Failure Of Embolization Research Articles

Challenges in Diagnosis and Management of Previously Embolized Spinal Dural Arteriovenous Fistulae

Given the growing prevalence of initial endovascular treatment for type 1 spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae (dAVF), there are an increasing number of patients presenting with progressive symptoms related to recurrent previously embolized spinal dAVF. This study's goal was to identify demographic, clinical, and radiographic variables among patients who have failed embolization of type I spinal dAVF. A retrospective review of 24 consecutive surgeries for type I spinal dAVF performed by the senior author (A.D.L.) identified 5 patients who underwent open surgery for failed embolization. These 5 cases were reviewed for location of fistula, time from embolization to recurrence, preoperative functional status, fistulous point encountered at surgery, and clinical outcome of the patient at 3-month follow-up. A representative example case is reviewed in detail. The median age at time of recurrence was 63 years (range 51-73 years). The median timing of embolization to recurrence of neurologic symptoms was 5 months (range 1-54) and to surgery 7 months (range 2-60 months). The level of the spinal dAVF was most frequently at T12-L1 (n= 3). Spinal magnetic resonance arteriography led to localization of the spinal dAVF in 2 patients and spinal catheter angiogram in 3 cases. All patients had definitive radiographic cure of the dAVF at last clinical follow-up. The increased use of endovascular treatment of spinal dAVF has led to the treatment of refractory cases with a greater degree of surgical complexity. Open surgical ligation continues to provide the most definitive treatment outcomes for this complex spinal vascular entity.

Brain arteriovenous malformation treatment with transvenous endovascular technique after transarterial technique failure

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are unnatural connections in the vascular system. The treatment strategies are dictated by the angioarchitecture, location and presentation of AVMs. The present study sought to report a case report of a 35-year-old female patient diagnosed with a brain AVM and submitted to a transvenous AVM embolization, located at the corpus callosum's splenium, after a previous transarterial embolization failure. As a therapeutic approach, the patient was submitted to transarterial embolization. However, the procedure was performed too proximally in the arteries, which resulted in the total AVM persistency. The patient was submitted to angiographic control until complete AVM occlusion.

Epistaxis After Orthognathic Surgery: Literature Review and Three Case Studies.

This is a literature review with 3 case studies. Intraoperative and postoperative bleeding are the most common complications of orthognathic surgery and have the potential to become life-threatening. The rarity of severe postoperative epistaxis has resulted in limited characterization of these cases in the literature. The purpose of this study is to 1) differentiate various presentations of epistaxis following orthognathic surgery in the literature, 2) identify management approaches, and 3) to synthesize a treatment algorithm to guide future management of postoperative epistaxis. A literature search of PubMed was conducted and 28 cases from 17 studies were assessed. Bleeding within the first week may indicate isolated epistaxis, often resolved with local tamponade. Half of cases were attributed to pseudoaneurysm rupture (n = 14), with epistaxis onset ranging from postoperative day 6 to week 9. Angiography was used in most cases (n = 17), often as the primary imaging modality (n = 11). Nasal endoscopy is a less invasive and effective alternative to angiography with embolization. Proximal vessel ligation was used in 3 cases but is not preferred because collaterals may reconstitute flow through the defect and cause rebleeding. Repeat maxillary down-fracture with surgical exploration was described in 4 cases. As outlined in our management algorithm, nasal packing and tamponade should be followed by either local electrocautery or vascular imaging. Angiography with embolization is the preferred approach to diagnosis and management, whereas surgical intervention is reserved for cases of embolization failure or unavailability.

Lagrangian Trajectory Simulation of Platelets and Synchrotron Microtomography Augment Hemodynamic Analysis of Intracranial Aneurysms Treated With Embolic Coils.

