Endovascular recanalization of chronic total occlusions of the native superficial femoral artery after failed femoropopliteal bypass in patients with critical limb ischemia

Background Femoropopliteal bypass occlusions are a significant issue in patients with critical limb ischemia and chronic total occlusion of the native superficial femoral artery, which challenges vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists. Performing a secondary femoropopliteal bypass is still considered the standard of care, although it is associated with a higher complication rate and lower patency rate in comparison with primary bypass. Over the past few years, angioplasty has been commonly used, with the development in endovascular technologies, to treat chronic total occlusions of the native superficial femoral artery, with a good technical success rate and clinical prognosis. The purpose of the study is to assess the outcome of endovascular recanalization of chronic total occlusions of the native superficial femoral artery, in patients unfit for surgery with critical limb ischemia after failed femoropopliteal bypass. Results A total of 54 patients were treated. 77.8 % of the conduits were PTFE grafts; the remainder were single-segment great saphenous veins. The most common clinical presentation was rest pain. Technical success was achieved in 51 (94.4 %) of 54 limbs. Angiographically, 77.8 % of the lesions were TASC II category D, while 22.2 % were TASC II category C. The average length of the native SFA lesions was 26.8 cm. Clinical success, with improved Rutherford classification staging, followed each case of technical success. The median follow-up value was 5.75 years (IQR, 1.5–7). By Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, primary patency rates were 61 % (± 0.07 SE) at 1 year and 46 % (± 0.07 SE) at 5 years. Secondary patency rates were 93 % (± 0.04 SE) at 1 year and 61 % (± 0.07 SE) at 5 years. Limb salvage rates were 94 % (± 0.03 SE) at 1 year and 88 % (± 0.05 SE) at 5 years. Conclusions The endovascular recanalization of chronic total occlusions (CTO) of the native superficial femoral artery (SFA) after a failed femoropopliteal bypass is a safe and effective therapeutic option in patients unfit for surgery with critical limb ischemia.

1529 Management of A Rare Case of Bilateral Persistent Sciatic Artery Aneurysms Causing Critical Limb Ischaemia With Staged Embolisation And Femoropopliteal Bypass: A Case Report

Introduction Bilateral persistent sciatic arteries (PSA) are rare with an incidence of 0.001%. They represent a persistence of the embryonic axial limb circulation via the internal iliac artery. Normally the PSA involutes and is replaced by the superficial femoral artery (SFA). Failure of regression leads to a PSA with varying configurations. Up to 50% of PSAs are aneurysmal and may present with rupture or acute/chronic ischaemia, typically at 40-50 years old. Case Report A 74-year-old female presented with limb threatening ischaemia manifesting with rest pain, sensory deficit and early tissue loss (Rutherford IIb). She had a left femoral pulse but absent pulses distally. Pedal pulses were noted on the contralateral limb. CT angiogram revealed bilateral complete PSAs with incomplete hypoplastic SFAs (Pillet-Gauffre 2a). Both PSAs were aneurysmal; the left PSA was acutely occluded distal to the aneurysm. She underwent staged intervention with percutaneous embolisation of the left PSA, followed by femoropopliteal bypass. She was discharged six days later with good symptomatic relief at one month follow up. We are planning to treat the contralateral limb in a similar manner electively in case complications occur. Conclusions PSAs are commonly associated with limb threatening complications but due to their rarity there are limited reports on the management of this condition. Here we can report a good outcome in a late presentation using staged embolisation with open reconstruction.

