, also in a long run.

Early and late outcomes of combined and staged surgeries in patients with concomitant atherosclerotic lesions of the coronary and brachiocephalic arteries

Objective. To study the early and late outcomes of surgical treatment of patients with concomitant atherosclerotic lesions of coronary and brachiocephalic arteries while choosing a treatment strategy based on the developed diff erentiated approach algorithm.Material and Methods. The study comprised 243 patients with combined atherosclerotic lesions of the coronary and carotid arteries examined during the period from 01.07.2014 to 01.01.2021. Patients underwent revascularization surgeries based on the algorithm for choosing the volume and stages of surgical intervention, which was previously developed in the Federal Center for Cardiovascular Surgery named after S.G. Sukhanov. A single-stage combined surgery of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and carotid endarterectomy (CEE) was performed in 104 patients (42.8%); 139 patients (57.2%) received staged revascularization including 102 patients (73.4%) who received CABG as the fi rst step and 37 patients (26.6%) who received CEE as the fi rst step of surgery. The endpoints for both early and late results were death from all causes, stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and combined endpoint that included all of the above. Average follow-up time was 41.1 ± 21.8 months.Results. No fatal outcomes were in any group during the early postoperative period. At the hospital stage, there were 5 cases (2.1%) of stroke, 1 case (0.4%) of TIA, and 3 cases (1.2%) of acute MI. Long-term results were evaluated in 225 patients (92.3%). The overall survival rate was 93.8%. There were 5 cases (2.4%) of MI, 11 cases (4.9%) of stroke, and 1 case (1.0%) of TIA. No signifi cant diff erences were observed in immediate and long-term endpoints between the groups of staged and combined interventions as compared to immediate (AMI: p = 0.680; TIA: p = 0.500; acute cerebrovascular events: p = 0.567; combined: p = 0.940) and long-term results (deaths: 0.860; AMI: p = 0.906; TIA: p = 0.528; acute cerebrovascular events: p = 0.378; combined: p = 0.669).Conclusion. Based on successful experience with treating the concomitant atherosclerotic lesions of the coronary and brachiocephalic arteries, the proposed algorithm allowed to perform safe procedures in both arterial basins and to achieve satisfactory results in in-hospital and long-term periods in the Federal Center for Cardiovascular Surgery named after S.G. Sukhanov (Perm).

Long-term Results of Drug and Interventional Treatment in Patients with Morphologically Verified Idiopathic Arrhythmias

Aim. To study the late results of medical and interventional treatment in patients with morphologically verified nature of idiopathic arrhythmias.Methods. The prospective study included 20 patients (mean age 43.1±11.3 years, 10 female) with atrial fibrillation (AF), supraventricular and ventricular extrasystole, supraventricular and ventricular tachycardia, conduction disturbance without structural heart changes. In addition to the standard examination, the level of anti-heart antibodies was initially determined; endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) of the right ventricle with PCR study for the viral genome; DNA diagnostics (n=4), coronary angioraphy (n=6), skin biopsy (n=1) were performed. The median follow-up was 134 [128; 138] months.Results. By EMB in the initial examination were diagnosed: active (n=8)/borderline (n=3) infectious immune myocarditis; parvovirus-positive endomyocarditis (n=1); undifferentiated vasculitis (n=2); myocardial vasculitis (n=1); Fabry disease (n=1); arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (n=1); unspecified cardiomyopathy (n=2). Anti-heart antibodies were the most important in myocarditis diagnosis and monitoring. All patients with myocarditis/vasculitis (n=15) received its basic therapy: acyclovir (n=10); immunoglobulin G 10-12.5 g (n=2); hydroxychloroquine 200 mg/day (n=15); glucocorticoids (n=14); azathioprine 150 mg/day (n=2). The late results were evaluated in all patients with myocarditis. Initially, in 62.5% of patients a resistance of AF to all antiarrhythmic drugs was noted. After treatment the average frequency of AF paroxysms decreased (from 8 [5; 8] to 3 [1,25; 7,75] points). By the end of the follow-up, six patients underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for AF, the full effect was achieved once. All patients without RFA have AF partially or completely resistant to drugs. Two patients (without RFA) died from ischemic stroke/ pulmonary embolism.Conclusion. Using EMB the causes of idiopathic arrhythmias (mainly AF) were diagnosed: immune inflammatory diseases in 75% and genetic in 25% of patients. As a result of complex treatment, the general burden of arrhythmias has decreased. But the presence of myocarditis and primary cardiomyopathy, without reducing the cardiac contractility and dilatation, does not allow achieving a stable antiarrhythmic effect. Lethality for 11 years was 10%. The causes of death were thromboembolic complications.