As frequency of endovascular treatments for intracranial aneurysms increases, there is a growing need to understand the mechanisms for coil embolization failure. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling often simplifies modeling the endovascular coils as a homogeneous porous medium (PM), and focuses on the vascular wall endothelium, not considering the biomechanical environment of platelets. These assumptions limit the accuracy of computations for treatment predictions. We present a rigorous analysis using X-ray microtomographic imaging of the coils and a combination of Lagrangian (platelet) and Eulerian (endothelium) metrics. Four patient-specific, anatomically accurate in vitro flow phantoms of aneurysms are treated with the same patient-specific endovascular coils. Synchrotron tomography scans of the coil mass morphology are obtained. Aneurysmal hemodynamics are computationally simulated before and after coiling, using patient-specific velocity/pressure measurements. For each patient, we analyze the trajectories of thousands of platelets during several cardiac cycles, and calculate residence times (RTs) and shear exposure, relevant to thrombus formation. We quantify the inconsistencies of the PM approach, comparing them with coil-resolved (CR) simulations, showing the under- or overestimation of key hemodynamic metrics used to predict treatment outcomes. We fully characterize aneurysmal hemodynamics with converged statistics of platelet RT and shear stress history (SH), to augment the traditional wall shear stress (WSS) on the vascular endothelium. Incorporating microtomographic scans of coil morphology into hemodynamic analysis of coiled intracranial aneurysms, and augmenting traditional analysis with Lagrangian platelet metrics improves CFD predictions, and raises the potential for understanding and clinical translation of computational hemodynamics for intracranial aneurysm treatment outcomes.

Contemporary Management of Pediatric Blunt Splenic Trauma: A National Trauma Databank Analysis

PurposeTo quantify changes in the management of pediatric patients with isolated splenic injury from 2007 to 2015. Materials and MethodsPatients under 18 years old with registered splenic injury in the National Trauma Data Bank (2007–2015) were identified. Splenic injuries were categorized into 5 management types: nonoperative management (NOM), embolization, splenic repair, splenectomy, or a combination therapy. Linear mixed models accounting for confounding variables were used to examine the direct impact of management on length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) days, and ventilator days. ResultsOf included patients (n = 24,128), 90.3% (n = 21,789), 5.6% (n = 1,361), and 2.7% (n = 640) had NOM, splenectomy, and embolization, respectively. From 2007 to 2015, the rate of embolization increased from 1.5% to 3.5%, and the rate of splenectomy decreased from 6.9% to 4.4%. Combining injury grades, NOM was associated with the shortest LOS (5.1 days), ICU days (1.9 days), and ventilator days (0.5 day). Moreover, splenectomy was associated with longer LOS (10.1 days), ICU days (4.5 days), and ventilator days (2.1 days) than NOM. The average failure rate of NOM was 1.5% (180 failures/12,378 cases). Average embolization failure was 1.3% (6 failures/456 cases). Splenic artery embolization was associated with lower mortality than splenectomy (OR: 0.10, P <.001). No statistically significant difference was observed in mortality between embolization and NOM (OR: 0.96, P = 1.0). ConclusionsIn pediatric splenic injury, NOM is the most utilized and associated with favorable outcomes, most notably in grades III to V pediatric splenic injury. If intervention is needed, embolization is effective and increasingly utilized most significantly in lower grade injuries.

Surgical Management of Failed Endovascular Treatment for Spinal Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas

Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (SDAVFs) are rare vascular malformations. Digital subtraction angiography is the modality of choice to demonstrate the malformation before endovascular embolization or open surgical repair. Angiographically occult SDAVFs have been previously reported. Surgical considerations in SDAVFs with misleading angiography findings have not yet been assessed. A retrospective evaluation of charts and imaging files of patients operated on for SDAVF in 2018-2019 at a single institution was performed. All patients were referred to surgery following failure of endovascular embolization or owing to clinical and radiographic deterioration in the presence of an angiographically occult lesion. Cases were comprehensively reviewed and evaluated for surgical considerations in these lesions. This case series included 4 cases. Two patients underwent embolization before surgical repair but continued to deteriorate neurologically, and 2 patients had a failed embolization attempt owing to a torturous vascular network. In all 4 patients, exploration was successful, yielding either improvement or stabilization of neurological status. Indocyanine green injection for microscopically integrated fluorescent angiography contributed to the identification of the supplying vessels and confirmed the SDAVF closure. SDAVFs should be treated promptly after diagnosis. In cases with high suspicion for SDAVF with occult or misleading angiography findings, spinal exploration should be pursued with no delay. Indocyanine green-assisted microscopic angiography may contribute to exploratory spine surgery for SDAVF closure.