Percutaneous Femoropopliteal Bypass: 2-Year Results of the DETOUR System

Purpose: This study investigated the 2-year safety and effectiveness of the PQ Bypass DETOUR system as a percutaneous femoropopliteal bypass. Materials and Methods: Seventy-eight patients with 82 long-segment femoropopliteal lesions were enrolled in this prospective, single-arm, multicenter study. The DETOUR system deployed Torus stent grafts directed through a transvenous route. Eligible patients included those with lesions of >10 cm and average of 371±55 mm. Key safety endpoints included major adverse events (MAEs) and symptomatic deep venous thrombosis in the target limb. Effectiveness endpoints included primary patency defined as freedom from ≥50% stenosis, occlusion, or clinically-driven target vessel revascularization (CD-TVR), primary assisted, and secondary patency. Results: Chronic total occlusions and severe calcium occurred in 96% and 67% of lesions, respectively. Core laboratory-assessed total lesion length averaged 371±51 mm with a mean occlusion length of 159±88 mm. The rates of technical and procedural success were 96%, with satisfactory delivery and deployment of the device without in-hospital MAEs in 79/82 limbs. The MAE rate was 22.0%, with 3 unrelated deaths (4%), 12 CD-TVRs (16%), and 1 major amputation (1%). Deep venous thrombosis developed in 2.8% of target limbs, and there were no reported pulmonary emboli. Primary, assisted primary, and secondary patency rates by the Kaplan–Meier analysis were 79±5%, 79±5%, and 86±4%, respectively. Conclusions: The PQ Bypass DETOUR system is a safe and effective percutaneous alternative to femoropopliteal open bypass with favorable results through 2 years. The DETOUR system provides a durable alternative to conventional endovascular modalities and open surgery for patients with long, severely calcified, or occluded femoropopliteal lesions.

The level of markers of apoptosis and cell proliferation in the area of restenosis after lower extremity arterial reconstruction

Aim. To assess the number of markers of apoptosis and cell proliferation, as well as their relationships in the area of restenosis of arterial reconstructions. Methods. The study included 14 patients with a diagnosis of arteriosclerosis obliterans of the lower extremities. Post-thrombotic occlusion of femoropopliteal bypass. All patients were males with stage III disease according to the Fontaine classification modified by A.V. Pokrovsky. The average age of the patients was 653.4 years. The mean disease duration was 92.5 months after the initial intervention. Intraoperative material distal anastomosis of femoropopliteal bypass was taken from patients during arterial reconstructions. As a control, we used arterial wall samples obtained at organ procurement from postmortem donors without arteriosclerosis obliterans of the lower extremities. The number of samples is 8. The site of their collection is the popliteal artery. After sampling, they were crushed, and a homogenate was prepared, followed by the determination of the amount of p53, PDGF BB, Bcl2, and Bax proteins using the enzyme immunoassay. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistica 10.0 software. Group differences were assessed by using the MannWhitney test. Correlation coefficients were determined using the Spearman test. Data are presented as medians and interquartile ranges. Results. In tissue samples of restenosis, the amount of p53 protein was 0.07 units/mg and was significantly reduced compared with the control samples 0.14 units/mg (р=0,015). The amount of platelet-derived growth factor PDGF BB was 0.17 ng/mg (р=0.05), Bcl2 1.61 ng/mg (р=0.008), Bax 6.0 ng/mg (р=0.25) in the restenosis area and was increased in comparison with the control samples (0.04 ng/mg, 0.9 ng/mg, 4.4 ng/mg, respectively). A relationship between p53 and platelet-derived growth factor BB (r=0.724, p=0.002), platelet-derived growth factor BB and Bcl2 (r=0.672, p=0.003) was revealed in samples from restenosis tissue obtained during arterial reconstructions. Conclusion. The decreased apoptosis, expressed in a low level of p53 protein, with an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio is associated with an increase in the proliferative response of vascular wall cells in the area of restenosis of arterial reconstruction.

The effect of the stented iliac lesions TASC-II C, D on the femoropopliteal bypass patency: Propensity score-matched observational study

Introduction Concurrent stenting of complex iliac lesions during infrainguinal bypasses can increase the complexity of a case and impact outcomes. Objective Our aim was to evaluate the effect of inflow stenting of TASC-II C, D iliac lesions on femoropopliteal bypass patency. Methods A retrospective observational cohort study of patients who underwent femoropopliteal bypass with TASC-II C, D iliac artery stenting (hybrid group) or without inflow lesions (non-hybrid group) was conducted. After propensity score matching, 120 patients were included in the non-hybrid group and 60 patients in the hybrid one. The median follow-up was 432 (193; 1313) days in the hybrid group and 472 (196; 1376) days in the non-hybrid group ( p = 0.94). Results No significant differences were found between the groups in 30-day morbidity and serious adverse events. At 3 years, primary and secondary bypass patency for the hybrid group and non-hybrid group were 62.2% versus 59.9% ( p = 0.36) and 63.7% versus 64.3% ( p = 0.077), respectively. The primary patency of the iliac stents in patients of the hybrid group was 95% at 3 years. The estimated hazard ratio for primary patency for hybrid versus non-hybrid was 0.77, with 90% CI: 0.50–1.21; the noninferiority upper bound being 1.31, which corresponds to a 10% additive noninferiority margin for probabilities. The 3 years of freedom from amputation in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia was 94.1% and 75.0% in the hybrid and non-hybrid groups, respectively ( p = 0.09). Conclusion The outcomes of the femoropopliteal bypass in hybrid surgery supplemented with stenting of TASC-II C, D iliac lesions was similar to femoropopliteal bypass with intact inflow arteries.