Mitral Valve Surgery via Upper Ministernotomy: Single-Centre Experience in More than 400 Patients

Background: Minimally invasive mitral valve (MV) surgery has emerged as an alternative to conventional sternotomy aiming to decrease surgical trauma. The aim of the study was to describe our experience with minimally invasive MV surgery through partial upper sternotomy (PUS) regarding short- and long-term outcomes. Methods: From January 2004 through March 2014, 419 patients with a median age of 58.9 years (interquartile range 18.7; 31.7% females) underwent isolated primary MV surgery using PUS. Myxomatous degenerative MV disease was the predominant pathology (77%). The patients’ mean EuroSCORE II risk profile was 3.9 ± 3.6%. Results: Mitral valve repair was performed in 384 patients (91.6%) and replacement in 35 patients (8.4%). Thirty-day mortality was 3.1%. In total, 29 (6.9%) deaths occurred during the follow-up. The overall estimated survival at 1, 5, and 10 years was 93.1 ± 1.3%, 87.1 ± 1.9%, and 81.1 ± 3.4%. Reoperation was necessary in 14 (3.3%) patients. The overall freedom from MV reoperation at 1, 5, and 10 years was 98.2 ± 0.7%, 96.1 ± 1.2%, and 86.7 ± 6.7% and the overall freedom from recurrent MV regurgitation > grade 2 in repaired valves at 1, 5, and 10 years was 98.8 ± 0.6%, 98.8 ± 0.6%, and 94.6 ± 3.3%. Conclusions: Minimally invasive MV surgery via PUS can be performed with particularly good early and late results. Thus, the PUS approach with the use of standard surgical instruments and cannulation techniques can be a valuable option for the MV surgery either in patients contraindicated or not suitable to minithoracotomy.

An Observational Study on Patients with Acute Limb Ischemia and SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Early and Late Results in Limb Salvage Rate

An observational study on 22 patients presenting with acute limb ischemia and SARS-CoV-2 infection, and without any other embolic risk factors, was performed. All patients were classified according to Rutherford classification for acute limb ischemia. The primary goal of this study was to assess the risk of amputation in these patients after revascularization procedures. The secondary goal was to find the correlation between acute limb ischemia (ALI) severity, patient comorbidities, risk of death, and the association of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The patients were treated by open surgery (18 patients—81.81%) or by the means of endovascular techniques (four patients—18.18%). The amputation-free survival rate was 81.81% in hospital and 86.36% at 1-month follow-up. In this study, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection did not influence the amputation-free survival rate: it was only the risk factor for the arterial thrombosis and the trigger for the acute ischemic event. The application of the standard treatment—open surgery or endovascular revascularization—in patients with acute limb ischemia and SARS-CoV-2 infection represents the key to success for lower limb salvage.

Miniinvasive intramedullary osteosynthesis of clavicular fractures in middle one third with shifted fragments using elastic titanic compressing rod

Objective. To estimate the results of operative treatment of clavicular fractures in middle one third with fragments shifted, using the closed method with application of intramedullary elastic titanic compressing rod. Materials and methods. In the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of Kyiv Municipal Clinical Hospital No. 6 («Medgorodok») in 38 patients ageing 18 - 67 yrs with the closed clavicular fractures in middle one third with shifted fragments the closed intramedullary osteosynthesis, using elastic titanic compressing rod, was performed. Methods of the patients examination, indication s for operative treatment, its technique, late results of the operation were studied. Results. While estimating late results in 12 mo postoperatively in accordance to Constant Score (estimation of the brachial joint function) there were (97.1 ± 3.5) points of 100 possible points noted at average. In all the patients the movements in brachial joint were free and painless, they served themselves completely while doing solemn round of industry, coming back to their ordinary profession activity and sport. Conclusion. Intramedullary osteosynthesis of clavicular fractures in middle one third, using elastic titanic compressing rod as method of operative treatment, may guarantee satisfactory late results.