Management of Splenic Trauma in Contemporary Clinical Practice: A National Trauma Data Bank Study

To evaluate the utilization and efficacy of various treatments for management of adult patients with splenic trauma, highlighting the evolving role of splenic artery embolization. The National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) was queried for patients who sustained splenic trauma between 2007 and 2015, excluding those with death on arrival and selected nonsplenic high-grade injuries. Patients were categorized into (1) nonoperative management (NOM), (2) embolization, (3) splenectomy, (4) splenic repair, and (5) combined treatment groups. Evaluated outcomes included hospital length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit LOS, mortality, and NOM and embolization failures. Overall, 117,743 patients with splenic predominant trauma were included in this study. Over the 9-year study period, 85,793 (72.9%) were treated with NOM, 21,999 (18.9%) with splenectomy, 3895 (3.3%) with embolization, and 2131 (1.8%) with splenic repair. From 2007 to 2015, mortality rates declined from 7.6% to 4.7%. The rate of NOM did not significantly change over time, while embolization increased 369% (1.3%-4.8%). Failure of NOM was 4.4% in 2007 and decreased to 3.4% in 2015. Across all injury grades, NOM had the shortest LOS (8.3 days), followed by splenic repair (12.3), embolization (12.6), and splenectomy (13.8) (p < 0.001). When adjusted for various clinical factors including severity of splenic injury, mortality rates were 7.1% for splenectomy, 3.2% for embolization, and 2.5% for NOM. Most patients with splenic-dominant blunt trauma are managed with NOM. Over time, the use of embolization has increased while open surgery has declined, and mortality has improved for all treatment methods. Compared to splenectomy, embolization is associated with shorter hospital LOS but is still used relatively infrequently.

Efficacy of Iopamidol for Sealing an Injured Thoracic Duct: Pilot Experiments in a Large Animal

Chylothorax can be spontaneously healed by lymphangiography using lipiodol, but pulmonary or systemic embolization is a potential complication. We determined the efficacy of iopamidol for treating chylous leakage in an animal model. Twelve pigs were randomly divided into two groups. After inducing thoracic duct damage, pigs from groups A and B were injected with iopamidol and lipiodol, respectively. At 5, 10, and 30 min after damage induction, the drug effects were monitored by video-assisted thoracoscopy and lymphangiography. In vitro, chyle samples from the pigs were incubated with iopamidol and lipiodol. The damaged thoracic duct was harvested and examined using microscopy. In group A, four and two pigs did not show chylous leakage after 5 and 10 min, respectively. In group B, none showed chylous leakage after 5 min. Nevertheless, the p value was 0.46, and there was no statistically significant difference between groups A and B. In vitro, both iopamidol- and lipiodol-treated chyle samples adhered after 5 min and solidified at 30 min. Our findings confirmed that the damaged thoracic duct was clogged with an amorphous proteinaceous material (iopamidol). Therefore, iopamidol is potentially a new therapeutic agent for chylous leakage. Thoracic duct embolization failures or systemic embolization risks from lipiodol injection may be avoided by injecting iopamidol via the thoracic duct, and this warrants further investigation.

Jejunal gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST): a case report presenting as life threatening emergency

: Small bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is an uncommon tumor, with an estimated frequency of 10–20/L million population, occurring usually in the 6th decade of life. GISTs, mainly ones larger than 4 cm have a wide range of presentations from abdominal discomfort and bloating to abdominal emergencies due to massive gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage, with pressure necrosis and ulceration of the overlying mucosa is the main mechanism leading to GI hemorrhage. Life-threatening hemorrhage is a rare initial presentation. Among the wide differential diagnosis for GI bleeding, jejunal GIST is one of the rarest etiologies. Due to its location and hence the inability to identify by endoscopy it is difficult to diagnose. From here, computed tomography (CT) angiography is considered essential for identification of the site of GI bleed, which aids in diagnosis of GIST. The mainstay treatment for this emergent presentation is resection, which if done in a timely manner results in a good clinical outcome. Herein, we report a case of a 46-year-old male patient presenting with massive GI bleed from jejunal GIST, leading to hemodynamic instability, requiring massive transfusion protocol managed by small bowel resection, after failure of radiologic embolization. In rare instances GISTs present as massive GI bleeding necessitating admission to the hospital and urgent interference. In our case the early multidisciplinary approach manifested by involvement of interventional radiology with the surgical team was the cornerstone in the successful management of our patient and should be considered in all cases of massive upper GI bleeding.