Endovascular Recanalization of Chronic Total Occlusions of the Native Superficial Femoral Artery After Failed Femoropopliteal Bypass in Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia.

Background: The femoropopliteal bypass occlusion in patients with critical limb ischemia and chronic total occlusion of the native superficial femoral artery remains a significant problem, that hardly challenges vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists. Performing a secondary femoropopliteal bypass is still considered the standard of care, although it is associated with a higher complication rate and lower patency rate in comparison with primary bypass. Advanced age, lack of a good great saphenous vein, anastomosis’ pseudoaneurysms and high surgical risks make surgical approach not always suitable. Over the past few years, angioplasty has been commonly used, with the development in endovascular technologies, to treat chronic total occlusions of the native SFA, with a good technical success rate and clinical prognosis. Hence, the idea to recanalize the native SFA chronic total occlusions, in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) and femoro-popliteal bypass failure, has been born, limited to those patients unfit for surgery or refusing surgical reconstruction. Data regarding long-term outcomes of this approach in femoro-popliteal bypass failure are limited to few case-series studies.Results: Technical success was achieved in 51 (94.4%) of 54 limbs. Angiographically, 77.8% of the lesions were TASC II category D, while 22.2% TASC II category C. The average length of the native SFA lesions was 26.8 cm. Clinical success, with improved Rutherford classification staging, followed each case of technical success. The median follow-up value was 5.75 years (IQR, 1.5 – 7). By Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, primary patency rates were 61% (±0.07 SE) at 1 year and 46% (±0.07 SE) at 5 years. Secondary patency rates were 93% (±0.04 SE) at 1 year and 61% (±0.07 SE) at 5 years. Limb salvage rates were 94% (±0.03 SE) at 1 year and 88% (±0.05 SE) at 5 years.Conclusions: The endovascular recanalization of chronic total occlusions (CTO) of the native superficial femoral artery (SFA) after failed femoropopliteal bypass is a safe and effective therapeutic option in patients unfit for surgery with critical limb ischemia.

Increased collateral flow by rescue femorofemoral bypass dissolved residual thrombus in implanted iliofemoral artery stents: a case report

Background Failed aortofemoral and femoropopliteal bypass grafts in the lower extremity artery usually result in acute limb ischemia. Endovascular treatment and surgical revascularization have been reported for limb salvage. Case presentation A 72-year-old Japanese man was admitted with acute limb ischemia due to failed aortofemoral and femoropopliteal bypass grafts. Endovascular treatment with balloon angioplasty, thrombectomy, and stent implantation in the long chronic total occlusion from the right common iliac artery to the superficial femoral artery did not result in efficient flow due to thrombus transfer from a failed aortofemoral bypass graft. However, a rescue femorofemoral bypass (the left femoral to the right deep femoral artery) improved his symptoms, and implanted in-stent flow was gradually recovered. Lower extremity angiography performed 5 months later confirmed the patency of the iliofemoral in-stent flow. However, the femorofemoral bypass graft was unfortunately occluded due to the progression of left external iliac artery stenosis. The patency of the iliofemoral in-stent flow was confirmed at 1 year by ultrasonography. Conclusions Improvement of the deep femoral artery flow plays an important role in the treatment of acute limb ischemia due to failed aortofemoral and femoropopliteal bypass grafts. Thus, increased collateral circulation to the periphery through the deep femoral artery dissolved the remaining in-stent thrombus in the iliofemoral artery.