Late outcomes of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and subsequent life-quality in patients younger 40 years of age

Background Late results of PCI in patients aged ≤40 years are few presented without differentiation of groups with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) vs. Stable Angina, and age borderlines≤35 years vs. 36–40 years. Health-life quality following PCI in patients ≤40 years of age not studied. Objective To analyze predictors of outcomes, and subsequent life-style in patients aged ≤35 vs. 36–40 years underwent PCI according to ACS vs. Stable Angina. Material Enrolled 208 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease aged 24–40 years, of them 157 (75.5%) – aged 36–40 years, 51 (24.5%) – ≤35 years. 197 (94.7%) patients underwent revascularization of the myocardium, of them: 165 (79.3%) patients underwent PCI; 32 (15.4%) – CABG. 11 (5.3%) patients abandoned revascularization. Late results of PCI, and subsequent health-life quality studied in 126 (76,4%) of 165 patients on 10–108 months (mean 62,5±2,6). Results 84 (50.9%) patients underwent PCI according to ACS; 81 (49.1%) – Stable Angina, without any complications. In-hospital, and 30-days mortality 0%. Actuarial survival on 9 years comprised 99,2%; cardiac mortality – 0,8%; events-free survival on 1–2–3 years comprised 90,5–84,1%-81,7%; on 5–9 years – 79,4%. Active lifestyle verified in 74,6% patients; sparing lifestyle – in 25,4%; return to work – in 86,5% patients. 88,1% examined preserved family; transitory sexual disorders revealed in 28,6% patients. Regular medication, and dietary regimen followed by 83,3% & 27,8% patients. Continue smoking & abuse energetic drinks 34,1% & 23,8% examined; overweight and obesity persisted in 23,8% & 19% examined patients. 23% patients fall in depression tied with re-MI/ angina; 18,3% – with quarantine (COVID-19); 6,3% examined suffered “panic attack” waiting recurrence of angina. Re-MI/angina revealed in 23% patients; 20,6% examined underwent re-PCI. Conclusion Predictors of poor outcomes were: 1) ACS; 2) age in time of PCI ≤35 years; 3) early MI, DM, LVEF ≤35–40%; 4) used stents diameter<28mm.; 5) continued smoking, and abuse of energetic drinks. Leading independent predictor – aggressively current atherosclerosis & DM in individuals ≤40 years of age leading to rapid dysfunction of stents; in patients with patency stents – lesion of native or “protected” coronary arteries. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Late results of surgical treatment of critical ischemia of the lower extremities after one-staged direct revascularization

Objective. To optimize the tactics of surgical treatment in patients, suffering chronic ischemia of the lower extremities with the help of elaboration and introduction of a one-staged direct and indirect revascularization into clinical practice. Materials and methods. Analysis of the treatment results in 162 patients, suffering obliterating atherosclerosis of the lower extremities vessels, who were treated in stationary in Department of Vascular Surgery of Zakarpattya Regional Clinical Hospital named after Andriy Novak in 2015 - 2020 yrs. The patients were distributed in accordance to the lower extremities ischemia degree: ІІB – 7 (4.3%), ІІІA – 61 (37.7%), ІІІB – 58 (35.8%), ІV – 36 (22.2%). All the patients have had atherosclerotic affection of femoro-ankle-foot segment of the main arteries with preservation of central blood flow in aorto-iliac segment. Results. Occlusion of femoral artery was noted in all patients. Occlusion of anterior tibial artery was revealed most frequently – in 72% of the patients, than in fibular - in 42% of patients (p=0.00), and equally frequently with occlusion of posterior tibial artery – in 68% (p=0.61). The foot arteries were involved into the process in 51 (31.5%) patients. Affection of 2-3 arteries of the shin were registered more frequently, than occlusion of one artery – in 109 (67.3%) and 48 (26.5%) patients, accordingly. Occlusive-stenotic affection of popliteal artery have had 127 (78.4%) patients. Mostly frequent affection of the shin arteries was observed in basin of anterior tibial artery – in 67 (41.4%) patients, as well as in combined affection of anterior and posterior tibial arteries - in 45 (27.8%) patients. Іsolated affection of posterior artery was revealed in 36 (22.2%) patients. Combined affection of posterior tibial and fibular was observed in 14 (8.6%) patients. Conclusion. Efficacy of indirect revascularization after the arterial inflow restoration is more prognosticated, than efficacy of its isolated conduction in environment of chronic critical ischemia of the lower extremities. Combined application of direct and indirect revascularization guarantees more secure positive result in remote postoperative period and enhancement of the extremities preservation index.