Hemorrhage complicating the course of severe acute pancreatitis.

Backgrounds/AimsThe course of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) complicated by hemorrhage is associated with poor outcome.MethodsTwenty-four (13%) out of 183 cases of SAP had hemorrhagic complications- 12 intraabdominal & 12 intraluminal, 13 had major & 11 had minor and 16 had de-novo & 8 post-surgical bleeding. The mean duration of pancreatitis prior to bleeding was 27±27.2 days.ResultsPredictors of haemorrhage on univariate analysis were delayed admission (0.037), more than one organ failure (p=0.008), presence of venous thrombosis (p=0.033), infective necrosis (0.001) and systemic sepsis – bacterial (0.037) & fungal (p=0.032). On multivariate analysis infected necrosis (OR=11.82) and presence of fungal sepsis (OR=3.73) were the significant factors. Patients presenting with more than one organ failure and bacterial sepsis had borderline significance on multivariate analysis. Need for surgery (50% vs. 12.6%), intensive care stay (7.4±7.9 vs. 5.4±5.2 days) and mortality (41.7% vs. 10.7%) were significantly higher in patients who suffered haemorrhage. Seven of the 13 with major bleeding had pseudoaneurysms-4 were embolized, 4 needed surgery including 1 embolization failure. Seven with intraabdominal bleeding required surgical intervention, 2 had successful embolization and 3 had expectant management. CT severity index and surgical intervention, were significantly associated with intraabdominal bleeding. Organ failure, presence of pseudoaneurysm and surgical intervention were associated with major bleeding.ConclusionsHemorrhage in SAP was associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Infected necrosis accentuated the degradation of the vessel wall, which predispose to hemorrhage. Luminal bleeding may be indicative of erosion into the adjacent viscera by the pseudoaneurysm.

Large subcapsular hematoma of the liver due to faja corset: a rare case report

BackgroundSubcapsular hematoma of the liver is a potentially life-threatening but extremely rare condition. It is often caused by a blunt trauma or other predisposing conditions such as a liver tumor, intra-tumor hemorrhage, surgery, preeclampsia, liver biopsy, and hemodialysis. Predisposing causes of liver hematoma include its large size and proximity to fixed structures. To date, there have been no reported cases of subcapsular liver hematoma caused by tight clothing such as corsets. Our case report is about an extremely rare case of subcapsular hematoma of the liver caused by wearing a tight faja corset in a young healthy female.Case presentationA forty-five-year-old Spanish female without any underlying health problems presented with sudden onset epigastric and right upper quadrant abdominal pain after wearing a faja corset the night prior to the hospital presentation. CT abdomen was noted for subcapsular hematoma of the liver. Her symptoms persisted and repeat CT abdomen showing worsening of the liver hematoma. Patient had interventional radiology (IR) guided drainage and was subsequently discharged home.ConclusionsSubscapular liver hematomas need to be considered in patients presenting with acute onset abdominal pain after wearing certain tight clothing. The necessity of an early and accurate diagnosis is vital for management as hemodynamically stable patients can be managed conservatively. Our patient was managed with IR-guided aspiration drainage of the hematoma. Surgery can be considered a last resort in case of life-threatening hemodynamic instability, peritoneal signs, free abdominal fluid, and failure of arterial embolization. Our case highlights the importance of early recognition of traumatic subcapsular hematomas to prevent life-threatening complications.

Percutaneous Embolization of Biliary Leaks: A Systematic Interdisciplinary Review and Proposal for a New Classification