Late results of surgical treatment of the aortal arch hypoplasia in newborns and babies

Objective. To conduct the analysis of late results of the aortal arch reconstruction in newborns and babies, basing on determination of the risk factors for lethality and reoperations. Materials and methods. In 2010 - 2019 yrs in the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery and Scientific-Practical Medical Centre of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiosurgery the aortal arch reconstruction was performed in 445 patients, ageing up to 1 year old, suffering coarctation and hypoplasia of one or several aortal segments. Into the investigation were included the patients with a two-ventricular physiology and further two-ventricular correction were included. There were 161 (36.2%) girls and 284 (63.8%) boys with the age median 0.7 mo [0.3; 2.7], while the body mass median – 3.7 kg [3.25; 4.59], and the body surface square median – 0.23 m2 [0.20;0.27]. Echocardiography was the main diagnostic method for the failure as well as for estimation of immediate and late results. Results. Overall lethality have constituted 3.3%, the hospital one – 2.7%, lethality in late period of observation – 0.7%. The observation period have lasted from 1 mo till 9.4 yrs, (2.8 ±2.5) yrs at average. Reoperations on aortal arch were performed in 47 (10.5%) patients: in 12 – surgical aortal arch rereconstruction, in 27 – balloon angioplasty, and in 8 patients both methods were used. The risk factors for lethality after the aortal arch reconstruction in the patients, ageing up to 1 yr old were revealed: the patients’ age on the operation moment lesser than 0.9 mo, the body mass lesser than 2.6 kg, durable operation, presence of concurrent inborn heart failures, residual hypoplasia of the aortal segments A and B. Low mass and the surface square of the body, presence of the aortal arch segments hypoplasia preoperatively, residual pressure gradient on the aortal arch more than 20 mm Hg, hypoplasia of any aortal arch segments after reconstruction have constituted the risk factors for reoperations. Conclusion. Surgical treatment of the aortal arch hypoplasia in newborns and babies is effective and giving good immediate and late results. Anatomic correction of secondary obstruction on the aortal arch level is secure, with low indices of lethality and reoperations, and performed either surgically or endoscopically. Taking into account the risk factors revealed for lethality and reoperations on aortal arch, have permitted to improve the results of treatment of the aortal arch hypoplasia in patients ageing up to 1 yr old.

Outcomes after EVAR in females are similar to males

Introduction Women are less likely to develop infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm; however, when they do, it is almost always associated with challenging anatomy, more rapid aneurysmal growth rate and earlier rupture. Women generally have poorer outcomes following open aneurysm repair; and in this respect, the present study aims to evaluate if it is so after endovascular repair. Methods A retrospective analysis of our database was performed for patients underwent endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) between January 2013–March 2020. 249 elective EVAR patients were evaluated. Patients were categorized according to gender and 26 patients (10.4%) were female. Demographics and pre-peri-postoperative findings were compared. Propensity score matching (ratio 1:1) was performed to reduce selection bias. Results In the overall unmatched cohort, female population had more diabetes mellitus (p = 0.016) and hypertension (p = 0.005). However, coronary artery disease (p = 0.005) and coronary artery bypass grafting (p = 0.006) were more in male gender. Non-IFU implantation was higher in female group (38.5% vs. 11.5%, p = 0.025). After propensity matching, even though it was not statistically significant, early mortality for female gender was higher when compared to male gender (7.7% and 0%, respectively, p = 0.490). In the follow-up period, no difference in all-cause mortality, secondary interventions or complications have been observed between the genders. Conclusion Challenging anatomy and subsequently treated patients outside IFU may be the reasons for higher morbidity and mortality in women. However, despite these factors female and male patients revealed equivalent early and late results.