Abstract Objectives Biliary leak can be treated by percutaneous biliary embolization. The aim of this systematic interdisciplinary review was to analyze available reports on percutaneous embolization of biliary leak. Methods We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach to perform literature database search. The following terms were systematically analyzed: type of embolic agent, success rates, embolization-related adverse events, cause of biliary leak, fistula connection type, anatomic bile duct variants, and access routes. Results Of 713 publications identified, 45 reports with 101 patients were included. Six temporary and 4 permanent embolic agents were used in 55/101 (54.5%) and 46/101 (45.5%) patients; combined in 18/101 patients (17.8%). Bile leak was successfully embolized in 97/101 (96.0%) patients, in 48/101 (47.5%) patients after repeated procedures with the same agent, and in 4/101 (3.9%) patients after a failed embolization with other agents: isolated bile duct fistula (n = 2), intrahepatic fistula after liver resection, and biliary-bronchial fistula. Five types of biliary leak were associated with the following success rates: (A) common bile duct (CBD) or cystic duct: 4/4 (100%); (B) intrahepatic bile duct (IHBD), communicating with CBD: 16/18 (88.9%); (C) isolated IHBD: 49/51 (96%); (D) CBD or cystic duct, bile duct system (BDS) not accessible by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP): 7/7 (100%); and (E) IHBD, communicating with CBD, BDS not accessible by ERCP: 9/9 (100%). Conclusions Embolization was highly successful without clear preference for one embolic agent. A new classification of biliary leak is proposed to direct nonsurgical treatments.

Abstract No. 385 Emergent uncontrolled bleeding in patients with thrombocytopenia and/or coagulopathy: embolization with glue significantly less likely to require repeat intervention than other embolic agents

Traditional coil embolization slows blood flow to enable hemostasis. Sufficient platelet activation and intact coagulation cascade are required for hemostasis. Past studies have found that thrombocytopenia and/or coagulopathy are factors associated with failure of embolization to stop bleeding. Glue embolization is thought to not be affected by such factors to stop bleeding. To evaluate the efficacy of glue embolization to other forms of embolization, we retrospectively reviewed all emergent embolizations performed for bleeding. We reviewed imaging and medical charts for all embolizations for bleeding performed by interventional radiology at a large academic institution for 4 years. Patient demographics, labs, indication, procedure time, embolization site, embolic agent(s) used, procedures and clinical course were reviewed. For statistical significance, Wilcoxon test is used to test continuous variables and Fisher’s exact for categorical variables. A total of 42 embolization procedures were performed on patients who had INR of at least 1.5 or higher and/or platelets 100 or less. Eight patients had embolizations performed using glue as one of the agents and 34 patients had embolizations using any agent or combination of agents exclusive of glue. In non-glue cases (34 cases), coils were used 82% of the time, followed by gel foam (32%), particles (6%) and plugs (6%). Gel foam was almost always concurrently used with coils (72% of the time); only 3 cases used gel foam as the only agent. The most common target organ was bowel (48% of the cases), followed by solid organs (liver, spleen, kidney; 29%) and muscle (24%). No glue cases required repeat intervention versus 18 of the non-glue cases (43%, P < 0.05). The INR and platelet levels were not significantly different between the groups. The mean procedure time was lower for glue cases (95 minutes for glue versus 106 minutes for non-glue cases) but was not statistically different between the groups. Embolization with glue was found to be significantly more durable than with embolization with other agents in patients with thrombocytopenia and/or coagulopathy.

Prolonged international normalized ratio and vascular injury at divisional level predict embolization failures of patients with iatrogenic renal vascular injuries

Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE), as an alternative to surgery for iatrogenic renal vascular injury (IRVI), may have unsatisfactory outcomes. Nonetheless, there is inadequate information regarding the predictors of TAE outcomes for IRVI in the literature. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the predictors of TAE outcomes for IRVI. Of 47 patients, none had major complications, 17 (36.2%) patients had minor complications, and none suffered significant renal function deterioration after TAE. Technical success and clinical success were 91.5% and 93.6%, respectively. Technical failure was associated with older age, thrombocytopenia, prolonged international normalized ratio (INR) and divisional IRVI. Clinical failure was associated with kidney failure, use of steroids, prolonged INR, and divisional IRVI. In addition, prolonged INR was a significant predictor of technical failure. This implies that aggressive measures to control the INR prior to TAE are warranted to facilitate technical success, and technical success could then be validated on post-TAE images. Furthermore, divisional IRVI was a predictor of clinical failure. Thus, divisional IRVI should undergo surgery first since TAE is prone to clinical failure. The avoidance of clinical failure is validated if divisional IRVI does not need further intervention.

Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer Embolization for Acute Renal Hemorrhage: Initial Experience in 24 Cases.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer (Onyx, Medtronic) for embolization for acute renal hemorrhage. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Between October 2006 and June 2018, 24 consecutive patients were treated by embolization with EVOH copolymer for acute renal hemorrhage at Hôpital Bichat-Claude-Bernard. CT angiography was performed in all patients before treatment. Technical success was defined as the complete occlusion of the bleeding artery on final renal angiogram. Clinical success was defined as the absence of rebleeding after embolization. Complications mid procedure, infarcted renal area on final angiogram, and renal function 1 week after embolization were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS. Active bleeding was observed in all cases. The causes of acute renal hemorrhage were iatrogenic in 12 patients, vascular malformation in four patients, renal tumor in four patients, and unknown in four patients. EVOH copolymer was the sole embolic agent used in 16 patients. In eight patients, EVOH copolymer was used after persistent bleeding after embolization with coils. Technical and clinical success rates were 100%. No patient required surgery or new embolization during a mean follow-up period of 35 months (range, 6-86 months). No serious complications were attributable to EVOH copolymer. The mean infarcted renal area was 10% (range, 5-30%). Renal function, available for 16 (67%) patients, was not altered 1 week after embolization. CONCLUSION. EVOH copolymer is safe and effective for embolization of acute renal hemorrhage, either as a first-line embolic agent or after failure of coil embolization.

1288 Cystic Artery Pseudo-Aneurysm: A Rare Cause of Hemobilia and Jaundice

INTRODUCTION: Aneurysms of the hepatic artery or its branches are rare, representing 0.01-2% of all arterial aneurysms.1 Causes of cystic artery aneurysms include abdominal trauma and intra-abdominal inflammatory processes such as cholecystitis.2 We present a case of gastrointestinal bleeding, jaundice and colicky right upper quadrant abdominal pain (Quincke's clinical triad) as a result of a ruptured pseudo-aneurysm of cystic artery. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: A 79-year-old white man with a past history of cholecystectomy presented with colicky right upper quadrant pain, jaundice and melena. Physical examination showed stable vital signs. He had icterus. He was mildly tender in the epigastrium and right upper quadrant on palpation. His CBC showed a white cell count of 16.5 K/UL, hemoglobin 13.8 GM/DL, and hematocrit 42%. LFTs showed total bilirubin of 7.50 MG/DL, direct bilirubin 5.30 MG/DL, AST of 379 IU/L, ALT of 798 IU/L, and alkaline phosphatase was 337 IU/L. An ERCP was performed. The ERCP showed blood clots at the ampulla. Cholangiogram showed multiple filling defects consistent with blood clots. This was treated with placement of biliary stent. CT showed hemorrhage next to a fusiform pseudo-aneurysm measuring 13 × 6 mm, which appeared to arise in the region of the cystic artery. Embolization of pseudo-aneurysm resolved the patient's symptoms. DISCUSSION: Pseudo-aneurysm of cystic artery after laparoscopic cholecystectomy is rare. One report identified 27 published cases.3 It can occur up to 120 days after surgery.4 Among the possible causes are the excessive use of electrocautery and erosion of the cystic artery caused by the metal clip used to occlude the cystic duct.5 Pseudo-aneurysm of the hepatic artery or its branches presents with hemobilia in about 20% of cases in the early postoperative period.4,6 The classic triad of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, pain in the right upper quadrant and obstructive jaundice described by Quincke is present in 32% of patients.7,8 In our patient, the possibility of a pseudo-aneurysm was only considered after imaging. Angiography established the diagnosis. Doppler ultrasound is an alternative means of detecting the aneurysm.9 In patients with gastrointestinal bleeding, EGD and ERCP may be performed before arteriography.10,11 Transarterial embolisation is the treatment of choice in the presence of hemorrhage.6,10,12 When there is compression of the bile duct or a fistula or failure of embolisation, surgery is needed to repair or ligate the artery involved.7

Failure of initial superselective renal arterial embolization in the treatment of renal hemorrhage after percutaneous nephrolithotomy: A respective analysis of risk factors.

Superselective renal arterial embolization (SRAE) is a well-established method for the treatment of severe hemorrhage following percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). However, there remains a significant rate of failures requiring repeat SRAE or nephrectomy. To identify risk factors for initial treatment failure of SRAE, the data of patients who had undergone SRAE for severe bleeding due to PCNL between August 2005 and June 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 98 patients required SRAE for bleeding control following PCNL. Renal arteriography revealed pseudoaneurysm in 65 patients, arteriovenous fistula in 6 patients, and a combination of both in 11 patients. Free extravasation was observed in 11 patients; 8 of these patients exhibited coexisting pseudoaneurysm. Vascular aberration/tortuosity was identified in 10 patients. A total of 17 patients (17.3%) experienced initial treatment failure and underwent repeat SRAE. Multivariate analysis identified percutaneous tract size, number of bleeding sites and vascular aberration/tortuosity as significant predictors of initial treatment failure. The results from the present study suggested that repeated SRAE is preferred for patients who have experienced initial treatment failure with recurrent hemorrhage following PCNL. Large tract size, multiple bleeding sites and renal vascular aberration/tortuosity were significantly associated with increased risk of initial treatment failure of SRAE. These data may assist interventional radiologists in the planning and execution of SRAE in the treatment of PCNL.

Long term veno-venous extracorporeal life support without intravenous anticoagulation for diffuse alveolar hemorrhage

Diffuse alveolar damage is the histologic hallmark for the acute phase of acute respiratory distress syndrome and can occasionally present as diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. We report a patient with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage and acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring veno-venous extracorporeal life support for 210 days, who was successfully treated for a period of 130 consecutive days without intravenous anticoagulation. Although there are a few brief reports detailing long extracorporeal life support runs, the literature is largely devoid of data regarding long-term extracorporeal life support without full systemic anticoagulation. Regular inspection of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit is critical because externally visible thrombi may predict internal thrombus generation with the potential for systemic embolization or abrupt oxygenator failure. In our case, multiple circuit and oxygenators changes were required. We have demonstrated that a patient with a contraindication for systemic anticoagulation can safely have veno-venous extracorporeal life support for prolonged periods without catastrophic thrombotic complications.

Role of Intracoronary Fibrinolytic Therapy in Contemporary PCI Practice.

Plaque rupture or plaque erosion leads to intracoronary thrombus formation resulting in coronary artery occlusion and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Early restoration of blood flow in occluded coronary artery is the mainstay of therapy and it can be achieved by either thrombolytic therapy or primary percutaneous coronary intervention (P-PCI) or a combination of these two in many different ways. It has been proved that primary PCI is better than thrombolytic therapy in establishing early and effective recanalization of infarct related artery, reducing major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and increasing survival. There have been tremendous advances in PCI techniques over the years with newer stents, thrombectomy devices, and adjunctive pharmacotherapy. However, intracoronary thrombus continues to be the bane of interventional cardiologists. Failure of recanalization, suboptimal results, distal embolization, no reflow and impaired myocardial perfusion are some of the unresolved difficulties, regularly seen during PCI of patients with large intracoronary thrombus burden indicating an unmet need. This review focuses on emerging evidence about the usefulness of intracoronary thrombolytic therapy as an adjunct to PCI in patients with large intracoronary thrombus burden.

Spectrum of morphological abnormalities and treatment outcomes in ostium secundum type of atrial septal defects: Single center experience in >500 cases

BackgroundTranscatheter closure (TCC) has emerged as the first line treatment option for secundum type of atrial septal defects (ASD). Outcomes of TCC depend upon proper delineation of defect anatomy by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Stability and proper placement of the device mandates adequate rims and proper alignment to the septum. Failed or unfavorable morphology for TCC requires referral for surgical repair. MethodsWe prospectively analyzed the ASD patients who were referred for treatment. The morphological features of the defect were evaluated and the outcomes of TCC studied. Patients who undergo TCC and surgical repair were followed for immediate and long-term outcome comparison. ResultsOf the 512 patients who underwent treatment, TCC was attempted in 430/512 (83.2%) patients. It was successful in 393/430 (91.3%) patients. The remaining 119 patients underwent surgical patch closure. Twenty patients had failure of device alignment and device embolization occurred in 17 patients. Very large defect size ≥35 mm, absent or deficient posterior rim, absent/deficient inferior naval rim showed high chances for failure and formed major reasons for surgical referral. The surgical group had higher success (100%) across all anatomic variables. However, they had longer intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stay (p < 0.001). ConclusionTCC offered a success rate of 91% in complex defects after TEE selection. Very large size and deficient inferior, posterior rims predicted failure of TCC. Surgery offered 100% success and it involved a longer hospital and ICU stay. The long-term clinical results were identical with both treatment modalities.